Community / Economic Development

Texas Designates 628 Opportunity Zones
The state of Texas gives an early indication of the potential scale of the new Opportunity Zones program—an emerging program that will be rolling out across the country in the coming days and weeks.

The American Eviction Epidemic
According to a new report, a U.S. "eviction epidemic" is connected to a growing number of homeless people.

How One Lake Erie Town Got Free Waterfront Property for Public Use
Clear communication and a fair trade let Euclid, Ohio begin to rethink its lakefront—and its future.

Allegheny River Town Debates Fracking Water Treatment Plant
Opponents cite environmental risks, supporters hope the facility will boost the economy of a struggling community.

Competition, Debt Faulted in Bankruptcies of Two Major Food Retailers
Two major grocery store companies announced bankruptcy this week, sparking fears that the "retail apocalypse" has expanded to food retailers.

The Salvation Army Opening Affordable Grocery Stores
Salvation Army grocery stores opening across the United States will provide lower income families with better access to healthy foods.

A Realistic Approach Needed With Programs like HUD's New EnVision Centers
Secretary Ben Carson's vision for the Department of Housing and Urban Development focuses on a new workforce development program called EnVision Centers.

A 'Redlining' Bike Tour
All it takes a map, a bike, and a desire to learn the history of racial segregation in the United States.

Starbucks Targeting Stores In Minority Neighborhoods
Starbucks is launching a long-term effort to create local jobs, provide training opportunities for youth, and invest in local minority-owned businesses.

Where Population Declines but the Economy Grows
While the scale of Detroit's population loss is well known, the lesser known that the city's economy has grown steadily in recent decades. It's not alone.

No More Toys R Us, Kids
Toys R Us will shut down all its remaining stores in the final blow of a process that began with bankruptcy filing in September 2017.

California Spends $6.5 Billion on Homeowner Subsidies, 15 Times Less on Renters
A new report from the California Housing Partnership "revealed a wide gap between state support for homeowners and renters."

Study: L.A. County's Urban Oil Wells Are Too Close to Homes and Schools
The Department of Public Health recommends taking action to better protect residents from oil operations that are sometimes only a few feet from where people live, work, eat, play and study.

Former President Barack Obama Addresses Gentrification
Former President Barack Obama is facing a new kind of politics while working to support the development plan for the Barack Obama Presidential Center.

Climate Challenge: Not Enough EVs or Too Many SUVs?
Both are problems, but globally, sports utility vehicles sales are proliferating far faster than cars, be they electric or petrol-powered, posing a major challenge for governments committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

An Orlando Business District Revitalization Success Story
Mills 50, just northeast of Downtown Orlando, has been reborn as the city's Main Street and has helped spur development, investment, and interest in Orlando's urban core.

Austin Proposes Using Blockchain Technology to Help Its Homeless
The city wants to give its 7,000 citizens without permanent homes "[u]nique digital identifiers" to help them get reliable access to services.

Chicago Police Still Targeting Black Cyclists
A year after a report showed a giant discrepancy in enforcement of bike regulation between white and black riders, data the Chicago Police Department continues to target black bikers.

California Has Been Shedding Residents—For Decades
The state Legislative Analyst's Office looks at California's out-migration data. Every year since 1990, more Californians left for other than states than arrive. Which states are sending their residents here, and where are Californians fleeing to?

After Harvey, Texas Tries State-Run Disaster Relief, With Mixed Results
The scale of the housing recovery effort means some jobs normally handles by FEMA have fallen to the Texas General Land Office.
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Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service