The Christmas Present Test

You can learn a lot about a place by how easily you can do some great Christmas shopping.

Economic Development, Member Post, Top StoryMichael NatelliDecember 14, 2022local economy, localism, local business, shopping malls, member story

Battle of the Business Titans

A small, local, mixed-use business versus a new Amazon warehouse. Let’s put these two business proposals before the Shark Tank (Winnipeg edition).

Streets Are for Building Community Wealth. Here’s Why That’s So Important.

Streets can be about many things, but unless they are building wealth for the community, they won’t survive. Period.

Economic Development, Marohn, Roads and Streets, Top StoryCharles MarohnJune 20, 2022finance, local finance, public finance, municipal finance, economic growth, economics, Economy, streets

Urban3 Decoder: Let's Peek Under the Hood of A Shiny Oklahoma City

Join the Urban3 team as they wade past Oklahoma City’s glittering amenities to take an up-close view of the real economic engine under the shiny enamel hood.

Economic Development, CNU, Urban3, Video, Top StoryJay StangeApril 15, 2022oklahoma, CNU, Urban3, tax base, Tax Base, resource, resource trap, Economy, economics

The Village of Providence and Its Supposedly Impossible Stuff

You might not guess by looking, but this traditional neighborhood development is an employment powerhouse.

Economic Development, Neighborhoods, Success Story, Top StorySteve MouzonApril 11, 2022Entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship, mixed use, traditional development pattern, neighborhood, Neighborhoods, alabama, success, success stories, business, local business

Recovery Playbook: Back to Downtown & Main Street

This guide will take you through short-term and long-term strategies for downtown and Main Street recovery in the wake (and midst) of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coronavirus, Economic Development, Strategies, Top StoryJonathan BerkMarch 11, 2022coronavirus, placemaking, creative placemaking, downtown, main street, Traditional Main Street, urbanism, revitalization, how to, economic development, Economic Development

A New Vision for Economic Ecosystems: Interview with Dave Kresta (Part 2)

What are some of the practical ways that faith communities can contribute to healthy economic ecosystems?

Community, Economic Development, Faith, Pattison, Top StoryJohn PattisonFebruary 9, 2022Faith Featured, faith communities, economic development, Economic Development, community, Community

We Are Not Just Economic Creatures: Dave Kresta’s Vision of Economic Development

How do we build vibrant local economies that are good for the people who actually live in a neighborhood?

Community, Economic Development, Faith, Pattison, Top StoryJohn PattisonFebruary 2, 2022Faith Featured, faith communities, economic development, Economic Development, community, Community

A Downtown Baseball Stadium in KC: Who Pays?

When (if ever) should taxpayers subsidize a new pro sports stadium?

Upzoned, Podcast, Economic Development, Top StoryStrong TownsSeptember 29, 2021Kansas City, baseball, stadium, sports, megaprojects, Megaprojects, Upzoned, Podcast, subsidies

Should Kansas City Taxpayers Foot the Bill for a New Downtown Stadium?

The Kansas City Royals are considering building a new stadium downtown. But who should pay for it: the princes (team owners) or the paupers (taxpayers)?

Pattison, Economic Development, #DotheMath, Video, Top StoryJohn PattisonSeptember 28, 2021Kansas City, baseball, stadium, megaprojects, subsidies, Megaprojects, #DoTheMath

Lessons from Mount Morris

In a world of real estate investors seeking quick profits, we need more people like Greg O'Connell.

Community, Economic Development, Small Scale Developers, Success Story, Top StoryJonah RichardSeptember 14, 2021success, success stories, downtown, community development, community, developers, New York

Small-Scale Manufacturing: A Key to Revitalizing Your Downtown

Check out this preview of Ilana Preuss’s Recast Your City to find out how small-scale manufacturing can help bring struggling neighborhoods back to life.

Economic Development, Taking Action, Top StoryIlana PreussJuly 16, 2021books, downtown, small business, manufacturing, taking action

The Stock Market Is Not the Economy

If we want to have meaningful conversations about "the economy" and how it affects everyday people, then our focus needs to shift from macro to local.

Community, Economic Development, Top StoryNick MathewsJune 15, 2021local business, small business, community, economic development, MainVest, coronavirus

What Is Wealth? How Do We Make It?

Today, prosperity isn’t gold, land, or natural resources; it’s know-how.

Economic Development, Membership, Top StoryDavid AlbrechtJune 10, 2021economics, economic growth, local economy, history, member drive

Big Horn County, Montana: Leaving Coal Behind

Natural resources have been a mixed bag for Big Horn County, Montana, but local Crow (Apsáalooke) leaders are working to turn the narrative around.

Resource Trap, Community, Economic Development, Success Story, Top StorySamuel WesternJune 2, 2021resource trap, RBC Series, montana, community, education, tourism, series, Resource Trap - Case Studies

Sandpoint, Idaho: Walking the Line

Moving past a commodity-based economy is not for the faint of heart. See how this community in Idaho has begun welcoming new (sometimes even weird) ideas on how to do so.

Resource Trap, Economic Development, Success Story, Top StorySamuel WesternJune 1, 2021resource trap, RBC Series, Idaho, local business, business, Resource Trap - Case Studies

Break Out of the Resource Trap with a Strong Towns Approach

Communities in decline face a great deal of work if they hope to someday become stronger towns. Remember that it is a process, not a destination. Here’s how you can begin.

Community, Economic Development, Marohn, Resource Trap, Top StoryCharles MarohnMay 28, 2021resource trap, RBC Series, community, main street, Traditional Main Street, Resource Trap - Core Content

Reinforce the Main Street Ecosystem in Your Place

Resource-focused cities of the past built wealth in a downtown core surrounded by neighborhoods. Here’s how to recreate that ecosystem in your place, today.

Community, Economic Development, Marohn, Resource Trap, Top StoryCharles MarohnMay 27, 2021resource trap, RBC Series, community, main street, Traditional Main Street, Resource Trap - Core Content

Build Community Wealth with Incremental Investment

We must stop building more infrastructure in our cities and switch instead to a model of intensive maintenance, combined with making better use of what has already been built.

#DotheMath, Community, Economic Development, Incrementalism, Maintenance, Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnMay 26, 2021resource trap, RBC Series, incremental growth, incrementalism, community, little bets, resilience, Resource Trap - Core Content

Accelerate Success in Your Place with Economic Gardening

Conventional economic development practice focuses on recruiting new businesses to relocate to the community. In reality, the most stable and prosperous businesses are those that are homegrown.

Economic Development, Marohn, Resource Trap, Strategies, Top StoryCharles MarohnMay 21, 2021RBC Series, Economic Gardening, local economy, resource trap, local business, how to, Resource Trap - Core Content

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