Challenge Once considered a sleepy college town on the outskirts of the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Metroplex, Denton has experienced extensive growth since the city’s last comprehensive economic development plan in 2003. Since then, City leaders have made investments in the downtown district and an industrial park that put Denton squarely
Challenge The sharp downturn in economic activity precipitated by the global COVID-19 pandemic brought the need for recovery and resiliency planning into sharp relief for communities, regions, and states in 2020. Faced with the immediate need of helping member communities deal with recovery planning from the current economic upheaval, and
Challenge Despite being part of one of the nation’s fastest-growing metropolitan areas, Kaufman, Texas, was falling behind its Dallas-area peers in 2016. An analysis of trends revealed little population growth, a declining supply of housing, and lagging incomes and home values. Commuting patterns suggested the city was neither a stand-out
Challenge Tampa Bay’s strong economic base, high-profile developments, diverse culture, and desirable amenities have made it one of the country’s fastest-growing regions. Guided by its 2017 strategic plan, the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council (TBEDC), formerly the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation, has been instrumental in several regional transformations. Despite
Challenge Covering 14 counties, along with the Saginaw metropolitan area and the sovereign Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan, the East Michigan Council of Governments (EMCOG) region is incredibly diverse in terms of its geography, demographics, and economic base. As a result, EMCOG’s comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) must account
Challenge The Northern Colorado region of Larimer and Weld Counties benefits from years of collaboration among chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, and local governments. In 2019, the two county governments, along with selected towns and municipalities executed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on economic development activities that promote
Challenge The 2016 Delaware Growth Agenda outlined a transformative strategy for reinvigorating The First State’s economic trajectory and implementing a reset of its economic development approach, most notably through the establishment of the Delaware Prosperity Partnership. In the years since the Growth Agenda’s release, Delaware has experienced significant economic growth—on
Challenge Part of the Puget Sound area, Kittitas County was hit hard by the 2008 recession. Like major metropolitan areas across the country, the heavily technology-dependent region saw a steep decline in economic activity as well as vital state funding. County leaders realized that traditional economic development activities centered on
Challenge The events of 2020 highlighted the importance of incorporating resiliency into economic development planning for governments at all levels. For the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum region, the need for recovery and resiliency planning predated COVID-19. Over the past five decades, residents had faced the loss of major employers due to a range
Challenge Bordered by rivers on three sides and the Tennessee state line on the fourth, the Purchase Region of Western Kentucky stands apart. Historically, the region’s fortunes were closely tied to the flow of goods along the inland waterways. In 2010, roughly two-thirds of the US population was within a
