The Affordable Housing Action Plan.
THE PROMISE OF A DECENT, SAFE AND SANITARY HOME. Housing the Nation’s people in a decent, safe and sanitary home has been an American priority at least since The Housing Act of 1949. THE CHALLENGE OF OUR TIME. The promise is not being fulfilled. Providing affordable housing for the town’s residents is the challenge of […]
Contents – May 2024
THE NEIGHBORHOOD EDITION Character towns, small and large, build social cohesion, community connections, civic pride and institutional trust with strong neighborhoods, successful development corridors, superior schools and inviting downtowns where residents, businesses and civic assets are functional, accessible and beautiful. Strong neighborhoods are the community’s primary responsibility. PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT IDEAS… […]
![The Rise of the Rest: How Entrepreneurs in Surprising Places are Building the New American Dream by Steve Case](https://www.charactertowns.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-rise-to-the-rest-book.jpg)
The Rise of the Rest: How Entrepreneurs in Surprising Places are Building the New American Dream by Steve Case
FROM AMAZON… #1 WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER Steve Case, cofounder of America Online and Revolution and New York Times bestselling author of The Third Wave, shows how entrepreneurs across the country are building groundbreaking companies, renewing communities, and creating new jobs—in the process reimagining the American landscape and bringing people together around a shared future. […]
Main Street “Activity Zones”.
New Downtown Retail and Restaurant Site Design Factors. The “Active Zone” of Shops and Restaurants. Whether you are worried about the new normal, returning to the old normal or figuring out the expected hybrid, the future of the downtown in every small city and town will depend on the continuity of successful retail and restaurant […]
The City’s Business Model
A Comprehensive, Long-Range City Finance Plan. SOURCES AND USES OF FUNDS: A Professional Accounting Viewpoint. CharacterTowns.org has taken the accounting term, source and uses of funds, and contorted it for use in comprehensive long-range finance planning for municipalities. The term, sources and uses of funds, is so appropriate for application to the needs of municipal […]
![A Generosity of Spirit: The Early History of the Research Triangle Park by Albert N. Link](https://www.charactertowns.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/generosity-of-spirit-book.jpg)
A Generosity of Spirit: The Early History of the Research Triangle Park by Albert N. Link
CharacterTowns.org usually has no trouble finding insightful summaries and reviews of important books; however, in the case of A Generosity of Spirit, an unusual source has been used – JSTOR. A great source of important works offered for sale. The first page of their on-line synopsis is presented on the following page. The dearth of […]
The Economic Power of Exhibitions and Fairs
They educate, promote economic development and enhance civic pride. SMALL CITIES AND TOWNS HAVE MUCH TO CELEBRATE. Every city and town has something to celebrate: an historic event, the birthday of a famous resident or a reoccurring natural phenomena. If there is not an indigenous celebratory event or person, grab from the regional, state or […]
Small City and Town Aesthetics
THE IDEA OF COMMUNITY BEAUTY. Beauty is of paramount value in many cultures. Everything is designed with both function and beauty in mind. In some cultures, function is the primary and sometime only guide to the design of everything from bridges to door hinges. Some cultures believe that design costs more, which it doesn’t have […]
Benefits of Trees
Excerpts from the Arbor Tree Foundation Trees can add value to your home, help cool your home and neighborhood, break the cold winds to lower your heating costs, and provide food for wildlife. The Value of Trees to a Community The following are some statistics on just how important trees are in a community setting. […]
City Parks: America’s New Infrastructure – Economy
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