Starbucks built its brand on being a third place — a communal hangout that fosters communication and conversation — but in recent years, its priorities have shifted to speed of service. Now, instead of returning to its roots, the corporation is trying to redefine what a third place is.
Read MoreParking reform isn't just about eliminating spaces; it's about unlocking a city's potential. From spurring development to enabling affordable housing, parking reform can benefit many people in diverse ways. Anchorage, Alaska, is experiencing this firsthand.
Read MoreIlana Preuss is the founder and CEO of Recast City, a program that helps cities build strong downtowns by empowering small-scale manufacturers. Today, she joins host Tiffany Owens Reed to discuss the importance of small-scale manufacturing and her experiences as a city builder.
Read MoreLocal governments that follow a “mindlessly pro-business” approach sacrifice community well-being in the name of commerce, but end up devastating their cities’ downtowns by misunderstanding what helps an area succeed economically. It’s time to realize that helping local businesses means helping the community, too.
Read MoreDallas wasn't built for the car: it was paved over for it. This new bill can help it rebuild.
Read MoreConventional thought would tell us that the new commercial developments in a city should be the most productive compared to the older buildings downtown, but that’s not necessarily the case.
Read MoreNo thanks to parking mandates, it took two years of fighting to get this local coffee shop open in Dallas…but even then, it wasn’t a total win for its owner.
Read MoreFor the past four years, Jessica Peacock has been fighting her city’s zoning laws in order to get her great-grandparents’ neighborhood grocery store reopened.
Read MoreResidents of Chisholm, MN, have shown that you don’t need to invest a lot of time and money to bring value to your community, and to provide a space for entrepreneurship.
Read MoreStarting a business can be daunting, but this California city has made one relatively small bet that’s helping scores of local entrepreneurs get their small businesses off the ground.
Read MoreToo often, local businesses are forced to move or close their doors. What lessons can we take away after the loss of a beloved third place?
Read MoreState College, PA, voted to authorize eminent domain to demolish three downtown businesses for a parking garage. In response, a Strong Towns Local Conversation group mobilized opposition to the project.
Read MoreThe Family Dollar system operates more stores than McDonald’s, Starbucks, Target, and Walmart combined. And that’s not good news for your community.
Read MoreReopening a neighborhood store that was a fixture in its community for decades shouldn’t be this hard.
Read MoreWhat do you do when living your ideals feels impossible?
Read MoreFor 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.
Read MorePhiladelphia 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.
Read MoreResidents of Mooresville, NC, are outraged as a road-widening project and ensuing regulatory dispute pushed by city officials threaten the future of a longstanding farmers market.
Read MoreYou can learn a lot about a place by how easily you can do some great Christmas shopping.
Read MoreOur Neighborhood Storyteller visits her hometown to both mourn and celebrate the changes that have happened there over the years.
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