Chattanooga

Internet service providers like Comcast and Verizon are free to slow down, block, or prioritize internet traffic as they wish, without interference by the federal government. That’s the effect of an October ruling by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, upholding a 2017 ruling by the Federal Communications Commission that reversed rules requiring what is called “net neutrality“—treating all internet traffic equally, regardless of where it’s from or what kind of data it is. … [Read more...] about Should the internet be a public utility? Hundreds of cities are saying yes

This finding may sound obvious, but Howmuch.net visualized it in hard numbers sourced from financial technology company SmartAsset. The analysis started with a relatively simple premise: You’re a founder who needs to register and set up your business with professional lawyers and accountants. You need to secure 1,000 square feet of office space, pay utilities, and hire five people for a year. How much will all of that cost, depending on your location? … [Read more...] about The Cheapest Cities For Startups, In One Chart

What the enthusiasts don’t do much is follow up on these breathless reports. But if you do linger here, surprising, useful, and sometimes troubling things come into view. Over a period of several months, I visited Hale County twice and interviewed dozens of people to try to get something more than a “drive-by” perspective on the many architecture and design efforts here. The singular history of Hale County offers a chance to confront the most important questions that could be asked about design as catalyst. Are social designers most successful when they swoop in with the fresh thinking of outsiders? Or do they need to be embedded in the communities they aim to enhance? To use a business analogy, sometimes the rhetoric around social design suggests it can do for challenged communities what Jony Ive did for Apple. So what has really worked in Hale County? Has it improved the lives of the county’s residents? … [Read more...] about The Heart of Hale County