If this looks familiar, it just might be. This is a re-upload because of an error that needed to be fixed. See our community post if you want more details!

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Urban3: https://www.urbanthree.com/
Julian Price Project: https://julianpriceproject.com/
Presentation about how Asheville saved downtown:    • Asheville in the 1980's: Save Downtow...  
Michael Kovacs article: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2...

We are huge fans of Urban3 and the work they do uncover municipal finances, helping cities become resilient and prosperous. I headed to Asheville to learn more about Value Per Acre and found a deeper story than I anticipated. Asheville has a beautiful story of reclaiming its downtown- not only creating a financially resilient and productive place to live, but finding a system that works and can be replicated by other cities willing to do the math and commit to making incremental changes.

About us: We seek to replace America’s post-war pattern of development, the Suburban Experiment, with a pattern of development that is financially strong and resilient. We advocate for cities of all sizes to be safe, livable, and inviting. We elevate local government to be the highest level of collaboration for people working together in a place, not merely the lowest level in a hierarchy of governments.

Historical footage courtesy of Rachel Price and the Julian Price Project
Historical Photos from Buncombe County Special Collections, Pack Memorial Public Library, Asheville, North Carolina

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00:00 The guiding question
00:58 Intro to Value Per Acre
03:29 Show Me The Money
05:35 Implications
07:21 Asheville Saves Its Downtown
11:01 Why Am I Getting Emotional?