Open streets policies put in place by some communities to ease the burden of restrictions on gathering during the COVID-19 pandemic have been extended from temporary solutions to permanent programs. The success of these policies in cities like Houston, Seattle, and Ann Arbor has demonstrated the value of intentionally shaping the built environment to promote social interaction and create vibrant public spaces.
The super-heated housing market that dominated headlines and led to sky-high housing prices during the COVID-19 pandemic has cooled. Yet, higher home prices relative to pre-pandemic levels and reduced affordability have lingered, pointing to a continued housing shortage. The implications for talent and business recruitment and retention make this topic a central concern for economic development practitioners.
Policy Tools to Increase Housing Supply and Improve Affordability Read More
Sustainability is increasingly understood as both an economic and an environmental imperative. In our latest Triptychs post, Rachel Wise looks at three collaborations aimed at raising awareness of sustainability issues such as climate change, creating resilient places and people, and helping leaders make informed decisions about the future.
Triptychs: Meeting Sustainability Needs Through Hubs Read More
Faced with unprecedented environmental challenges, the integration of climate sustainability into economic development planning has increased in urgency for many practitioners. As part of TIP’s work with the City of San Luis Obispo, California, Mishka Parkins gained a first-hand perspective on how this integration can be accomplished and the opportunities a sustainability focus can create.
Sustainability and Economic Development as Mutually Reinforcing Priorities Read More
In the final installment of our series examining the comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS), Elizabeth Scott discusses how the East Michigan Council of Governments used elements of the CEDS planning process to respond to both economic and climate-related upheavals in its 14-county region.
Projected to generate $3 trillion over the next decade, the global blue economy presents vast economic potential. Sustainable practices are crucial to ensuring the long-term health of the ocean ecosystems, coastal communities, and water-related sectors. This blog post explores three innovative North American regions that successfully balance resilience and economic growth.
Triptychs: Driving Innovation and Sustainability in the Blue Economy Read More
Recognizing the resources required to holistically implement its new strategic plan, the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) has taken collaboration and coordination to heart. In addition to integrating the plan’s four pillars and related visualizations into their website, AEDC has created cross-sector working groups to move each pillar forward.
Field Notes: Creating a Collaborative Framework for Implementation Read More
In early June, Jenn Todd-Goynes attended CNU31 in Charlotte, North Carolina. As a member of the Congress for New Urbanism, Jenn is passionate about the role of the built environment and about creating people-centered places. In her recent blog post, she discusses two themes from the conference that have broad implications for community and economic developers.
In partnership with the National League of Cities and the Mid-America Regional Council, TIP Strategies facilitated a day-long summit on July 19, 2019. The focus of the summit was workforce housing in first tier suburbs of Kansas City. The summit brought together approximately 200 local leaders and stakeholders from the region to explore opportunities for building and maintaining workforce housing at a regional scale.
Opportunity Zones (OZs) have been a hot topic for economic developers and investors across the country. As the largest federal economic development investment in over a decade, OZs originally excited economic developers because of their promise to deliver community benefits, but as the market has unfolded, OZs have instead been met with criticism. Shifting the narrative to focus on both economic growth and community inclusion is an important step to ensure that OZs deliver on their potential and promise to strengthen the country’s disadvantaged communities.
To Deliver on Opportunity Zones’ Potential, Return to their Original Premise Read More
