Explore every episode of the podcast Next City

After a year marked by the undermining of public resources, community development is adapting by finding ways to make progress more resilient.In this episode, Next City Senior Economic Justice Correspondent Oscar Perry Abello looks back at some of the biggest stories from a turbulent year on his beat and draws on what he heard during a national book tour for “The Banks We Deserve.”It’s not all bad news, as Abello looks for signs of a response to the disruptions.“I think maybe just maybe we are entering an uptick in the wave—the up and down waves of community power in community and economic development,” said Abello.Abello highlights the examples of Philadelphia’s Kensington Corridor Trust, the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx, and Denver’s Tierra Colectiva, showing how each model for community-led ownership is evolving the sector. Plus, Abello outlines where community development leaders are exploring new sources of funding beyond Washington. nextcity.org Next City’s Top Stories on Economic Justice in 2025 Catch up on this year’s most-read reporting on inclusive finance, community development and economic empowerment. https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/next-citys-top-stories-on-economic-justice-in-2025 nextcity.org The Banks We Deserve Oscar Perry Abello’s new book shows how banks’ money-creation power can be democratized. Helping communities tap into that power could address our climate, housing and economic crises.

 Live recording in November in partnership with the Small Business Anti-Displacement Network. Lucas interviews in fireside chat with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Culture is often treated as a niche area but is actually integral to the successful design and adoption of other areas of urban planning and policy. Hear how cities like Atlanta, Boston, Seattle and Baltimore are embedding cultural approaches into planning, policy, and recovery efforts.

Cities everywhere are proving paying a fare to ride the bus isn’t necessary, and getting rid of fares altogether makes them more useful.This episode is part of the Solutions of the Year series. If you are in search of solutions that make cities more just and equitable, then get a copy of Next City’s Solutions of the Year special issue magazine. To get your copy now, head to nextcity.org/22solutions and make a donation of any size.

This El Paso landscaping company is now owned by its employees. And while that’s not entirely unusual, the way the sale happened could be a model for the future.This episode is part of the Solutions of the Year series. If you are in search of solutions that make cities more just and equitable, then get a copy of Next City’s Solutions of the Year special issue magazine. To get your copy now, head to nextcity.org/22solutions and make a donation of any size.

What rideshare did for cars is proving possible for buses in cities everywhere. It’s called microtransit. This episode is part of the Solutions of the Year series. If you are in search of solutions that make cities more just and equitable, then get a copy of Next City’s Solutions of the Year special issue magazine. To get your copy now, head to nextcity.org/22solutions and make a donation of any size.

Private equity firms own their homes. When these tenants weren’t getting repairs they needed, they put their rent in escrow.This episode is sponsored by:• Solutions of the Year - If you are in search of solutions that make cities more just and equitable, then get a copy of Next City’s Solutions of the Year special issue magazine. To get your copy now, head to nextcity.org/donate and make a donation of any size.• Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.

What could leaders do to make ebikes the transportation of the future?This episode is sponsored by:• Solutions of the Year - If you are in search of solutions that make cities more just and equitable, then get a copy of Next City’s Solutions of the Year special issue magazine. To get your copy now, head to nextcity.org/donate and make a donation of any size.• Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.

This Oklahoma city bet that remote workers would move to the city if offered a set of incentives, including cash. They were right.This episode is sponsored by:• Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address. • Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android

The big news that a billionaire had “given away” his company to fight climate change is actually part of a movement that is redefining the goals of business. This episode is sponsored by:• Solutions of the Year - If you are in search of solutions that make cities more just and equitable, then get a copy of Next City’s Solutions of the Year special issue magazine. To get your copy now, head to nextcity.org/donate and make a donation of any size. • Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android

Using art to redesign streets cut by half the rate of traffic crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists.This episode is sponsored by:• Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.• Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android

Evanston, Illinois is sending checks — long before the debate even gets started at the federal level about whether reparations are possible.This episode is part of the Solutions of the Year series. If you are in search of solutions that make cities more just and equitable, then get a copy of Next City’s Solutions of the Year special issue magazine. To get your copy now, head to nextcity.org/22solutions and make a donation of any size.

