Rent and pollution by cities have been on the rise. Migration towards urban hubs has induced high demand putting pressure on a slowly increasing housing stock. As space becomes scarce, low-income tenants are pushed out of their homes. Post-neoliberal housing policies in Europe, specifically Berlin, attempt to reverse this trend. However, how can a city balance attracting investment for sustainable housing refurbishments and keep rents at a reasonable level?
Read MoreIKEA has been known for its iconic meatballs, affordable furniture, and wordless instruction manuals. Behind all of this is a unique business model that goes beyond economic theory, challenging economic norms. Research shows IKEA goes against the pivotal and essential model of supply and demand to provide affordable prices. All of this lies behind Swedish philosophy of socialism and humanism, which leads to removing high-cost products and providing customers the best price possible.
Read MoreRemember the “I’m Just a Bill” song from Schoolhouse Rock? In it, a singing bill describes the path it must take to become a law in the United States, from surviving committee to getting a majority of support in both the House of Representatives and the Senate and, finally, requiring the signature of the president. The nation’s founding fathers famously sought to create a cautious process through which only the most worthy of ideas could become law because they wished to constrain overzealous legislators. But this cautious impulse is not just constrained to the United States. From houses of parliament to company boards the world over, a proposal must have the support of a majority of stakeholders to have a prayer of success. If a constituency’s issues cannot gain majority support, they are labelled “the opposition” and their issues remain unsolved. Is there an alternative to the majoritarian legislative process?
Read More18 billion dollars of Apple's revenue from China are at stake each time it has to choose between its ideals and the chance to enjoy the big bucks. When the Taiwanese flag emoji, HKmap, and Quartz disappeared from China’s keyboards and app stores, people started asking questions. Can a company stay in business if it does not adhere to the wishes of powerful foreign governments, and instead chooses to stick to its mission statement?
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