Cast Your Vote for Bend in Strongest Town Contest

by | Mar 7, 2025 | Uncategorized

Bend will go head-to-head with 15 other North American cities in the 10th Annual Strongest Town Contest. In this bracket-style voting tournament, Bend will compete for the “Strongest Town” title by shining a national spotlight on the work it’s doing to become a stronger, more resilient city. Cast your vote for Bend starting Monday, March 3 at strongesttown.com.

“Bend has made remarkable strides in residential development policies, emphasizing middle housing and infill growth,” says Jesse Russell, CEO of Hiatus Homes. Jesse took the unique step of personally nominating Bend for this competition, a task typically handled by city governments or grassroots organizations. As the first developer to utilize Bend’s cottage code back in 2018, Hiatus has continued to pioneer “attainable-by-design” housing. And while based in Bend, Hiatus works nationally, helping clients design and develop innovative cottage communities. “Bend’s forward-thinking policies, championed by the City of Bend staff, mayor, and city councilors, along with organizations like the Chamber and Bend YIMBY, demonstrate how progressive leadership can empower developers and position Bend as a national model for housing innovation.”

The Strongest Town Contest celebrates progress, not perfection. A “strong town” is any town, big or small, that is taking tangible steps to overcome its transportation, housing, or financial challenges. Strong Towns refers to this methodology as the “Strong Towns Approach,” and this contest spotlights the work of city residents and leaders who are using this approach to become more resilient over time.
 
Here’s how voting works. Competitors advance over four weekly rounds. Anyone can vote once per week, and votes are tallied Monday through Thursday. Winners are notified each Friday. Bend has competed with three other cities for an honorary title to recognize its efforts toward “Right-Sized Parking Policy.” Now, all cities have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, when bracket-style eliminations will start and winners will advance based on the number of votes collected that week:
 
    • Sweet Sixteen (March 10–13)
    • Elite Eight (March 17–20)
    • Final Four (March 24–27)
    • Championship (March 31–April 3)
Go Bend!