Village Hearth in North Carolina is one example of LGBTQ seniors innovating ways of creating truly inclusive housing.This episode is sponsored by:Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android

Nonprofits often struggle to prove their impact, but the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO) is showing how a rigorous research partnership can help grassroots programs scale and win support.This sponsored episode explores examples of nonprofits and city governments collaborating with LEO researchers at the University of Notre Dame to identify what works, why it works, and how they used new evidence to make the case for growth.Like many nonprofit executive directors, Shana Berkeley already had a menu of anecdotes showing that her organization, Nashville's Corner to Corner, made a difference. By teaming up with LEO at Notre Dame, Corner to Corner is measuring the ripple effects of its program, as well as identifying what works and how to make it even more effective.“Research helps us to really understand what about those makes them not a unicorn, right?” says Berkeley. “But it's something that we can make more predictable and understand what's necessary for the foundations of entrepreneurship.”From LEO, the episode features researcher Patrick Turner, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Notre Dame, and Fran Gallagher, who leads project development. They share insights from working with the Goodwill Excel Center and Destination: Home, both of which expanded their fight against poverty — in workforce education and homelessness prevention, respectively — as a result of research partnerships. To learn more about how to partner, visit PartnerWithLEO.org. 

Until recently, there wasn’t any standard definition of a city. Now researchers can finally make comparisons across countries and continents.This episode is sponsored by:Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android

When finding an affordable place to live seemed fanciful, these organizers formed a collective called Queer The Land and purchased housing together.This episode is sponsored by:Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.The Bottom Line - Sign up for this newsletter exploring scalable solutions for problems related to affordability, inclusive economic growth and access to capital. The Bottom Line is made possible with support from Citi.

This nonprofit shows foundations that their support isn’t about exporting some scarce resource; it’s about unleashing a community’s own plentiful potential. This episode is sponsored by:Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android

Today on the show we’re talking about a travel guide — The Damron Guides. It was like a Green Book for LGBTQ Americans traveling the country and looking for safe spaces.This episode is sponsored by:Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android

No, it’s not more police. From Oakland to Newark, community violence intervention programs get results, and one researcher says they could be even more effective if fully supported. This episode is sponsored by:Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android

These beer lovers created a specialty line that just might help preserve lesbian culture — even as gathering spaces like lesbian bars disappear.This episode is sponsored by:The Bottom Line - Sign up for this newsletter exploring scalable solutions for problems related to affordability, inclusive economic growth and access to capital. The Bottom Line is made possible with support from Citi.Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.

The reality is that transgender women experience poverty rates as high as 30%. Rates of poverty are worst for Black and Latinx transgender people. For example, 41% of Black transgender Americans report having experienced homelessness. Two Californian cities are attempting to roll out guaranteed income programs specifically serving their transgender residents. This episode is sponsored by:Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android or Apple store.

Libraries in New York City are proving you don’t need fines to get books returned. What can everyone learn from what’s working?

Hedge funds have quietly bought up local newspapers across the country. A movement of nonprofit newsrooms is countering corporate news. This episode is sponsored by:Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android or Apple store.

What becomes possible when the public owns the bank? A city-owned bank could decide, for example, that it wants to support Black-owned businesses and others that have historically lacked access to credit. Now an American city is pioneering a future that prioritizes the public’s interest.This episode is sponsored by:The Bottom Line - Sign up for this newsletter exploring scalable solutions for problems related to affordability, inclusive economic growth and access to capital. The Bottom Line is made possible with support from Citi.Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.

Even as billions in federal clean energy funding sit trapped in legal limbo, community lenders are determined to keep the green transition alive.This episode of Next City explores how to press forward with the clean-energy transition despite a federal freeze on the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.Next City’s senior economic justice correspondent Oscar Perry Abello speaks with Neda Arabshahi, executive vice president of the Inclusiv Center for Resiliency and Clean Energy; Amir Kirkwood, CEO of the Justice Climate Fund; and Beth Bafford, CEO of Climate United. Together, they explain how local institutions like credit unions and CDFIs are funding solar projects, energy-efficiency upgrades, and resilience hubs even without federal dollars. According to these leaders, the clean energy movement isn’t waiting on Washington.“The clean energy transition is happening. But who is benefiting from that transition is unequal,” says Bafford. She argues it’s now the responsibility of changemakers to ensure resources still flow to “people, places, and communities across the country that otherwise were going to be kind of in the back of the line in terms of clean energy adoption and really should be at the front.”This episode is based on a Next City webinar, a recording of which can be viewed in our library.

The event is called “place-keeping” as it turns back a wave of anti-Asian hate that came with the pandemic, fights gentrification, and celebrates what makes Chinatown special.This episode is sponsored by:Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android or Apple store.

