A cohort of small developers representing over 100 properties in poor, disinvested neighborhoods are, together, the largest developer in South Bend, IN. Can their success be replicated?

You Can't Understand the Rust Belt Without Understanding Its Suburbanization

The real story of the Rust Belt is not simply one of deindustrialization or decline. To miss that is to also to miss the way forward to greater strength and resilience.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesDecember 1, 2020Rust Belt, South Bend

6 Ingredients in a Troubled City's Impressive Recovery

Scott Ford, former Director of Community Investment for South Bend, Indiana, knows a thing or two about how to turn around a declining place’s fortunes. He shares some key insights with us.

Podcast, Strategies, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJune 10, 2019revitalization, Rust Belt, South Bend, Indiana

Rewarding Neglect and Punishing Investment in Struggling Neighborhoods

In cities all over America, we deter people from revitalizing neighborhoods by punishing them with higher taxes for improving their property. A change in how we tax property could fix these incentives.

Could Immigrants Play a Role in Strengthening Your Town?

Across the Rust Belt and Midwest, immigrant entrepreneurs and residents are helping to mitigate the financial challenges faced by declining and shrinking cities.

Byron, Economic Development, Top StoryAubrey ByronOctober 11, 2018immigration, Entrepreneurship, Rust Belt, St. Louis, Detroit

Beginnings, Middles, and Ends

Everything has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Our current institutions are in the process of failing and are unlikely to be reformed. Once the dust settles, we’ll create new institutions and a fresh cultural consensus that respond to pressing needs on the ground.