Lindsay Moriarty is a graduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill pursuing dual masters’ degrees in Health Behavior and Health Education and City and Regional Planning.  She is currently working with the Lumber River Council of Governments through the Carolina Economic Revitalization Corps (CERC). It takes … Read more

Jonathan Morgan is a School of Government faculty member. In May 2010, American Express chose Guilford County as the location for a new $400 million data storage center that will initially employ about 50 people, but could eventually grow to 150 workers.  Local officials and economic developers were … Read more

Jeff Hughes is the Director of the Environmental Finance Center at the UNC School of Government Federal and state grants have long helped local governments support their community and economic goals. Many local governments and community organizations have grown to depend on grant assistance for a va … Read more

Tyler Mulligan is a School of Government faculty member. When we think of venture capital, we imagine business people making investments in the most innovative companies and technologies: pharmaceuticals, medical devices, computer software, and nanotech applications, to name only a few. Indeed, this … Read more

UPDATE: The General Assembly changed some procedures for Municipal Service Districts after this post was written. Analysis of the changes can be found here. A city’s governing board wishes to support and promote its downtown area. It wants to install sidewalks and street lighting. It wants to renova … Read more

Lisa Stifler is a Research Associate in the Community & Economic Development Program. Over the past three decades, there has been a realization among many in the community development field that income-based poverty reduction programs, while potentially helpful in alleviating some of the day-to- … Read more

Rick Morse is a School of Government faculty member. By now most people have at least heard of the “local foods” movement. Thanks to Michael Pollan and his compatriots, terms like “locavore” and “foodshed” have made their way into our lexicon. The idea here is to create “more locally based, self-rel … Read more

Jonathan Morgan is a School of Government faculty member. On February 17, 2010 Governor Beverly Perdue signed Executive Order No. 50 that will give North Carolina-based businesses an opportunity to match the lowest bid on state contracts for the purchase of goods.  The order authorizes the Secretary … Read more

Lisa Stifler is a Research Associate with the Community & Economic Development Program. With tax season now upon us, dozens of community organizations and groups throughout North Carolina are beginning to open their doors to offer free tax preparation for low- and moderate-income individuals, th … Read more

Lisa Stifler is a Research Associate with the Community & Economic Development Program. In rural areas, particularly those within commuting distance to cities, the cost of transportation is high, and often more expensive than in urban areas.  Reasons for the high costs include the lack of or ina … Read more