How to Build a Safe Staging and Production Workflow for a Static Site with GitHub Pages
A practical way to separate review from production for a static or Jekyll site using GitHub Pages, GitHub Actions, and branch-based promotion.
Well, I have thoughts.
Notes on downtown redevelopment, economic development, local government technology, and the practical work of making cities better.
Political Palatability: The Fifth Filter of Highest and Best Use in Small Towns
Small towns need a fifth filter when evaluating highest and best use, political palatability. A project that is legal, physical, financial, and productive can still fail if the public will not support it.
How Downtown Boards Should Track and Measure Success
Vision plans and strategy documents are meaningless without measurement. Here's how downtown boards track whether revitalization is actually working.
Keeping Existing Downtown Merchants Through Revitalization
Downtown revitalization often displaces the merchants who survived the downturn. Here's how boards can retain existing businesses and create pathways for entrepreneurs to stay and grow.
How Downtown Boards Handle Conflict of Interest and Self-Dealing
DDA boards regularly face situations where a member benefits from board decisions. Here's how to structure disclosure, recusal, and governance to protect public trust and prevent legal problems.
Historic Preservation Tax Credits and How Georgia Boards Use Them
Georgia's historic preservation tax credits represent one of the largest downtown financing tools available. Here's how boards use them, why they work, and what to watch for.
When a Downtown Event Strategy Builds Economic Development, and When It Doesn't
A practical look at when downtown events create lasting district value and when they mostly generate temporary foot traffic without durable redevelopment impact.
How to Use Hotel-Motel Tax Revenue Without Confusing Tourism With Redevelopment
A practical Georgia-focused guide to what hotel-motel tax revenue can realistically support, and where local boards should avoid treating it like a general downtown redevelopment fund.
What Local Government Boards Should Ask About Cybersecurity Before Buying Software
A practical checklist for local boards that need to evaluate software risk without pretending every board member is a security expert.
Test Before You Build: Using Tactical Urbanism to Prove Downtown Capital Projects (Georgia Edition)
A Georgia-focused guide to using low-cost tactical urbanism pilots to validate streetscape and downtown capital projects before committing permanent funds.