Ithaca Hours: A Small New York Community Invented Time-Based Money in the 1990s
What if an hour of your time was literally money? Not metaphorically. Not as a motivational quote hanging on an […]
Strange Economies
Burning Man’s Temporary Desert Economy: What Happens When a City Tries to Operate Without Commerce
Every year, tens of thousands of people voluntarily travel into one of the harshest environments in the United States and
Somalia’s Mobile Minute Economy: Phone Credits Became a Shadow Currency
For most people, phone credits feel temporary and forgettable. You recharge your balance, send messages, use mobile data, maybe transfer
Christiania in Copenhagen: A Neighborhood That Built Its Own Economic Rules
Introduction Most cities punish people for trying to live outside the system. Rent rises endlessly, property values dominate entire neighborhoods,
Japan’s Fureai Kippu System: Elder Care Paid With Time Instead of Cash
Introduction The idea sounds almost too optimistic to work in real life. Imagine helping an elderly person with daily tasks