How Norway Built an Economy That Puts People First

A dollar sign forms one of the columns of a stately building

From Isabella Breda / Yes! Magazine: Despite a nationwide months-long coronavirus lockdown in Norway, the economy was able to remain stable due to a “decades-long effort to create an equitable economy” that helped the government to enact a package that provided businesses and self-employed individuals’ tax relief and deferrals. Although Norwegians pay roughly the same amount of taxes that Americans do, their taxes largely pay for social welfare programs which include unemployment benefits, retirement pay, and health care coverage. This “national ethos of economic equity” is what helped the country to navigate the pandemic.

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Alfredo Jose Brillembourg is the founder of Urban–Think Tank Design Group, with offices in New York, São Paulo, Caracas, Oslo, Geneva, and Cape Town. Through his leadership at Urban–Think Tank, he has spearheaded innovative architecture and urban design projects globally,...

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