Across the country, a movement of local doers is taking hold — one where problem solving happens from the bottom up instead of the top down. That's what Bruce Katz, Centennial Scholar at Brookings, argues in his new book.
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The key to building a stronger town is cultivating dynamic household economies. Cities across the globe have mastered this. Why can't we?
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An economy that relies on specialization is inherently fragile.
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Six small-scale farmers discuss the challenges and successes of their modern-day farm efforts.
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In a world where brick-and-mortor stores are increasingly hard to maintain and afford, mobile businesses fill an important niche for both business owners and consumers.
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In their efforts to encourage local food production, this municipal government has actually quashed any hopes of a flourishing food system.
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A truly local currency—broadly adopted—might just provide proper, rather than distorted, price information to local producers and entrepreneurs.
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How reliant is your local economy on just one company or industry? What would happen if that economic sector disappeared?
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If you wanted to eat only locally-produced food for a month, could you? This might be the toughest challenge on the Strong Towns Strength Test, but we're tackling it today.
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Cities are filled with talent, ideas, and hardworking people. We just need to provide them with the platform to be productive.
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The simple practice of using Facebook groups to encourage hyper-local connections and commerce is taking off in dozens of cities around the world.
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The concept of "scaling up" a business for mass production is actually very new, and we may not be fully considering the consequences of this model.
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Here are the three core characteristics you need for a successful urban center, plus how to creatively make them happen on a shoestring budget.
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The key to building a sustainable local economy is to nurture a diverse set of employers that operate in multiple industries. With the emergence of the Democratized Economy, localized production for regional markets is returning to the fore.
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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.
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This week's Featured Member Post comes from Justin Golbabai's blog, The New Localization. He explores the differences between generative economies and extractive ones.
Read MoreI’ve long been a proponent of the buy local movement for the warm fuzzies, but now I can bolster that with a more powerful motivator: guilt. Buying local has become a bit of a sport in our household as we try to create the most underdog windfall with each purchase. We feel obliged to help pick up the tab for the beautiful streetscapes and social capital that locally-owned businesses provide.
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Not all economic development is created equal. Not all local investments build wealth in our community. Not all open markets produce optimal outcomes for all places.
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