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Strategic Transportation Investments for Economic Development: Making the Connection Work for You

by Glen Weisbrod
In a world of transformational changes in technology, trade and workforce requirements, business and economic development interests are interacting with transportation planners in new ways.

Open for Business: Industrial Site Readiness

by J. Vann Cunningham
Communities considering development of a new industrial or business park typically face a fundamental dilemma. How much investment is required to make a site competitive in the marketplace or to what extent should a site be developed before a prospect is identified?

Small Business Growth: A New Priority for Urban Economic Developers

by Kimberly Zeuli and Kathleen O'Shea
New research from the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City provides compelling evidence that small businesses rival, and often exceed, the impact of large businesses in terms of providing jobs for local residents. This article provides a snapshot of the share of small business jobs in five cities and outlines a small business growth playbook of five key strategies for city leaders and economic development professionals.

Lessons from the Coal Industry Transition: Regional Economic Adjustment in the 21st Century Economy

by Erik R. Pages
Economic developers and community leaders in Appalachia and in other coal-impacted regions are developing innovative new approaches that are relevant for any region in the midst of economic transformations.

Building Regional Public-Private Partnerships for Economic Growth

How the Arvada Economic Development Association Retained a Large Primary Employer by Assisting in the Expansion of an Industrial Facility
by Ryan Stachelski
The Arvada Economic Development Association realized a successful outcome for one of the city's largest employers by building a regional public-private partnership so that Wanco, a private manufacturer of highway safety and traffic control products, could expand its operation to keep up with demand. The Wanco Retention & Expansion Project won IEDC's Silver Award for Public-Private Partnerships.

Main Street Movement Revitalizes Its Approach: A New Focus on Economic Transformation in Our Downtowns

by Graham Copeland
This article reveals the new changes by the National Main Street Center to its "Four Point Approach" to downtown revitalization. After 35 years of applying this formula in town centers across the country, the national leadership of this grass-roots program launched a "refresh" of the revitalization approach.