The Strong Towns Podcast A Shared Identity Makes Cities Strong. Here's How To Find Yours.
Dec 1, 2025
Ryan Short, founder of Civic Brand and author of 'The Civic Brand,' shares insights on how cities can uncover their shared identity to enhance civic pride and strengthen community engagement. He contrasts corporate branding with civic branding, emphasizing the importance of community values over mere logos. Ryan argues for continuous engagement with residents, suggesting practical strategies for deeper connections. He also highlights the necessity of integrating brand values into policymaking, ensuring that daily decisions resonate with the community's core identity.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Brands Are Civic Identity, Not Logos
- A civic brand is a shared sense of identity that guides policy, investment, and culture rather than a logo or slogan.
- Ryan Short argues a civic brand is uncovered through patient, inclusive engagement and acts as connective tissue for place-based decisions.
Use A Triple Bottom Line
- Use a triple bottom line — people, profit, place — to evaluate decisions instead of focusing solely on growth or outside investment.
- Pause on big choices to ask who benefits locally and how the place is affected before approving projects.
Name What Already Guides Decisions
- Even if a community isn't 'ready' for a formal brand, it still needs a guiding framework because decisions happen anyway.
- Start by asking what's guiding current choices and document an explicit mission to reduce ad-hoc, reactive governance.
