In 2009, Pennsylvania State Senator Pat Browne passed a bill that created a special taxing district to incentivize new development to support the attraction and growth of businesses in Allentown, a once vivacious industrial city that sits just Northwest of Philadelphia. The area, designated a Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ), has so far benefited from the tax incentive’s unique structure and attractiveness to the private sector. Read More

An encouraging revitalization of Birmingham, Alabama is happening, spurred by an unintended consequence of industrial collapse. As in many other cities during the 1970s and ‘80s, industrial and manufacturing jobs moved out of the urban core and took residents along with them. Read More

In April the MacArthur Foundation, Chicago Community Trust (CCT), and the Calvert Foundation announced Benefit Chicago, an innovative collaboration that aims to mobilize $100 million in impact investments for nonprofits and social enterprises in Chicago. Read More

Small businesses are the backbone of urban economies: They play a critical role in creating jobs for local residents. Yet too often city leaders and economic developers are not prioritizing small businesses when allocating resources to drive growth, focusing their strategies instead on the attraction and retention of large businesses. Read More

It has been estimated that nearly 75 percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, with little to no emergency savings at all. Using data on missed utility payments, the National League of Cities is innovating better ways to address financial insecurity. Read More