North Carolina has recently enacted several provisions aimed at increasing the development of its brewing industry. The first North Carolina craft brewery opened in 1985 with Uli Bennewitz’s Weeping Radish brewpub, and the industry has grown to over sixty breweries … Read more

The following are articles and reports on the web that the Community and Economic Development Program at the UNC School of Government shared through social media over the past month. Follow us on twitter to receive regular updates. University of … Read more

Special assessments are a public finance mechanism that some may consider “old as dirt,” as use of this public finance instrument dates to pre-colonial Britain and seventeenth-century America. Today, special assessments are often used in many states to back what … Read more

This is the third in a series of posts to illustrate different ways that counties in NC organize to carry out economic development activities (links to parts I and II). Each post will profile a different county’s economic development entity, including … Read more

Local economic development officials are familiar with a variety of measures of a community’s economic condition. Most of these measures are based on trend data such as sales taxes, housing values or new construction, or building or hotel vacancy rates. … Read more

The USDA and the Department of Energy are helping rural communities  “…create jobs, grow markets for American-made products, reduce energy bills for families and businesses and make the American economy more competitive” by providing funding to promote energy efficiency. The … Read more

The historic theater on Main Street sat empty for thirty years. Once the central gathering place and crown jewel of Main Street, the property collected cobwebs as town leaders waited for a private developer to come along with a plan … Read more

This is the first post in a series that will profile examples of how local food systems can be viewed as a component of an economic or community development strategy. Cabarrus County, NC — Local Food System Cabarrus County, NC … Read more

It is widely recognized that small firms with growth potential can be significant job creators in a local economy.  Yet, the role of local governments in supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses is not always clear.  Small firms, particularly those with … Read more