In the current economic crisis, questions around ownership are at the forefront of policy responses. The banking industry bailout, and the auto industry supplications for a bailout, raise the prospect of a major transformation of the public-market relationship. Yet in much of the debate, the policy conversation seems polarized between the traditional two extremes: public investment on one side, and market oriented private ownership on the other. Quietly though, through practice and experimentation, diverse models of ownership have emerged in communities across the country. These models offer a different basis to building wealth for community development and economic recovery, and a potentially more sustainable and equitable economic system.