Heat is intensifying, thanks to climate change. A coalition of cities is pioneering a makeover for roads and rooftops that makes everything feel cooler. This episode is sponsored by:The Backyard Newsletter - The Backyard is a weekly email exploring solutions for problems related to tenants rights, inclusive communities and more. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/backyard and find the orange bar to enter your email address.Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android or Apple store.

The California cap-and-trade program is building up cash while lowering carbon emissions. We look at one way that money is being put to use.This episode is sponsored by:The Backyard Newsletter - The Backyard is a weekly email exploring solutions for problems related to tenants rights, inclusive communities and more. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/backyard and find the orange bar to enter your email address.Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android or Apple store.

The rising cost of homes in Evanston is driving gentrification and displacement. A worker-owned real estate developer wants to make housing more affordable by adding places to live — even in your backyard.This episode is sponsored by:The Backyard Newsletter - The Backyard is a weekly email exploring solutions for problems related to tenants rights, inclusive communities and more. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/backyard and find the orange bar to enter your email address. Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android or Apple store. 

When decisions about whether to remove a child from a home are race-blind, fewer Black children end up in the system. This episode is sponsored by:Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.Solutions of the Year, an 80-page print magazine exploring solutions for poverty, climate change, homelessness, and much more. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/donate and make a donation of any size.

With a growing understanding that eviction is a cause of poverty, it’s imperative we find solutions that keep tenants in their homes. One Philadelphia program has found a way to reduce eviction filings by 75 percent.This episode is sponsored by:Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.Solutions of the Year, an 80-page print magazine exploring solutions for poverty, climate change, homelessness, and much more. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/donate and make a donation of any size.

A bakery in Oakland isn’t owned by a person or profit-hungry investors. Instead it’s owned by something called a “perpetual purpose trust” where the majority owner is literally the business’ mission. Artisan Firebrand Bakery and other businesses like it are redefining what it means to be successful.This episode is sponsored by:The Bottom Line - Sign up for this newsletter exploring scalable solutions for problems related to affordability, inclusive economic growth and access to capital. The Bottom Line is made possible with support from Citi.Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.

A foundation in Vancouver decided to see what would happen if it gave a lump sum of cash to people experiencing homelessness. It changed their lives.This episode is sponsored by:Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android or Apple store. 

We Could Stop Policing Homelessness and Start HelpingDescription: Many business districts hire security to “solve” homelessness. But these advocates argue they should spend less money on security and more on an idea for helping — a hygiene hub, which anyone can visit to get cleaned up, throw out trash, or even just use the bathroom.This episode is sponsored by:Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android or Apple store. 

Guaranteed income programs are spreading fast. One designed by Black moms in Jackson, Mississippi has become the longest-running guaranteed income pilot in the nation.This episode is sponsored by:The Bottom Line - Sign up for this newsletter exploring scalable solutions for problems related to affordability, inclusive economic growth and access to capital. The Bottom Line is made possible with support from Citi.Solutions of the Year, an 80-page print magazine exploring solutions for poverty, climate change, homelessness, and much more. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/donate and make a donation of any size.

Communities need spaces for art; you can't support art without supporting artists. We're talking with three leaders working on alternative models for sustainability.

The push for equality has often been emboldened in Greensboro, North Carolina by its education system. We talk with historians, and with the chancellors of two Greensboro universities — UNC-Greensboro and NC A&T — about how a city realizes its full potential.Next City’s annual Vanguard conference was hosted in the city of Greensboro, where we learned about its past and the solutions that make it special. Action Greensboro was our partner in hosting the convening in September 2021.This episode is sponsored by:Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android or Apple store. 

Tracing the origins of a city like Greensboro, North Carolina uncovers the character of the place it is today.  Next City’s annual Vanguard conference was hosted in the city of Greensboro, where we learned about its past and the solutions that make it special. Action Greensboro was our partner in hosting the convening in September 2021.This episode is sponsored by:Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android or Apple store. 

Meet the co-founder of an organization working to dismantle the “oppression economy” and manifest the “liberation economy.”This episode is sponsored by:The Bottom Line - Sign up for this newsletter exploring scalable solutions for problems related to affordability, inclusive economic growth and access to capital. The Bottom Line is made possible with support from Citi.Solutions of the Year, an 80-page print magazine exploring solutions for poverty, climate change, homelessness, and much more. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/donate and make a donation of any size.

