A recent advertising insert in the Winnipeg Free Press would have us believe that road expansion will solve not only homelessness, but crime and addiction, as well. Let's investigate these lofty claims.

This Florida Town Rode a Rail Trail to an Economic Revival

Residents of Winter Garden, FL, realized they needed to take action to revive their declining town. They did this by focusing on one straightforward goal: bring people back downtown.

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.

What Is Wealth? How Do We Make It?

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

A Receding Tide

Towns and cities whose economies relied on tourism are in major trouble. Even when the economy recovers, these places won’t soon go back to business as usual. Nor should they.

The Difference Between Growth and Wealth

Endless growth is a luxury we literally can’t afford. Here’s why the path to true prosperity requires local communities to opt out of an economy of greed and bring decision-making back home.

Modern Monetary Theory and the End of Recessions

Modern Monetary Theory suggests that recessions can be avoided – along with lots of unnecessary pain – if policymakers will commit the resources to preempt them. Sounds like the same promise the Forest Service made fighting fires last century.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnFebruary 25, 2019macroeconomics, Modern Monetary Theory, Recession, economic growth

When Local "Growth" is Really Just Redistribution

When a new brewpub, restaurant, or entertainment venue opens in your town, is this a sign of growth, or merely a shift in where patrons spend their dollars? And what does that imply about cities that subsidize such things?

Horbovetz, Top Story, Economic DevelopmentArian HorbovetzJanuary 16, 2019Entertainment Districts, economic growth

Renewal: Getting From Here to There

Our neighborhoods won't be revived with a giant infusion of cash. Rather, we have to take small steps over time to truly build economically prosperous cities.

Akron, Top Story, SchweitzerMark SchweitzerApril 10, 2018revitalization, economic growth

What the Amazon Headquarters Beauty Contest can teach us about Economic Development

(Hint: It doesn't involve luring a mega-corporation to our community.)

Top Story, Member PostSeth ZerenSeptember 26, 2017amazon, Economic Development, economic growth

Best of 2016: Balloon Economics

If the global economy is like a hot air balloon, we're only given the option to continually go higher -- despite the risk -- or cut all the air and crash. Those options aren't good enough.

Best of Blog, Top Story, MarohnCharles MarohnDecember 13, 2016economics, economic growth

A Real Return on Investment

This video explains why our cities are going broke in spite of what appears to be so much economic activity and growth.

Top Story, Video, #DotheMath, FinanceStrong TownsSeptember 2, 2016economic growth, Public Return on Investment

Import Replacement

Many people associate Jacobs with a love of walkable neighborhoods, urban parks and historic buildings. What they fail to grasp is that these are means to an end, not the end itself.