Death by Parking

For nearly half a year, this small business owner has been ready to open his coffee shop…but the city is refusing to let him do so, all because of antiquated parking mandates.

End Parking Mandates, Top Story, Community StoriesAsia MieleszkoMarch 29, 2023End Parking Mandates and Subsidies, Parking, small business, local business, parking minimums

Philadelphia Embraced Outdoor Dining. Until It Didn’t.

Philadelphia is a great place to visit, but not because it’s a great place to park. City officials don’t seem to see it that way, though, given the recent restrictions placed on its outdoor dining program.

End Parking Mandates, Safe & Productive Streets, Top StoryAsia MieleszkoFebruary 8, 2023Safe and Productive Streets, End Parking Mandates and Subsidies, parklet, restaurants, local business, small business, Parking, parking, local regulation

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).

Where Are All Our Front Yard Businesses?

Front yard businesses were once a natural stage in the evolution of a community. So where have they all gone, and how do we bring them back?

Pattison, Zoning, Neighborhoods, Top StoryJohn PattisonAugust 16, 2022business, small business, local business, Entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship, neighborhood, Neighborhoods, zoning

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is...Starting an Electric Bike Business

These Strong Towns advocates started an electric bike company in Calgary, AB, and are passionate about how biking changes the way you see your city.

Podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, Top Story, Success Story, BikeabilityStrong TownsAugust 11, 2022Podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, e-bikes, biking, family, small business

Inside Eden Center: What a Strip Mall Can Be

We’ve explored the outside of Fairfax County’s Eden Center before, but what does the inside of this surprisingly fine-grained strip mall look like?

#ChaoticButSmart, Public Space, Top StoryAddison Del MastroJune 27, 2022fine-grained, urbanism, strip malls, Virginia, immigrants, community, Community, shared space, business, small business, local business, Chaotic but Smart, Addison Del Mastro

This “Homegrown Project” Offers a Place To Thrive for Small Business Owners

These pop-up shops in Berwyn, IL, are a great example of how communities can provide low-cost, low-risk spaces for local business owners to get their foot in the door.

Incrementalism, Sheppard, Success Story, Top StorySeairra SheppardJune 14, 2022pop-up, small business, local business, incremental, incrementalism, Illinois, business, localism, small bets, success, success stories

Home Business: In Rovinj, Croatia, a Peek at What's Possible

A visit to a home restaurant in Rovinj, Croatia, shows the kind of small businesses and good urbanism that we could have in the U.S. if we just relaxed our zoning codes.

Urban Renewal, Top StoryAddison Del MastroJune 14, 2022Europe, travel, small business, restaurants, zoning, urbanism, Urban Renewal, Historic Preservation, historic preservation, Addison Del Mastro, architecture

The Magic of Legacy Shops Comes Back to Life in Buffalo

If you live in a city or town with old, abandoned storefronts, this one’s for you!

Neighborhoods, Small Scale Developers, Success Story, Top StoryBernice RadleMay 17, 2022business, small business, local business, coffee shops, New York, small-scale developers, traditional development pattern, mixed use, success, success stories

Hey, Starbucks: Your Drive-Thru Doesn't Belong in My Community

Or in anyone else’s, for that matter! A strong neighborhood has businesses that keep money in the local economy, instead of siphoning money out.

Neighborhoods, Quednau, Top StoryRachel QuednauMay 9, 2022coffee shops, local business, local economy, business, small business, neighborhood, Neighborhoods, cars, car culture, localism, Wisconsin, Third Places

Pasadena Is Pumping the Brakes on This Mechanic’s Dreams

This small business owner is being financially crushed because the City of Pasadena is forcing him to get more parking spaces—parking that his small business doesn’t need.

Parking, Zoning, Top StoryDiana SimpsonFebruary 11, 2022Parking, parking, parking minimums, parking landing page, small business, local business, cars, zoning

LaVonne, with a Capital "V"

Local business owners don’t just bring monetary wealth to a community; they can also bring a wealth of support and kindness to locals during their times of need.

Neighborhood Storyteller, Theilen, Top StoryKarla TheilenJanuary 25, 2022neighborhood storyteller, small business, entrepreneurship, aging, aging in place, local business, Minnesota, Brainerd MN

Eden Center: Is This Strip Mall Paradise?

If we’re going to be stuck with strip malls, then this one in Virginia is about as fine-grained and urban as it gets.

Incrementalism, Success Story, Top StoryAddison Del MastroJanuary 18, 2022strip malls, incrementalism, immigrants, small business, local business, placemaking, success, success stories, Addison Del Mastro, fine-grained

Everyone Shops at Walmart. But What If We Didn’t Have To?

What are some of the hidden things we can’t see because we’re blinded by three generations of the Suburban Experiment?

Member Post, Big Box Stores, Neighborhoods, Suburban Experiment, Top StoryPatrick QuigleySeptember 30, 2021big box stores, Entrepreneurship, suburban experiment, suburban development pattern, business, small business, local business

The Bottom-Up Revolution is... Using Public Art to Help Small Businesses

Learn how Lockport, Illinois, helped its small businesses get back on their feet during the pandemic…using rubber duckies!

Podcast, Taking Action, The Bottom-Up Revolution, Success Story, Public Art, Top StoryStrong TownsAugust 12, 2021The Bottom-Up Revolution, small business, coronavirus, Lockport Week, Lockport IL, taking action

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 Bottom-Up Revolution is... Saving Your Downtown with Small-Scale Manufacturing

Ilana Preuss is an urban planner, consultant, and author of a new book called Recast Your City.

Podcast, Taking Action, The Bottom-Up Revolution, Top StoryStrong TownsJuly 15, 2021The Bottom-Up Revolution, manufacturing, small business, 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

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.