The North Carolina town of Princeville is considered by many to be the first ever founded in the United States by African-Americans. The town’s existence is threatened by the legacy of racism and the future of climate. Yet residents say it persists, in part, because of the value put on Black leadership.This episode is sponsored by:Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.Solutions of the Year, an 80-page print magazine exploring solutions for poverty, climate change, homelessness, and much more. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/donate and make a donation of any size.

The open secret about philanthropy is that way more resources are put behind making money than giving it away. What we don’t always know is whether the money-making operation shares the same values as its grant-making.This episode is sponsored by:The Bottom Line - Sign up for this newsletter exploring scalable solutions for problems related to affordability, inclusive economic growth and access to capital. The Bottom Line is made possible with support from Citi.Solutions of the Year, an 80-page print magazine exploring solutions for poverty, climate change, homelessness, and much more. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/donate and make a donation of any size.

Having a criminal record stops plenty of people from getting their next job — even if they have a marijuana-related conviction, and even if what was once illegal in their state is now perfectly fine. But there is an algorithm for that, if only cities and states would use it to clear the records of thousands of people.  This episode is sponsored by:Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.Solutions of the Year, an 80-page print magazine exploring solutions for poverty, climate change, homelessness, and much more. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/donate and make a donation of any size.

A change in how banks do business caused an explosion of private companies becoming our landlords. One neighborhood in Los Angeles is part of a movement keeping the control of land and property out of giant corporations’ portfolios and in the hands of communities.This episode is sponsored by:The Bottom Line - Sign up for this newsletter exploring scalable solutions for problems related to affordability, inclusive economic growth and access to capital. The Bottom Line is made possible with support from Citi.Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.

Almost half of the stores that opened in 2020 was a Dollar Store. The pandemic might’ve contributed to the problem, but it’s not the only issue. Dollar Stores proliferate in low-income neighborhoods where fresh produce and other healthy food access are scarce. Some cities are stepping in to stop the phenomenon.This episode is sponsored by:The Bottom Line - Sign up for this newsletter exploring scalable solutions for problems related to affordability, inclusive economic growth and access to capital. The Bottom Line is made possible with support from Citi.Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android or Apple store. 

A new monument is designed to showcase the rich cultural history and beauty of the predominantly Black community in Crenshaw. A stop for the metro line is being added and usually the comes with gentrification and eradication of culture. So maybe the most critical goal of the project might be this: to show Los Angelenos and visitors to the city that the Crenshaw community—most famously portrayed on film in Akeelah and the Bee and Boyz n the Hood—isn’t a neighborhood to be passed through. It’s a destination worth traveling to. It’s a community that is worthy of art, beauty, economic investment, and most importantly—honor and respect.This episode is sponsored by:Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android or Apple store. 

You’ve probably heard complaints about Uber and Lyft from drivers who spend all day working for the apps but who aren’t full-time employees. A group of drivers started asking, "Why don't we have our own app?" And from there, a new app that is 100% worker owned was born. It’s already live in the nation’s biggest competitive market — New York City.This episode is part of The Bottom Line, a series exploring scalable solutions for problems related to affordability, inclusive economic growth and access to capital. The Bottom Line is made possible with support from Citi.This episode of Next City highlights one of our Solutions of the Year, an 80-page print magazine exploring solutions for poverty, climate change, homelessness, and much more. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/donate and make a donation of any size.

Charles T. Brown, author of "Arrested Mobility," discusses why mobility is not afforded in the same way to everyone – and the dire cost of this inequity.

ChiFresh Kitchen is a worker cooperative, which means the founders share equally in the management of the business and the profits. But those aren’t the only benefits they have in mind. The founders say they’re trying to empower formerly incarcerated women, give themselves a second chance, and show others they can do the same thing.This episode is part of The Bottom Line, a series exploring scalable solutions for problems related to affordability, inclusive economic growth and access to capital. The Bottom Line is made possible with support from Citi.

Time is running out to reduce our carbon footprint. Did you know that 40% of carbon comes from buildings? Meanwhile there’s a startup called BlocPower that will replace your old heating and cooling systems with a new heat pump — even if you think the building can’t afford to pay for it.This episode is part of The Bottom Line, a series exploring scalable solutions for problems related to affordability, inclusive economic growth and access to capital. The Bottom Line is made possible with support from Citi.This episode of Next City highlights one of our Solutions of the Year, an 80-page print magazine exploring solutions for poverty, climate change, homelessness, and much more. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/donate and make a donation of any size.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for homelessness. But there is a by-name database. “Built for Zero” is solving chronic homelessness, one person at a time. The key is that organizers ask each person what they need to get off the street.