The News

January 2018

Cities. Cities everywhere are rolling out the red carpet to woo Amazon. Amazon has winked back at 20 of them. Not surprisingly, Pittsburgh is one. Perhaps the folks at GeekWire, who have made Pittsburgh their secondary headquarters for February, have something to add to the conversation. The tax bill is something to talk about. What will its impact be on housing? It’s hard to overstate the impact of the subway on New York. Without it, there is no city as we know it. That’s why it’s essential the city rebuild the subway right.

Crowdfunding. The crowd for real estate crowdfunding is growing. It’s because everyone can invest now. Cool projects like this are starting to happen because of the crowd. This is all against a bigger backdrop of how the JOBS Act is boosting capital markets. We’ve been learning so much, it’s almost like Small Change went back to school.

December 2017

(Snoozin’.)

November 2017

Cities. To do “good work” in New York’s Hudson Valley means convening a cohort of creative business and development leaders driven by ethics. Our director of communications and outreach, Ben Schulman, is part of this year’s Good Work Institute cohort dedicated to building “regenerative economies.” Woot! What are the best urban planning websites out there that make the cityscape tangible? Planetizen breaks it down. Is New Urbanism still relevant? Well, if you want resources to create complete communities, you might be interested in this.

Crowdfunding. A successful #crowdfunding effort requires a strong business mentality, as well as passion and inspiration. Here’s why. Want to know more about the mechanics of real estate crowdfunding? Start here with this essential cheat sheet. For deeper dives, visit the “Learn” section on smallchange.com

October 2017

Cities. Newburgh, NY is a small, troubled city in New York’s Hudson Valley with an architectural and historical might larger than towns thrice its size. Torn apart by mid-20th century urban renewal schemes, Newburgh is now forging new ground on how to repair and renew a city. Why are homes in some places so much more expensive than others? It’s all about how much you pay for dirt. Our hometown, Pittsburgh, is a place of as many stories and narratives as rivers and hills. To make it complete, we should heed the wisdom of designing more inclusive cities.

Crowdfunding. There’s IRAs and then there’s self-directed IRAs. And, oh, did you know the latter can be used to invest via real estate crowdfunding? Regulation Crowdfunding celebrated its first birthday this past May. Let’s celebrate the women behind some of the crowdfunding funding portals that have popped up since then. While we’re at it, let’s take a moment to assess the Regulation Crowdfunding landscape.

September 2017

Cities. Design is tactile. Cities are tactile. How do we know? Because of Octopus cities. The last 15+ years have undoubtedly seen a return of population and investment to urban cores, but have the good times gone? Or is the hand-wringing much ado about bad census data? And if we really want to start thinking about inclusive cities, we need to start breaking down the walls of zoning. Perhaps it’s time to re-conceptualize walls altogether. That’s probably happening at the Chicago Architecture Biennial.

Crowdfunding. Quick: name three ways to invest in real estate crowdfunding. There are three questions that can determine your financial literacy. It pays to invest in people and places that have been shut out of capital flows – crowdfunding can lead the way. As it can in setting public policy agendas too.

August 2017

Cities. The future may be female but men are still driving discussion over how our neighborhoods and cities work; it’s time to change the conversation. Whatever happened to the aspirational idea of transit? It’s all in the way service is marketed. Pittsburgh’s getting a 23-acre, $10 million urban farm. Co-working is good for cities, but don’t take our word for it. Read it direct from a co-working space catalyzing connections in its city.

Crowdfunding. Small Change recently closed its first Reg CF deal in New Orleans. It was a historic achievement that Next City and Crowdfund Insider were quick to cover. The project’s a good illustration of the benefits of hyperlocal investing. There’s a new funding portal fronted by women helping build businesses and a more inclusive economy. And equity crowdfunding is leading investment in female-fronted companies.

July 2017

Takin’ a break – happy summer!

June 2017

Cities. First Fridays fuse art and urbanism, but do they have a walkability problem? Scientists say we have 10 years to save the earth, and also that climate change will have an even bigger impact on big cities. Architects to the rescue. Is it possible to design cities to reduce street harassment? Take a gander at this New York City subway library. How the “internet of things” makes cities more vulnerable. Mapping one city’s air pollution using Google Maps. High Lines for all! Pedal-ins, car burials, and the future of cycling. Can craft beer bring back a neighborhood?

Crowdfunding. Online capital-raising grew by 22% in the U.S. last year; what does 2017 have in store? Crowdfunding portals and food trucks. A crowdfunding platform for women. Crowdfunding across borders. Crowdfunding a makerspace. Crowdfunding to help refugees. Can U.S. crowdfunding platforms accept foreign money? (The answer is yes.) Find out what a REIT is.

May 2017

Cities. Shipping containers turned into swimming pools. Potholes that can heal themselves. Detroit’s kicking blight and adding jobs. Pittsburgh is innovating energy. A photo essay on the magic of Indian urbanism. Is it possible for Silicon Valley to move away from its car-choked suburban sprawl? The world’s first LEED Platinum police station. The world’s greenest airport terminal. The world’s largest vertical garden. Anyone else not surprised that living near nature improves the quality and length of your life?

Crowdfunding. Happy birthday to the JOBS Act. New York Times profiles “small fry” entrepreneurs who are “swimming with sharks” through crowdfunding. Consumer Reports breaks down charitable giving through crowdfunding. Crowdfunding for placemaking investment. Crowdfunding to preserve a community hub in Montreal. Some thoughts on women and minorities in Regulation Crowdfunding. U.K.-based equity crowdfunding platform Seedrs is launching a secondary market. Crowdfunding may be worth more than any one charity by 2019.

April 2017

Cities. Stackable tiny houses! 10 reasons to build community through urban design. The first-ever noise map of the United States. What a national green infrastructure plan looks like. Why are young people not driving? Bike planning, state-by-state. 15 cities that are curbing cars. The anatomy of a great dog park. Some weekend reading about cities for non-planning nerds.

Crowdfunding. Facebook is getting in on the crowdfunding game. Could real estate crowdfunding help millenials retire younger? How crowdfunding is democratizing real estate and helping communities improve themselves. Even New York Daily News is catching on. New JOBS Act amendments up the Reg CF funding cap. A world tour of equity crowdfunding campaigns. How crowdfunding is like online dating.

Week of March 6, 2017

Crowdfunding.

Maine Land Trusts Experiment with Crowdfunding for Preservation – Portland Press Herald

Small Change, Big Profits with Eve Picker Podcast – Wealth Formula Podcast w/ Buck Joffrey

Can Millennials, Crowdfunding, and Impact Investing Change the World? – Born2Invest

Urbanist News

New Model Could Help Cities Predict Gentrifying Neighborhoods – NextCity

Jonathan Rose, Developer of a New Urban World – Huffington Post

Seeing Through Murals: The Future of Latino San Francisco – Boom California

Week of February 27, 2017

Crowdfunding News

Investment Crowdfunding: What Works And What Needs Fixing – Forbes