Hand of Fate Brewing took over a closed Dollar General in downtown Petersburg, Illinois and became an anchor for the city.
Rather than dying off like any other fad, as many predicted, small craft breweries are becoming vital parts of communities. "After just a year, the small brewery [Hand of Fate Brewing] has brought good fortune to the town. After taking over an old Dollar General discount store in the sparsely occupied town square, the brewery-and-taproom has become a community hub and a catalyst keeping businesses open later," Patrick Sisson writes in Curbed.
Small businesses employ a disproportionate number of Americans, and "[l]ocal governments are increasingly working to attract breweries and the craft-brew industry in the name of economic development and growth," writes Sisson. Beyond bringing employment, breweries can act as anchors for communities. Places where space is cheap make a good fit for the large footprints needed by breweries.
Sisson also reports that brew pubs are associated with lower levels of crime than traditional bars.
FULL STORY: Craft beer's big impact on small towns and forgotten neighborhoods
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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