Local Business

When governments use public money to woo national chains, economic growth and job creation aren't worth the cost, says Stacy Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Independent retailers also suffer.

Part of Buffalo, New York's decline, writes Amy Kedron, involved a shift from local to non-local ownership of businesses. A movement is afoot to encourage businesses to "Think Local First."

Cities across the country are making efforts to encourage people to buy locally and support the local economy. Food is the main target for local boosters.

Chuck Wolfe explains how the fusion of laundromats and dining are evidence of the evolving city and the ongoing need for regulatory reform.

Styled after Harper's Index, this "Localism Index" suggests that local economies and independent businesses might just be making a comeback.

Manufacturing in the U.S. hasn't gone away, it's just gone local, writes Allison Arieff.

Cycling activists in Vancouver are trying to tout the economic benefits of bike lanes to help build the case for a proposed separated bike lane.

Seeing a marked decline in the amount of bookstores in the traditional cultural center of Paris, the city began a program to actively lure them back.

Michael S. Thompson of the Chicago Honey Co-op discusses his urban beekeeping operation and how it provides jobs to otherwise hard-to-employ people.

A revival of small, neighborhood retailers could be an important strategy for countering climate change, enticing people to run errands without driving their cars.

Local currencies are seeing a resurgence in American communities.

Real estate brokers are looking towards local and atypical businesses to fill empty retail space left behind by shrinking and bankrupt national chains like Starbucks and CompUSA.

As the automotive industry takes a deep hit during the current economic recession, many tie the Detroit's hopes to those of the auto industry. But Richard Florida argues Detroit needs to think beyond the car business.

A new community program in Rotterdam is bringing a food truck with new eating options -- and business opportunities -- to working class neighborhoods.

As a new luxury retail center replaces a decades-old hardware store in upscale Malibu, California, many worry about the troubled future facing local businesses and services.

A new and widely publicized study claims that there is no evidence that Wal-Mart has had a negative impact on the small business sector. A close inspection of the study by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance argues that the report is flawed.

Convenience stores in lower income neighborhoods are notorious for their unsightliness and for carrying unhealthful foods. This article highlights one project that aims to help the corner store evolve into a healthy, community-oriented place.

Mobile taco trucks in Los Angeles may face tougher fines for parking in any one place for too long if proposed restrictions are passed by the county.