ED Now

Young Smart & Local (YSL), a groundbreaking national network dedicated to fostering diverse talent through attraction, inclusion, development, and retention, will host its third annual conference November 13–15 in New Orleans. This three-day event has become a valuable platform for leaders from various sectors to collaborate and share insights and best practices. Launched with a national conference in Philadelphia in 2019, YSL has rapidly grown to encompass more than 900 professionals in economic development, city government, higher education, and business. Co-founded and managed by Deborah Diamond, former president of Campus Philly, and Cecelia Thompson, executive director of Action Greensboro (N.C.), the network provides a ...

EDA is accepting applications on a rolling basis for the FY 2023 Disaster Supplemental Notice of Funding Opportunity. Grants awarded under the NOFO will address economic challenges faced by communities affected by Hurricanes Fiona and Ian, major wildfires and floods, and all other declared natural disasters that occurred in 2021 and 2022. Funding will help communities devise and implement long-term economic recovery strategies through a variety of construction and non-construction projects. Eligible applicants include Tribal nations, nonprofit organizations, colleges and universities, district organizations of an Economic Development District (EDD), and state, county, and city subdivisions engaged in economic and infrastructure ...

IEDC’s 2022 Annual Conference will be held next month in Oklahoma City. A few of our local conference speakers shared some exciting economic development projects happening around the state.

Cameron Law, EDP, executive director of the Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Sacramento (Calif.) State University, is part of the second cohort of certified Entrepreneurship Development Professionals. IEDC’s EDP credential is designed to build capacity for those supporting entrepreneurship in their communities, and demonstrates the skills and expertise to lead communities through entrepreneurship-led economic development (ELED). Why did you decide to pursue the EDP credential? As an entrepreneurial ecosystem builder, I look at economic development through the lens of entrepreneurship-led economic development. When I learned of the EDP credential, I knew it would bolster my work and also provide me with ...

In recent years, many U.S. colleges and universities have downsized or closed as a result of declining enrollment and financial hardships. Between 2017 and 2020, the number of higher education institutions nationally decreased by 8.7 percent, and experts predict that 500 more could close in the near term. Consequently, more campus real estate is now up for sale, particularly in highly sought after urban areas. While most opportunities involve partnering with a school that will remain open to develop new buildings for additional revenue, there are some institutions selling substantial sections of land or their whole campus. However, despite their attractive locations, many college campuses have historical designations, zoning limits, and ...

IEDC recently held a webinar titled “The Retail Recruitment Opportunity: New Thinking for Successful Attraction in a Changing World.” The speakers discussed how economic developers can best attract new retail establishments to their communities given the latest trends in the industry. Central business district retailers will undergo significant transitions in coming years alongside changes in work culture and the generational makeup of urban areas, according to Michael Berne, president of MJB consulting in New York City. Berne said that the shift to remote work accelerated an existing trend of millennials moving to the suburbs, softening demand for many retailers in city centers. Berne characterized the present moment as a ...

A recent Regional Economic Models, Inc. (REMI) webinar reviewed the economic and environmental impacts of military base closures through the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) system used by the U.S. Armed Forces. The discussion began with an overview of the BRAC system and the economic and environmental impact of the U.S. military. BRAC has been significant in changing the economic climate of a region, and with the Biden administration looking to hit a greenhouse gas reduction target by 2030 and the Department of Defense signaling for an all-electric vehicle fleet by 2035, the impacts could be felt nationwide. For historical context, the webinar analyzed the economic and environmental impacts of the post-Cold War closures of Bergstrom ...

The pandemic amplified the decline in college enrollment: what does that mean for the broader U.S. economy? Undergraduate college enrollment has been trending downward since 2012, but the COVID-19 pandemic further decreased new student enrollment in degree-granting programs. Between 2019 and 2021, the number of students enrolling in college dropped from 15.4 million to 14.4 million, representing a 6.6 percent decline. A wide variety of factors contribute to this enrollment drop. One factor may be virtual education, as many students do not want to attend classes online. Another huge factor has been a favorable labor market and dramatic increase in wages for entry-level jobs. Unemployment is down dramatically from 2020, and many jobs ...