Dollar Stores Are Targeting Struggling Urban Neighborhoods and Small Towns. One Community Is Showing How to Fight Back.
Although dollar stores sometimes fill a need in places that lack basic retail services, there’s growing evidence that these stores are not merely a byproduct...
Fact Sheet: The Impact of Dollar Stores and How Communities Can Fight Back
National dollar store chains, including Dollar General and Dollar Tree, have seen huge growth over the past decade. These stores are also feeding more Americans...
In Boston, City Council Members Introduce Proposal to Regulate Chain Stores
Boston is the latest city to introduce a formula business proposal, which would make national chains a conditional use throughout the city. … Read More
Local Policy Matters: How to Grow Independent Businesses in Your City
This toolkit offers independent business owners concrete tips for engaging with their city officials and advocating for policies that strengthen and grow local businesses. The...
In Cities Around the Country, New Action on Commercial Affordability
As independent businesses are grappling with the rising cost of rent in many U.S. cities, a new strategy is catching on: Policies that set-aside space...
Bloomberg Businessweek Profiles Cities that Restrict Chains to Free More Space for Local Businesses
A piece by Nick Leiber explores how cities are using caps on “formula” retailers to ensure that local businesses have ample opportunities to secure space...
In Jersey City, a Policy Fosters Local Independent Businesses
In downtown Jersey City, a familiar story is playing out: Independent business owners have helped foster neighborhood growth, and now, chain stores are interested in...
Watch San Francisco’s AnMarie Rodgers on How the City’s Formula Business Policy Works
In this 30-minute talk, AnMarie Rodgers, Senior Policy Advisor in the City of San Francisco Planning Department, breaks down the nuts-and-bolts of San Francisco’s pioneering...
8 Policy Strategies Cities Can Use to Support Local Businesses
Independent businesses are among the best engines that cities have for advancing economic opportunity. But they’re disappearing in many places. This isn’t, in large part,...
ILSR’s Testimony at New York City Hearing on Retail Diversity and Neighborhood Character
At a recent New York City Council hearing, ILSR submitted testimony examining the importance of locally owned businesses to the City, the crisis affecting them,...
The Composting for Community Initiative seeks to encourage a composting infrastructure that is locally distributed and possesses a diversity of scales, feedstock materials, and end-uses...
