In January 2018, ILSR convened two events in conjunction with the USCC’s International Conference and Trade Show, COMPOST2018, in Atlanta: the Best Practices in Community Composting Workshop and the National Cultivating Community Composting Forum. These events brought together composters to network, share best practices, and build support for community-scale composting systems and enterprises.… Read More
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 and grow. … Read More
On January 18th, the FCC ended months of speculation and released a fact sheet that included several key conclusions to be included in the 2018 Broadband Deployment Report. The most important is that the FCC continues to recognize that mobile Internet access is not a substitute for fixed access. The Commission has also decided to leave the definition of broadband at … Read More
In this episode of ILSR’s Building Local Power podcast, Chuck Marohn of Strong Towns sits down with Stacy Mitchell to discuss why the conventional wisdom about economic growth often leads communities down a dark path of decay. … Read More
In October FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced, ““We’ve been energetic in advancing the public interest…over the past nine months…” Energetic? You bet. In the public interest? Not on your life.… Read More
This Thursday, December 14th, the FCC plans to remove network neutrality protections. Republican Commissioners and Chairman Ajit Pai justify the decision by claiming that the market will naturally protect subscribers from predatory big ISP behavior. Unfortunately, the FCC’s own numbers disprove their theory. We dug into the data that reveals how 177 million Americans will be left without any market protection following net neutrality repeal.… Read More
Torpedo legislation aimed at municipal network initiatives don’t usually appear in October, but Michigan’s year-round legislature is making 2017 atypical. Last week, Freshman Representative Michele Hoitenga from the rural village of Manton in Wexford County introduced a bill banning investment in municipal networks. HB 5099 is short; it decrees that local communities cannot use federal, state, or … Read More
A selection of recent news stories with an ILSR insight into “The Public Good.” Separate and Unequal, Again In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a 58 year-old decision upholding the right of states to have segregated school systems. “Separate but equal” it ruled, was inherently unequal. Sixty-three years later de jure segregation is illegal, but de … Read More
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, because these businesses aren’t competitive. It’s because misguided public policy and concentrated market power are working against them. In this policy brief, we present 8 ways that cities can level the playing field and ensure that local businesses have the opportunity to start, grow, and thrive.… Read More
Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and similar chain dollar stores are targeting vulnerable communities across the US. Our new report details these companies’ rapid expansion, the growing resistance, and the pressing need for federal policy interventions.
Read the report, and find all of our resources and reporting on chain dollar stores here.
