Challenge Located in the heart of the Arkansas River Valley, the greater Fort Smith area featured some exceptional assets in the early 2000s, including a strong manufacturing base, excellent access to major metropolitan areas, and a relatively low cost of living. However, the region had reached a tipping point and […]
Challenge From its origins as a farming community, Auburn has transformed into a center for industry, serving as home to one of Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ most essential fabrication sites and the world’s largest airplane parts plant. The community’s commitment to quality of place is evident in its attention to civic
Challenge Between 2000 and 2017, Fort Worth was one of the fastest-growing large cities in the US. Furthermore, the city has cultivated a unique identity and brand, combining rich cultural heritage with an economy driven by industry-leading employers. Fort Worth achieved this success without a comprehensive, citywide approach for economic
Challenge Comprised of Mason City, Clear Lake, and Greater Cerro Gordo County, the North Iowa Corridor boasts multiple industry strengths, including advanced manufacturing, food processing, transportation and warehousing, and healthcare services. Like many rural areas, however, the region struggled to retain young professionals and experienced a gradual decline in population
Challenge Center cities of many of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas are registering their highest levels of population growth in decades, with some leading job growth in their metro areas as well. This trend, labeled by some as “the Great Inversion,” represents a reversal of patterns that have dominated the
Challenge The Greater Newport and East Bay Region—which includes Newport and Bristol Counties—has a rich history, a global brand, and is a sought-after tourist destination. With advanced defense companies like Raytheon and Northrop Grumman, R&D assets like the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, and national defense installations like the Naval War
Challenge Missouri City’s location in the Houston metropolitan area, along with years of careful planning, positioned the community to capture regional economic and population growth. Tremendous growth in the city’s residential areas and strong investment in local business parks pointed to the need for more shovel-ready property across a variety
Challenge The counties along Wisconsin’s Interstate 41 (I-41) corridor have traditionally comprised one of the nation’s largest manufacturing regions, with the sector accounting for nearly 19 percent of all jobs in 2016 (compared with just 8 percent of employment nationally). Following the Great Recession, the five-county area experienced steady job
