A Typology of Suburban Economic Development Policy Orientations

This article explores variations in economic development goals and orientations among suburban governments and the impact of these on economic development programs. The research was conducted among suburban officials in the Chicago Metropolitan area who responded to a survey in 1987. The results of the survey show that suburbs can be divided into five types based upon their economic development policies: aggressive, regulatory, cooperative, retentive, and reactive. These general policy orientations were found to affect the specific city government staffing, planning, activities, fiscal programs, and regulation related to economic development in the community

Industrial Policy: Federal, State, and Local Response

During the past twenty years, many economists and policymakers have strongly advocated that the United States formulate a national industrial policy to improve the competitiveness of American firms in the global marketplace. These proposals call for both direct and indirect assistance to specific industrial sectors. Some would contend that U.S. industrial policies are being challenged by newer growth theories that shift the focus from the nation as the basic unit of industrial geography to regions and municipalities. There is little argument about the need for industrial policies that tie national, state, and local initiatives together. However, confusion and disagreement exist as to what defines industrial policy and what its appropriate level should be. This article addresses the debate about national industrial policy and state and local responses to industrial policy and offers a summary of key themes in the current literature

If Planning is About Anything, What is it About?

The discipline and practice of regional and town planning is searching uneasily for new directions attendant upon conceptual and empirical developments since the early 1970s. This paper traces the current disquiet, explores contemporary viewpoints and then outlines a prospective focus in terms of processes of wealth creation. It is argued that orientation to this goal would realign planning with other mainstream disciplines such as economics and provide greater clarity to the endeavours of theoreticians and practitioners. The implications of such a move are explored in terms of an approach to the real world of the marketplace

The Role of Government in Economic Development: A Case Study of the Tourism Industry in Bruce County

This paper examines the role of government in economic development based on a case study of the tourism industry in Bruce County involving questionnaires and interviews with key stakeholders. The findings reveal that there can be a proper role for government in economic development and this role is determined by the severity of the economic and social circumstances affecting the community

Attracting Primary Jobs: A Guide for Nebraska Communities

Local economic development can be described as the efforts of community leaders to stimulate business investment and employment to preserve or improve the quality of life in a community. Development objectives are often identified through a formal planning effort, structured public discussion, or other formal and informal processes. Objectives are the specific actions needed to meet broad community development goals. These economic development objectives selected by communities may include diversifying the area economy, increasing opportunities for employment, or expanding the local tax base

Who Benefits from State and Local Economic Development Policies?

Bartik reviews evidence on whether state and local policies affect job growth. He then presents empirical data supporting the intentions of such programs, showing that job growth may lead to a number of positive long-term effects including: lower unemployment, higher labor force participation, higher real estate values, and better occupational opportunities. He also shows that the earnings gains to disadvantaged groups outweigh the resulting increased real estate values for property owners, and concludes by saying that regional competition for jobs may actually be a benefit for the nation as a whole.https://research.upjohn.org/up_press/1093/thumbnail.jp

The Proximate Polity: Exit, Voice, and Space in Local Development Politics

People have the power to change where they live, where they work, where they vote, and where they spend their money. This geographic uncertainty has important implications for the policies cities pursue as it impacts the relative value of local goods provision. In this dissertation I examine how the potential movement of people within metropolitan areas influences developmental goods provision and production. The proximate polity theory begins with the assumption that city officials aim to maximize the economic and political benefits of developmental policies while also minimizing the economic and political risks of policy failure. Accordingly, local leaders strike this balance by anticipating how their policy choices are likely to influence the movement of people in and out of the jurisdiction. In order to make this assessment, public officials must be keenly aware of who resides in nearby cities and also which policies nearby cities are engaging. Because policy consequences do not end at the jurisdiction’s edge, leaders must also pay attention to how their policies will influence the political relationships that exist between themselves and other cities. Using spatial statistics and network analysis tools, I test the theory on a dataset of 15 metropolitan areas across the United States. I then focus in Colorado’s Front Range cities for a closer analysis that includes original survey data, time-space models of development policy over a 25 year period, and a dyadic analysis of intergovernmental developmental cooperation

Journal of the Community Development Society Vol. 23, No. 01

The Journal of the Community Development Society (ISSN 001 0-3829) is devoted to improving knowledge and practice in the field of purposive community change. The purpose of the Journal is to disseminate information on theory, research, and practice. The Editor welcomes manuscripts that report research; evaluate theory, techniques, and methods; examine community problems; or analyze, critically, the profession itself. The Journal is published twice each year