VOTE MADISON

WE'RE IN THE RUNNING.

Madison wins nomination in international “March Madness” style contest with 15 other cities.

Madison will go head to head with 15 other North American cities in the 10th Annual Strongest Town Contest presented by Urban 3, and voting begins on Monday, March 2. In this bracket-style voting tournament, Madison 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. 

Madisonians have been working hard to make Madison a Stronger Town:

• “Madison waves goodbye to peak-hour traffic lanes on Willy Street” - The Cap Times

• Park(ing) Day 2026 - Strong Towns Madison

• Crash Analysis Studio Session 19: Madison, WI - Strong Towns

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 the course of four rounds. Anyone can vote once per round, and votes are tallied Monday through Friday morning. Winners are notified each Friday. In the first round, Madison will compete to determine seeding when the tournament format begins with the “Elite Eight.” The top eight vote getters in Round 1 advance to the bracket-style elimination. From that point, winners will advance based head to head competitions of votes collected that week:

• R1: The Showcase (March 2–13).

• R2: Elite Eight (March 16–20). 

• R3: Final Four (March 23–27). 

• R4: Championship (March 30–April 3).

Strong Towns is a 501c(3) non-profit and media advocacy organization that shifts conversations around the North American development pattern. Through reports, articles, podcasts, videos, live events and professional coaching, it provides knowledge and tools to help cities transform their communities. Learn more at strongesttown.com.