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 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 Situated 20 miles north of Austin, the suburban community of Pflugerville, Texas, has a rich history of German roots and ample outdoor amenities. Pflugerville’s relative affordability and family-friendly atmosphere, combined with the regional expansion of manufacturing and technology, have led to massive growth; Pflugerville’s population size has surged in
Challenge Located on the eastern side of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Rockwall, Texas, is an economic development leader. Its strong commercial and industrial tax base supports a high quality of life for residents, while maintaining a low property tax rate relative to the region. The establishment and growth of the
Challenge Robust employment and economic growth led to extremely tight labor market conditions in the Greater Fargo Moorhead region at the start of the 21st century. Even during the 2007-2009 recession, the region’s employment base contracted by less than 1 percent and had fully recovered by 2010. With unemployment less
Challenge The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) is a federal-state partnership serving a 252-county/parish area encompassing portions of Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. Led by a Federal Co-Chairman and the governors of each participating state, the DRA is charged with improving the standard of living for the
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 The City of Clearwater faced two formative demographic trends: an aging population and above-average share of low-income households. Compounding these trends is the City’s over-reliance on residential real estate taxes, with housing accounting for approximately two-thirds of its property tax base. In addition, Clearwater lacks available greenfield development sites
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 The Central Upper Peninsula of Michigan boasts remarkable assets. Despite its distance from major urban centers, its natural beauty, higher education institutions, and emerging technology assets stand out both within Michigan and nationally. Facilities such as the Innovate Marquette SmartZone, Sawyer International Airport, and Northern Michigan University’s indoor agriculture
