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ExplainerCommunity Finance

The Mechanics of Community Development Financial Institutions: How Mission-Driven Lenders Fund Local Growth

Community Advocates 40%Traditional Financial Institutions 35%Federal Regulators 25%

7 sources · 4d ago

ExplainerHistoric Preservation

The Mechanics of Historic Districts: Comparing National vs. Local Status and the Design Review Process

Preservation Advocates 40%Property Rights Advocates 35%Government Agencies 25%

5 sources · 5d ago

ExplainerUrban Planning

The Mechanics of Business Improvement Districts: How Special Assessments Fund Local Services and Impact Urban Economies

Commercial Property Owners 40%Urban Planners & Municipalities 35%Equity Advocates 25%

11 sources · 6d ago

ExplainerTimebanking

The Mechanics of Timebanking: How Communities Trade Skills Instead of Dollars

Community Advocates 45%Public Health Researchers 35%Economic Historians 20%

5 sources · 7d ago

ExplainerHOA Governance

The Mechanics of Homeowners Associations: How CC&Rs and State Law Govern Community Life

Property Rights Advocates 35%Community Management Professionals 35%Statutory Reformers 30%

9 sources · 8d ago

Civic InfrastructureExplainer

Michigan Rural Townships Face Unprecedented Shortage of Elected Officials Amid Financial Strain

Rural Township Officials 40%Good Governance Advocates 30%State Policymakers 30%

5 sources · 9d ago

Stadium DevelopmentPolicy Decision

Tampa City Council Approves $2.36 Billion Rays Stadium Deal, Swing Vote Cites Community Benefits Over Baseball

Community Investment Advocates 40%Fiscal Skeptics 30%Regional Baseball Supporters 30%

6 sources · 10d ago

ExplainerZoning Reform

How Asheville's Zoning Overhaul Eliminates Parking Minimums and Expands Duplexes

Urban Planners & YIMBY Advocates 45%Legacy Neighborhood Advocates 35%Municipal & State Policymakers 20%

5 sources · 11d ago

ExplainerMunicipal Governance

How Houston Voters Overhauled the Strong-Mayor System to Empower City Council Agenda-Setting

Decentralization Advocates 45%Executive Efficiency Proponents 30%Municipal Legal Experts 25%

4 sources · 12d ago

ExplainerCivic Reform

How Los Angeles is Rewriting Its City Charter: Ranked-Choice Voting, Council Expansion, and Independent Redistricting

Civic Reformers 50%Incumbent Council Members 30%Good Government Watchdogs 20%

4 sources · 13d ago

Municipal ZoningExplainer

Tulsa City Council Votes to Dissolve 73-Year Joint Planning Commission, Creating City-Only Zoning Body

Municipal Autonomy Advocates 40%Regional Planners 30%Urban Developers 30%

5 sources · 14d ago

Municipal GovernanceExplainer

How Mayoral Turnover Forced Camas, WA to Put Council-Manager Government on the Ballot

Pro-Manager Reformers 50%Direct Democracy Advocates 50%

6 sources · 15d ago

Municipal IncorporationExplainer

Utah Governor Threatens to Pull County Funding Over Local Opposition to New 'Preliminary Municipality' Law

State Administration & Developers 35%County Governments 35%Conservationists & Local Residents 30%

6 sources · 16d ago

Municipal LawExplainer

How Omaha's $15 Youth Wage Ordinance Sparked a State Preemption Battle

State Uniformity Advocates 35%Local Control Proponents 35%Youth Labor Advocates 30%

6 sources · 17d ago

Community ResilienceExplainer

How Dearborn's Multi-Faith Coalition Neutralized an Extremist Provocation

Local Faith Leaders 40%Law Enforcement and City Officials 35%State Political Leadership 25%

5 sources · 18d ago

Data Center ZoningExplainer

Cass County Community Forces Zoning Push to Regulate Hyperscale Data Centers

Local Residents and Farmers 40%Tech and Energy Developers 30%County Zoning Officials 30%

