Santa Barbara

The Economist wonders if Santa Barbara's relative financial health is owed to its aging population and resistance to development.

Last week, a Santa Barbara apartment community, The Garden Center, opened to 38 new residents. The apartments were specifically designed to combat homelessness through housing and mental health care all at once.

An outreach counseling group in Santa Barbara, California, has worked with the city to set up 12 parking lots where people can sleep in their cars at night -- an act that is illegal on city streets.

The agreement trades a massive open space donation and other terms for clearance to conduct exploratory drilling off the coast.