(10) As MDOT and local governments debate how to fund our next generation of roads and bridges, we should demand smarter systems. Systems that include feedback, financial accountability, and measurable return on investment.

(9) By implementing Marohn’s suggestions of taxing uplifted property values or tying land sales to infrastructure investments, Mississippi could better align its spending with results. That’s how you stop wasting taxpayer dollars.

(8) That’s a problem. If no one’s measuring outcomes, then we’re not building “public infrastructure.”We’re just spending public money.

(7) Right now, Mississippi residents can’t vote with their wallets. There’s no real-time metric to show whether a public road or bridge produced lasting value. We pay the bill, but we don’t get a receipt.

(6)
② Measure changes in property values. Build a new frontage road? Tax the increase in value to reflect the benefit. That connects investment with outcome, something our current funding system lacks.

(5) Marohn proposes two solutions:
① Copy the railroads. Rail companies bought land near planned stations. If values rose, the project worked. If they didn’t, it failed. That was direct, financial feedback.

(4) Sure, projections are made: “This road will reduce commute time,” or “This highway will create X jobs.” But rarely do we return years later to ask:
Did this project actually produce what we promised?

(3) That’s exactly what’s happened in U.S. infrastructure. We spend tens of billions each year on transportation, but without a real system for tracking long-term value. There’s no feedback loop to correct poor decisions.

(2) Marohn quotes Neil Johnson in Simply Complexity:

“In real-world situations where there is no competition… we could each go around acting in whatever way we wanted… and yet still end up with an embarrassment of riches… There is no need to learn from the past, or adapt.”

Check back later this week as we keep exploring Strong Towns ideas, especially how they show up in the choices Mississippi cities are making every day.

Put simply: if we want walkability, shade, outdoor seating, and safe streets—without tax hikes or a city budget stretched thin—we need to live where those improvements are not just desirable but fiscally responsible. Want some Starkville examples of where that’s realistic? Ask away. #StrongTownsMS

The important takeaway is that these kinds of improvements can’t happen on every street in #Starkville. Streets like Main and Highway 182 generate far more public revenue than places like Shadowood Ln or Douglass MacArthur Dr. #SmartGrowth is about recognizing where investment pays off.

The city plans to bring those same features to Highway 182, while learning from failures on Main. For example, Main Street isn’t designed for the handicapped due to many stairs. While the sidewalks are wide, they’re not quite wide enough to allow outdoor seating or lines without blocking the path.

Here in Starkville, the city has embraced the Strong Towns mindset. One example is the ongoing renovation of a densely populated section of Highway 182, just a block from Main St. Main is already a popular destination featuring wide sidewalks, some outdoor seating, trees, and protected crosswalks.

So the next time your city or county proposes new infrastructure, stop and ask: Will this investment pay for itself by strengthening the places around it? If the answer is no, speak up. Projects that don’t serve the broader public lead to higher taxes and weaker services for everyone else.

If a new road costs $1 million, the government needs to raise $2 million in taxes. Not because the government is greedy, but because public infrastructure comes with overhead. When a community expands, so do the costs of elections, police, fire protection, maintenance, and other essential services.