Challenge West Virginia’s Kanawha Valley region, anchored by the Charleston metropolitan area, faces long-standing economic challenges including troubling population loss, below-average employment growth, lagging unemployment rates, and low levels of workforce participation. At the same time, new leadership and promising opportunities sparked a renewed sense of agency, urgency, and optimism […]
Challenge The City of Irving, Texas, operates in a highly competitive environment. Despite its many advantages—ranging from its transportation network to available workforce to prime sites—the city is in a constant battle for projects within the fast-growing Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. Irving occupies an enviable position in the region but
Challenge Incorporated in 1914 in what is now the heart of the Dallas metroplex, Irving, Texas, has experienced remarkable growth over the last five decades. From Las Colinas, which pioneered the master-planned community model, to the bustling Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Irving’s forward-thinking development and successful attraction of global
Challenge Created in the 1980s to manage the transformation of a former stadium into the Mall of America, the Port Authority of the City of Bloomington Minnesota (the Port Authority) has seen its role in the city’s economic development efforts expand greatly over time. First, the organization’s purpose was redefined
Challenge Located in the Phoenix area, Maricopa was one of the most rapidly growing communities in the country, increasing from 1,500 residents in 2000 to more than 43,000 by 2010. This dramatic growth reflected an unusually hot—and ultimately unsustainable—housing market. As a result, growth tapered off after the housing bubble
Challenge Situated in the scenic foothills of northern Georgia among miles of largely unspoiled Lake Lanier shoreline, Forsyth County’s rapid population growth, highly rated schools, and affluence has made it a prime location for investment within the fast-growing and dynamic Atlanta metro area. However, the county’s many assets and successes
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 Led by the Cities of Nixa and Ozark, Christian County grew almost 43 percent between 2000 and 2010, outpacing the rest of the region. Excellent education opportunities, good value housing, and high quality of life made North Christian County a destination for young families in the Springfield metropolitan area.
Challenge Perhaps more than any other region in the country, Southern Nevada was devastated by the Great Recession. The region went from having some of the lowest rates of unemployment to the highest. Tens of thousands of families lost their homes as jobs dried up, credit tightened, and the regional
Challenge Saratoga County’s economy has consistently outperformed the region. It boasts vibrant communities with some of the highest incomes in the state. Coupled with world-class tourism attractions and a robust and growing healthcare system, Saratoga County enjoys an enviable position, especially as the beneficiary of one of the largest capital
