Insights

Strategy

Man presenting to an audience seeking SBIR and STTR funding

Accessible Innovation Capital: SBIR & STTR Programs

by Erica Colston

When it comes to improving a community’s innovation assets, economic development practitioners can do only so much to influence postsecondary science and engineering programs or to increase the presence of venture capital firms. Supporting R&D-focused small businesses through the process of accessing federal SBIR/STTR dollars is a strategy that fits squarely within the realm of business and economic development.

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Electric Vehicles Charging

Leveraging EV Market Momentum to Drive Local Economic Impact

by Luke Shuffield

The increasingly competitive electric vehicles (EVs) market is reshaping the automotive landscape and presenting new opportunities for economic developers. This post examines key strategies for capitalizing on EV growth, including pursuing federal funding, attracting manufacturing investments, and expanding EV charging infrastructure. By focusing on these areas, communities can position themselves to benefit from the accelerating shift toward electrification.

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Measuring Job Quality and Access

by Evan Johnston

Connecting workers to job opportunities and long-term career paths is a critical component of sustainable economic growth that is often hampered by a lack of information sharing and coordination among organizations. TIP’s proprietary Job Quality and Access tool, developed in collaboration with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, provides multi-dimensional data that helps identify higher quality and more accessible jobs across geographies.

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young entrepreneurs in a coffee shop

Triptychs: Work-Based Learning Models

by Jess Myers

As technology advances, a skills gap has emerged between students’ education and employers’ needs, threatening future workforce readiness. Work-based learning programs, which integrate real-world experiences and employer insights into education, offer a viable solution. This blog post explores three examples of programs that help students acquire essential skills and better prepare for high-demand jobs, addressing talent shortages in major sectors.

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Placemaking for Innovation

by Erica Colston

While it is often overlooked, placemaking has emerged as an essential factor in building successful innovation ecosystems. Erica Colston’s latest post explores two innovation hubs—North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park and Pegasus Park in Dallas, Texas—to illustrate how placemaking strategies have adapted to succeed in today’s innovation environment.

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Volunteers working in a community garden

Intent, Impact, Outcomes, and Placemaking

by Mishka Parkins

The process of placemaking is a means to bridge gaps across racial and socioeconomic lines, expand access to economic opportunity, and foster social inclusion within communities. These outcomes, however, require intentional efforts and a commitment to tackle unintentional practices that lead to division, creating unequal access to amenities, public spaces, and prosperity.

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Capital Area Rural System van

Microtransit for Rural America

by Ajay Kasturirangan

Rural America faces disparities in access to essential services and opportunities compared to urban areas. While the percentage of households without vehicles is similar across rural and urban regions, the income gap is substantial, highlighting the need for affordable and equitable mobility solutions. Could microtransit offer a promising solution to address this challenge?

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Highline Park in NYC, a repurposed railroad bridge

Creating Place-Based Economic Impacts Through Adaptive Reuse

by Jenn Todd-Goynes, CNU-A

Rising office vacancy rates following the COVID-19 pandemic have renewed conversations about the role of adaptive reuse. Jenn Todd-Goynes highlights notable examples of communities that have brought together public and private interests to transform vacant sites and underutilized assets into quality places that generate positive impacts and provide preferred destinations for people, businesses, and visitors.

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Phoenix, Arizona skyline with mountains behind it.

2024 IEDC Leadership Summit: Takeaways & Trends

by John Karras

Last month, John Karras attended the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) 2024 Leadership Summit in Phoenix, Arizona. In addition to speaking on a panel about high-performing regions and attending a plenary session on clean energy featuring TIP managing partner Jon Roberts, he took away observations about the importance of cross-jurisdictional collaboration which he shares in his latest post.

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Placemaking Through Open Streets

by Reece Neathery

Open streets policies put in place by some communities to ease the burden of restrictions on gathering during the COVID-19 pandemic have been extended from temporary solutions to permanent programs. The success of these policies in cities like Houston, Seattle, and Ann Arbor has demonstrated the value of intentionally shaping the built environment to promote social interaction and create vibrant public spaces.

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