Christmas Cookie Inflation Index, 2024 Update

The Christmas Cookie Inflation Index has risen 6.2% in the last year. This is compared to the official inflation rate of 2.6%.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnDecember 9, 2024Inflation, Economy, economics, Federal Reserve, poverty

Dollar Stores Are Leeching the Economic Vitality of Communities Across the U.S.

The Family Dollar system operates more stores than McDonald’s, Starbucks, Target, and Walmart combined. And that’s not good news for your community.

What’s Going On With the Recent Bank Failures?

In this week’s episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck Marohn talks about the financial system, and provides insights on what’s currently happening in the banking industry.

Podcast, Marohn, Top StoryStrong TownsApril 3, 2023podcast, banks, finance, Inflation, Economy

Highway Ramps Promised To Deliver Chester From Hardship. Residents Are Still Waiting.

10 years ago, PennDOT promised that two new highway ramps in Chester, PA, would produce “an explosion of economic development.” Now, the city is filing for bankruptcy.

News, Top StoryAsia MieleszkoFebruary 27, 2023DOT, highway spending, Economy, end highway expansion, pennsylvania, municipal finance

3 Predictions for 2023 as Communities Continue Climbing Out of the Pandemic

As America’s cities continue their halting climb up and out of the last few years, data analytics firm Urban3 foresees a few crises—as well as opportunities—waiting for them in 2023.

We’re Getting Worse at Construction Despite Technology Advances

If the U.S. is advancing in its ability to build things, why does it seem like our places are falling apart?

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsFebruary 15, 2023podcast, Economy, economics, construction, complex systems, Incremental Housing, housing, upzoned

Christmas Cookie Inflation Index, 2022 Update

The Christmas Cookie Inflation Index has risen 12.0% in the last year. This is compared to the official inflation rate of 7.7%.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnDecember 5, 2022Inflation, economics, Economy, poverty

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.

Urban3 Decoder: Let's Peek Under the Hood of A Shiny Oklahoma City

Join the Urban3 team as they wade past Oklahoma City’s glittering amenities to take an up-close view of the real economic engine under the shiny enamel hood.

Top StoryJay StangeApril 15, 2022oklahoma, resource, resource trap, Economy, economics, urban3, taxes, cnu

Financial Meltdown

Let’s explore the idea of inflation being “good.”

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnJanuary 24, 2022Inflation, macroeconomics, economics, Economy, poverty

Christmas Cookie Inflation Index, 2021 Update

The Christmas Cookie Inflation Index has risen 10.6% in the last year. This is compared to the official inflation rate of 6.8%.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnDecember 15, 2021Inflation, poverty, Economy, economics

The "Great Supply Chain Disruption"

You can’t just turn off the world supply chain, then turn it back on again and expect it to work properly.

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsOctober 20, 2021podcast, economics, Economy, upzoned, georgia, covid

Scaling Down America

We live in a society where the tendency is to scale up more and more, but are we actually on the path to a small-town revival?

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsMay 12, 2021Economy, upzoned, small towns, podcast, growth ponzi scheme

The Roots of a Resilient Small City Economy in Durango

A model of what the future could look like for communities that depend on extractive industry, if they make the right investments.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesApril 22, 2021colorado, local business, business, resilience, success stories, Economy, urban3, resource trap

Buying Time (Now That It's Really Expensive)

The debate now is between saving jobs and saving lives. But there was a deeper question we should have been asking a long time ago.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnApril 15, 2020Great Depression, public health, fragility, Economy, covid

Defusing an Economy "Rigged to Blow"

What technological disasters — like the Deepwater Horizon explosion — can tell us about why our economy seems to lurch from crisis to crisis.

Tony DutzikApril 1, 2020markets, disasters, crisis, economics, Economy, covid

How the Coronavirus Is Exposing the Fragility of Our Economy

The coronavirus is revealing how fragile our economy is. (Look no further than disruptions to the global supply chain.) As we rebuild, will we double down on the failed status quo…or build something ANTI-fragile?