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

Communities Need to Make Space for Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship plays an important role in building prosperous local communities. Here are some steps for creating a more active ecosystem of entrepreneurs in your place.