BusinessFlare Take

Washington State is upending old parking rules to unleash housing growth instead of asphalt wastelands. In Seattle, only about 30% of park-and-ride lot spaces fill up on weekdays, so legislators just passed a law capping parking mandates and allowing affordable homes on those empty lots. This shift aligns land use with market reality: less dead parking space, more transit-linked apartments. Other cities clinging to 1950s parking quotas are squandering land and driving up housing costs while Seattle of all places recalibrates regulations to try and meet actual demand. April 25, 2025, PubliCola

Street Economics Insight

Tariffs and trade turmoil are hitting small businesses unevenly, but basic surveys don’t tell cities the whole story. A national poll shows 44% of small business owners expect revenue drops from tariffs, with worry highest in states like New York (55%) and Pennsylvania (52%). A traditional analysis stops there, but Street Economics’ City Comparison tool would dig deeper, mapping which local industries (wholesale, manufacturing, retail) are most exposed and flagging specific cities where a tariff shock will really bite. That kind of granular insight beats generic state averages, uncovering opportunities to support vulnerable business clusters or attract investment in less affected sectors that old-school methods would overlook. April 25, 2025, Detroit Regional Chamber

Drama Meter Reading

Palm Coast, Florida is in full meltdown thanks to a mayor gone rogue. An independent investigation found Mayor Mike Norris repeatedly violated the city charter by trying to fire staff and peddling conspiracy theories, leading the City Council to unanimously censure him and seek state intervention​. This is a 9.5 on the Drama Meter; complete leadership failure. The economic development impact is likely immediate: credible investors usually steer clear of clown-show governance. When a city’s own mayor torches staff and stability, new jobs and projects will choose more predictable locales. April 22, 2025, Palm Coast Observer

Book Drop

Red Tape Empire could have been written about Palm Coast’s fiasco. In the book’s blunt premise, “You can’t fight City Hall until you have nothing left to lose.” That gut-punch line rings true as the council and community push back against Norris’s dysfunction. Crowder’s story of entrepreneurs vs. bureaucrats and the old guard’s collapse foreshadowed this real-world drama: a power-abusing official facing a revolt. It’s a stark reminder from Red Tape Empire that corruption and egomania at City Hall eventually meet the reckoning they deserve. April 22, 2025

ECOSINT Signal

State capitols are on an anti-China crusade that could reshape local economies. In the past year, lawmakers have filed over 240 proposals to curb Chinese influence, banning everything from Chinese-made drones and apps in government to even cutting sister-city ties with Chinese cities​. National security concerns are real, but these broad strokes have local bite: city police departments scrambling for non-Chinese gear, tourism officials losing exchange programs, and public pension funds hastily divesting. Street Economics can deploy its OSINT arsenal to help find where these moves hurt or help locally (for example, identifying a city dangerously reliant on Chinese tech suppliers versus one safer to invest in). The bottom line: cities need to balance vigilance with economic pragmatism, because blanket bans could backfire on their own development plans. April 25, 2025, Associated Press

The Music Cities

Norman, Oklahoma just proved how live music means serious business for downtown. Despite a 10% dip in sponsorships this year, the volunteer-run Norman Music Festival still staged 160 bands on multiple stages, drawing an estimated 70,000 people into the city’s core​. That’s more foot traffic and spending in three days than some “economic development” projects generate in a year. The festival had to trim costs (one less venue), but the payoff is intact: packed bars, local merchants selling out, and a showcase of the city’s cultural vibe that money can’t easily buy. Cities that invest in music as infrastructure, supporting venues, artists, and events, reap community and fiscal rewards far beyond the entertainment value. Norman, OK – April 24, 2025, NonDoc

Space Economy Signal

Boom Supersonic just chose a Colorado spaceport for its new engine test facility, and the message to cities is clear: get in on the space economy or get left behind. Boom is investing up to $5 million at the Colorado Air and Space Port near Denver to develop its next-gen “Symphony” jet engines. This isn’t sci-fi; it’s real aerospace manufacturing and high-tech jobs landing in communities that plan for it. Cities still chasing yesterday’s industries or NIMBYing industrial sites have their heads in the sand as the space sector rockets toward $1 trillion in value. Look at places like Adams County, Colorado and Williamson County, Texas – they’re forming space development corporations, training specialized workers, and rezoning land for launch pads and labs. Meanwhile, any Rust Belt or coastal city that ignores the space boom is basically volunteering to miss the next wave of prosperity. April 25, 2025, Adams County (CO) Government