REDUCING SYSTEM BIAS AND SPECIFICATION ERROR IN MICRO-IMPLAN

Community/Rural/Urban Development,

The Economics of Primary School Closings: A Cost Analysis

Because of declining demands for a number of urban public services, public officials have had to make difficult adjustments towards more efficient levels of these services. One such adjustment of very great concern has been the modification of education services in response to declining enrollments. This study investigates the impacts of changing enrollments, enrollment scale, capacity utilization, and age of schools on per student instructional costs and per student cost of land and buildings. The resulting model has been estimated for Duluth, Minnesota primary schools and these regression estimates provide a good explanation for per student instructional costs. The residuals for the per student instructional costs are also examined. These residuals provide an important source of information for making managerial decisions regarding service levels since they indicate which schools are performing above or below cost norms

Consistent Forecasting for the 1980\u27s in State Iron Industry Development

A large-scale model, SIMLAB, was used to project the iron ore industry through the decade of the 1980\u27s for the state of Minnesota. This forecast shows that past trends in the industry are unlikely to continue through 1990, although output is seen to increase slightly during this period. Future studies will deal with different development scenarios to estimate the impacts of alternate future assumptions from this baseline trend analysis

Economic Impact of an Air Base On the Duluth-Superior Region

The economic impact of the Duluth Air Base on the Duluth-Superior Growth Center was measured using an input-output table . A review of the impact results shows significant effects of the base on the area\u27s industrial structure. A review of the results also shows the importance of the indirect effects in assessing the total impact on the region

WATER USE COMPONENTS OF A REGIONAL ACCOUNTS AND SIMULATION SYSTEM

Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Northeast Minnesota Industry Cluster Study

Saint Paul: University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, and Bureau of Business and Economic Research University of Minnesota-Duluth.This major study explored factors contributing to the economic competitiveness of northeastern Minnesota communities and counties. It has a strong focus on economic and industrial development. The study focuses on four “clusters”: forest products, tourism, health services and information technology. The first two clusters are assumed to require an adequate supply of water, and are assumed to greatly influence the quality and quantity of water available for multiple uses. Summary: "This regional study sought to understand the issues shaping the competitiveness of Northeast Minnesota’s industry clusters. The study follows the Michael Porter 'industry cluster' approach to understanding competitiveness. The project identified four clusters for the region: 1) forest products, 2) tourism, 3) health services, and 4) information technology. Focus groups and individual interviews with local business leaders and economic development professionals offered insight into the industries. The study region encompassed a twelve-county area of northeastern Minnesota that centered on the city of Duluth (St. Louis County). Also included are Aitkin, Carlton, Chisago, Cook, Isanti, Itasca, Kanabec, Koochiching, Lake, Mille Lacs, and Pine Counties.