2 sources · 19d ago

Tribal SovereigntyExplainer

How Muscogee Citizens Defeated a Major AI Data Center on Tribal Lands

Grassroots Organizers 44%Economic Diversification Advocates 28%AI Industry Developers 28%

6 sources · 20d ago

Infrastructure PolicyExplainer

Chicago Mayor Calls for Moratorium on New Data Center Construction Over Energy, Water Use

Environmental and Community Advocates 40%City Administration 35%Industry and Labor Groups 25%

8 sources · 21d ago

ExplainerMedical Debt

How Youth-Led Initiatives Are Abolishing Millions in Medical Debt

Debt Abolition Advocates 40%Systemic Reformers 35%Healthcare Providers 25%

6 sources · 22d ago

ExplainerFederal Funding

What the Proposed Elimination of the Community Services Block Grant Means for Local Agencies

Local Agency Directors 40%Federal Budget Proponents 30%Rural Community Advocates 30%

6 sources · 24d ago

Ballot MeasuresExplainer

Fresno County Sues State and Own Elections Clerk to Block $7 Billion Citizen-Led Tax Measure

Local Control Advocates 35%Direct Democracy Proponents 35%Infrastructure Planners 30%

6 sources · 26d ago

ExplainerMunicipal Finance

How 50 US Cities Are Challenging New Federal Grant Rules to Protect Local Services

Local Municipalities 40%Federal Administration 30%Nonprofit Service Providers 30%

7 sources · 28d ago

Reparations LawsuitPolicy Explainer

DOJ Intervenes in Lawsuit Challenging Evanston's Landmark Local Reparations Program

Constitutional Colorblindness Advocates 50%Reparatory Justice Defenders 50%

9 sources · 29d ago

ExplainerNeighborhood Equity

Nashville Pioneers 'Whole-Community Land Trust' Model to Address Health, Equity, and Economic Inclusion

Community Advocates & Residents 40%Housing & Policy Organizations 35%Local Government & Planners 25%

6 sources · 31d ago

ExplainerZoning Reform

Cities Scrap Single-Family Zoning to Allow 'Missing Middle' Housing and Office-to-Residential Conversions

Urban Planners & Housing Advocates 45%Commercial Real Estate Developers 35%Neighborhood Preservationists 20%

4 sources · 48d ago

ExplainerState Preemption

How State Preemption Laws Are Reshaping Local Control Over Wages, Health, and Civil Rights

State Lawmakers & Business Groups 35%Local Government Officials 35%Civil Rights & Labor Advocates 30%

3 sources · 54d ago

Civic PolicyExplainer

Local Governments Adopt Retail Theft Task Forces Amid Debate Over Crime Data

Retailers & Industry Advocates 40%Criminal Justice Reformers 35%Data & Policy Skeptics 25%

2 sources · 63d ago

ExplainerCommunity Broadband

How Communities Are Building Their Own High-Speed Internet

Community Broadband Advocates 45%Rural Cooperative Leaders 30%Free-Market Advocates 25%

3 sources · 76d ago

ExplainerPlatform Co-ops

The Rise of Platform Cooperatives: How Gig Workers Are Buying Back the App Economy

Platform Cooperativists 50%Labor Researchers 40%Enterprise Tech Providers 10%

5 sources · 86d ago

ExplainerDigital Divide

How Community-Owned Networks Are Bridging the Global Digital Divide

Community Network Operators 40%Digital Equity Advocates 30%Policy & Cooperative Researchers 30%

5 sources · 86d ago

ExplainerAlternative Economies

The Global Rise of Timebanking: How Communities Are Trading Hours Instead of Dollars

Community Advocates 45%Economic Innovators 35%Skeptics & Realists 20%

6 sources · 87d ago

ExplainerSharing Economy

The Rise of the 'Library of Things': How Neighborhoods Are Redefining the Sharing Economy

Community Organizers 40%Environmental Advocates 30%Pragmatic Borrowers 30%

5 sources · 91d ago

Local JournalismCivic Revival

$15 Million Los Angeles Local News Initiative Launches to Rebuild Coverage in Underserved Communities

Community Journalists 40%Philanthropic Funders 35%Media Analysts 25%

3 sources · 73d ago