Category Archives: economic gardening

Ten Planning Lessons from Detroit’s Eastern Market

Posted on November 8, 2018 by

Anyone fortunate enough to visit engaging Detroit’s Eastern Market knows exactly what I am talking about in this post. Enjoy the list below! Great third places like Detroit’s Eastern Market can and will survive and thrive through both good and … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, agriculture, business, cities, commerce, consumerism, culture, economic gardening, economics, entertainment, entrepreneurship, Food, food systems, fun, geography, health, history, infrastructure, land use, placemaking, planning, revitalization, shopping, Small business, social equity, spatial design, sustainability, third places, tourism, Travel, urban planning, walking | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Are You a Socialist?

Posted on August 2, 2018 by

This question was posed on a former sister blog (Progressive Blogic) some seven years ago during the rancorous debate about the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare. It was meant to point out to the average person that “socialism,” particularly democratic … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, branding, civics, consumerism, culture, economic development, economic gardening, education, fair trade, Food, food systems, government, history, land use, politics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Unofficial Guide to Hipsterhoods of the Iberian Peninsula

Posted on July 26, 2018 by

The following is a list of current hipster hoods and/or streets identified in cities across the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and Spain). If there are any neighborhoods that were missed in these or other cities, please let us know and they … Continue reading →

Posted in cities, Cuisine, culture, diversity, downtown, economic development, economic gardening, entertainment, Europe, fun, gentrification, geography, history, humanity, inclusiveness, placemaking, tourism, Travel, urban planning | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Hot Dog Stands and Shops With Clever Names

Posted on July 18, 2018 by

To celebrate National Hot Dog Day on Wednesday, July 18th, I thought I’d list the best names for hot dog stands and shops from across the country. Coney Islands are also included in this list. Please feel free to submit … Continue reading →

Posted in branding, business, cities, Cuisine, culture, economic gardening, entrepreneurship, Food, food systems, food trucks, fun, geography, land use, placemaking, planning, third places, tourism, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Dollar Stores Are Gutting Small Town Retailers

Posted on July 12, 2018 by

Drive through many small towns across America these days and you are almost sure to see a dollar store of one brand or other (or multiple stores) at the edge of town along the main drag or on the bypass. … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, architecture, business, cities, commerce, downtown, economic development, economic gardening, entrepreneurship, geography, historic preservation, history, infrastructure, land use, placemaking, planning, product design, shopping, sprawl, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Demonstrating Pride of Place: A Tale of Three Towns

Posted on July 9, 2018 by

Generally, one can fairly quickly determine the strength of community pride shortly after entering a city or town. This is especially true in small town, where there are fewer opportunities to make first or lasting impression due to its relative … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, art, branding, cities, commerce, culture, downtown, economic development, economic gardening, entertainment, entrepreneurship, geography, historic preservation, history, infrastructure, land use, placemaking, planning, spatial design, third places, tourism, trails, Travel, urban planning, walking | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Sweet and Clever Donut Shop Names

Posted on July 4, 2018 by

Here’s some sweet fun for Independence Day. Below is a list of iconic, as well as newer doughnut/donut chains across America, including their hometown and the year they were founded (if known). Those doughnut/donut chains shown in bold are our … Continue reading →

Posted in branding, business, Cuisine, demographics, economic gardening, Food, fun, geography | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Quartet of Former Vintage Barber Shops

Posted on June 21, 2018 by

As a follow-up to my previous post of old barber shops still operating, here are four (4) that no longer are used as barber shops. Two (2) are currently empty though the barber shop in Honor was a sign shop … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, Animals, architecture, business, Cities, coffee shops/cafes, culture, downtown, economic development, economic gardening, entrepreneurship, food trucks, geography, historic preservation, history, land use, Pets, pictures, placemaking, planning, product design, Small business, third places, Uncategorized, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Great ‘Reverse’ Migration May Be Disastrous for Many Northern Cities and States

Posted on June 8, 2018 by

Between 1916 and 1970, more than six million African-Americans migrated northward to work in factories and live in cities across the Northeast and Midwest. Today, there is mounting evidence that this great migration has reversed itself, as those who can … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, cities, civics, Civil Rights, civility, culture, demographics, economic development, economic gardening, Economy, education, entrepreneurship, family, geography, government, history, Housing, humanity, immigration, inclusiveness, planning, politics, poverty, social equity, Statistics, urban planning | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

WATCH mUSkeGOn!

Posted on May 29, 2018 by

Got to admit that it has been quite a few years since I last visited Muskegon, Michigan. Even though it is my mother’s birthplace, I can only think of two or three trips to the city (not passing by on … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, architecture, art, cities, Cuisine, culture, downtown, economic development, economic gardening, entertainment, environment, Food, historic preservation, infrastructure, land use, placemaking, planning, recreation, revitalization, skylines, spatial design, third places, tourism, Travel, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment