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  • Want to Move to Our Town? Here's $10,000 and a Free Bike.

    Several American cities are attracting potential residents with stipends for down payments and curated experiences for the new transplants. With remote work on the rise, people have more flexibility in choosing a place to live. New residents that purchase homes and remain long-term have the potential to give smaller cities and towns an economic and social boost.

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  • A lot of moving parts: A rundown on affordable housing in Boulder County

    Almost since housing costs shot up in Boulder County in recent decades, the city of Boulder and surrounding communities have used a variety of methods to protect working-class residents from being priced out of a luxury-dominated market. Some of the measures have bumped affordable-housing inventory up a few percentage points. But the numerous special taxes and incentives, plus coordination by a regional housing body, still fall far short of meeting the need thanks to two main factors: lack of funding and building-density restrictions. This story opens a series on what more can be done.

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  • This Real Estate Co-Op is Looking for Investors Who Want to Put Community First

    The 2012 federal JOBS Act (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) took some time to gain traction, but in recent years it has democratized the financing of worker-owned co-ops and other community-based entities that ordinarily would be frozen out of capital markets. By making possible what is called a direct public offering, the law has made it easier to finance businesses that promise greater social benefits than just profit maximization, by opening investment opportunities to a more diverse and egalitarian mix of investors.

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  • Algorithmic Redlining Is Real. Why Not Algorithmic Greenlining?

    Urban planning algorithms have contributed to the racial wealth gap by prioritizing funding for communities that don’t need extra funding, but which would create a higher return on investment. The algorithm bias negatively impacts neighborhoods that are typically Black and poor. Detroit’s water and sewage utilities were disconnected as a result of an algorithm, highlighting the “fundamental pitfall of algorithms, as well as the risks that they can be misused or produce unintended consequences.”

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  • The secret ingredient in Paris' green public housing

    Paris Habitat, the city’s main social housing agency, used hempcrete — a concrete-like mixture of hemp, lime, and water — as insulation in one of its apartment complexes. This material helps maintain temperature and reduces a building’s energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The cost of using hempcrete can be expensive but making the material is more environmentally friendly, and has shown that it can be implemented for affordable housing and not just for those who already have the means to pay for it.

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  • In Denver, Tiny Homes Take On Affordable Housing

    Denver's Beloved Community Village is a development of 20 "tiny houses," affordable single-family homes that have helped residents obtain stable housing at rates that allow them to get ahead financially. Charlotte would have to change its zoning laws, and some residents' attitudes, to allow for such a hedge against homelessless. Those changes are possible, but will take time and much effort.

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  • Fighting Gentrification

    When gentrification made housing unaffordable for many people in Houston's historically Black Third Ward neighborhood, local activists sought remedies beyond standard federal tax incentives for affordable housing. A city-sponsored Community Land Trust developed a plan for more affordable housing. At the same time, a development catering to low-income, older LGBTQ residents, adjacent to the Third Ward, got developed on donated land. Charlotte has many similar challenges, making Houston a model for what is possible.

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  • Green space in cities can bring considerable health benefits for communities, but access is unequal

    Platte Farm Open Space used to be a garbage dumping ground in Denver, but it’s now an urban green space thanks to the efforts from community members, organizations, and the government. This community-led project was able to secure funding to replace the contaminated land with fresh soil that now attracts animals and includes walking paths and a playground for children. This project offers lessons on how to build a green space in a diverse neighborhood and the health benefits that come from such an initiative.

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  • Midwest cities look to 'pay to move' programs to attract remote workers

    In a bid to revitalize the local economy, Topeka, Kansas is attracting residents through the Choose Topeka program. The city is paying up to $10,000 for remote workers who move to Topeka. Other Midwestern cities like Tulsa, Oklahoma, have successfully launched similar programs with a retention rate of 90 percent of applicants who stay beyond the first year. The program seeks to strengthen the economic and social fabric of the city.

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  • Does a Complete Streets policy really make a difference?

    Complete Streets initiatives promote traffic and pedestrian safety In 400 communities across the United States. The goal of the program is to help residents live more active and healthy lifestyles while also making communities more attractive to potential residents. The initiative has resulted in higher property values, increased consumer spending, and better transportation options.

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