Challenge Abilene prides itself on being a city of “firsts”: the first Texas city to create a sales-tax funded economic development effort in 1989, the first to create a downtown reinvestment zone, and the first community outside the state’s major metropolitan areas to receive a cultural district designation from the […]
Challenge Alvin, Texas, is strategically located halfway between Houston, the core city of the nation’s fastest-growing large metro area, and Freeport, the nation’s largest petrochemical complex. The city’s location also offers easy access to the region’s four major ports; proximity to Houston Hobby International Airport; and access to Alvin Community
Challenge Through their location in Southern Oregon, Jackson and Josephine Counties have a number of strategic advantages. The area’s natural beauty and unique cultural amenities make it a draw for tourists and outdoor enthusiasts. The region is home to a wide array of industries, including many niche and artisanal businesses.
Challenge Upstate New York is uniquely challenged. The region’s plight is often masked by state-level economic and demographic statistics that are positively skewed by New York City and well-off suburbs. Despite these broader challenges, the City of Corning has remained an island of stability within the region’s longstanding economic decline.
Challenge The Wired65 region, comprised of 26 counties surrounding the Louisville metropolitan area, presents a unique combination of assets and challenges. Home to Worldport, UPS’s international shipping hub, the area boasts a strong logistics and distribution cluster, as well as a significant automotive presence. In addition, the consolidation of the
Challenge The Red River Army Depot (RRAD) has long been the single largest employer and a critical economic engine in the bi-state Texarkana region. In response to cuts in federal defense spending and Army downsizing, regional officials sought to prepare for what they anticipated would be further workload reductions and
Challenge Faced with more than three decades of stagnant population trends and lagging income and educational attainment, Muskogee, Oklahoma, was at a crossroads. Despite the area’s many assets, which included a strong base of private and public sector employers, desirable market access, and a committed group of leaders, Muskogee failed
Challenge The federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC 2005) decided to realign the 188th Fighter Wings of the Air National Guard at Fort Smith, Arkansas. This decision prompted concerted action on the community’s part to maintain existing levels of engagement with Fort Smith. Though the community avoided economic catastrophe,
Challenge In 2004, the City of Watsonville was faced with a diminishing supply of vacant developable land (less than 2 percent of the total land area). Potential business expansion was further hindered by concerns about the quality of the available workforce, ranging from educational attainment to English language competency. The
Challenge Traditionally dependent on heavy industry, Racine County sought to foster an environment where technology-based industries could develop and thrive. The county offered many of the elements that defined success under traditional economic development models: close proximity to two major metro areas, a significant manufacturing base comprised of an enviable
