Next City has taken a deep look at Fundrise, the real estate crowdfunding program started by developer brothers
Dan and Ben Miller.
Fundrise allows anyone to invest in a building and, if the building is successful, reap a percentage of the profits. It's like a Kickstarter for real estate development. Much ink has been dedicated to the program's financial feasibliity--okay, it's legal thanks to some clever wrangling with the Securities and Exchange Commission, but is it a
good investment? Does that
even matter?
Next City's take is different; the urbanist pub is looking at what's next. One option? Crowdfunding transit infrastructure. “If the 2nd avenue subway [in New York] was being funded by 100,000 people it would be done by now,” Dan Miller told Next City.
To be sure, Fundrise isn't yet taking any money for the DC streetcar, or bike lanes, or hoverboards (as far as we know). But
if the startup were to do this, Next City's Bill Bradley sees some potential hurdles:
What happens if the platform expands to transit infrastructure? Will it just expose more income inequality as people who have money pitch in to shine up aging infrastructure, while those neighborhoods with less disposable income see their subway stations and bus stops molder?
To be clear, I think Fundrise is a great model for neighborhoods. It keeps assets in the hands of locals and gives people some equity. But it’s running up against the same struggle developers and urbanists grapple with every day — how do we make it work for everyone. How can it be inclusive? Fundrise is a young company. Perhaps it’s ready to tackle the issue and go to the neighborhoods that need it most.
Read more
here.