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.

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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.

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We Could Stop Policing Homelessness and Start Helping
Description: 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.

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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.

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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 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.