Economic Development

Mixed-Use downtown developments outperform “big box” developments in tax revenue-per-acre, reports Mary Newsom for Citiwire.net. Newsom explains the results of a recent study in Sarasota County Florida, and what it means for the way we grow our communities.  Click here for the full story.

For many community leaders, neighborhood development can feel like a high-stakes guessing game. A new tool from Chicago’s RW Ventures firm could help end this frustration, by providing a way to strategically analyze urban neighborhoods.

The tool is part of RW Ventures’ 20 year “dynamic neighborhood” study, and will allow development leaders to tap into neighborhood assets, understand their pattern of development, and strategically identify “key interventions to drive change.” The analysis draws on statistical evidence of successful neighborhoods in order to predict which strategies work best for different types of neighborhoods. Armed with this concrete knowledge, neighborhood development can be less like a shot in the dark, and more like a well-timed business decision.

You can read more about the “dynamic neighborhood” project in a recent column by journalist Neil Peirce. Or visit the RW Ventures website for details on the project and how to participate.

As many traditional economic drivers leave our cities, institutions like libraries, colleges, and arts organizations are now the key to supporting vibrant communities.  Given the right leadership and resources, these “anchor” institutions can act as fulcrums of change for leveraging stronger development agendas. 

In order to achieve this goal, institutional leaders across the country are seeking guidance on how to use their own missions to improve their communities.  A new report, released by CEOs for Cities and Living Cities, responds to this call for direction.  How to Behave Like an Anchor Institution presents six case studies of institutions that have successfully become “community anchors, developers and forces of change for their neighborhoods.”

Read more about the project and download the full report by clicking here. 
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Click here to learn more about Partners’ related program, Institutions as Fulcrums of Change, which seeks to initiate changes in the philosophy and programming of community institutions to help them strengthen their communities.

Partners is excited to announce the release of the second volume of the Economics of Sustainability, “The Dollars and Sense of Green Business,” made possible by support from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. This publication is a continuation of Partners’ sustainability agenda and explores the innovation and leadership of 22 chambers of commerce from around the country—true champions of the green economy. To read more about Partners’ Economics of Sustainability initiative, click here.

As part of the Green Plus North American Sustainable Enterprise Awards, the Institute for Sustainable Development and Partners for Livable Communities are collaborating in recognizing a Green Plus Chamber of Commerce. “Over the past year, Partners for Livable Communities has explored how business leaders, faced with the challenge of ensuring the future strength of regional economies and local quality of life, have employed creative new agendas that not only help reverse the effects of environmental degradation but leverage the occasion for valuable economic and social gain,” said Carly Grimm, Program Officer of Partners for Livable Communities. Read more about Partners' Economics of Sustainability program.

The award will recognize chambers of commerce that have an exemplary track record in four categories

1. Regional Leadership: Creating a more sustainable region
2. Assisting their members in improving their triple bottom line
3. Making the Economic case for Sustainability
4. Leading by Example: Chambers that have made their own operations more sustainable

“Chambers of Commerce throughout the country are implementing green business programs, attracting clean industries, and creating green jobs; they are paving the way to the more sustainable and robust communities of the 21st century,” Grimm said. “Partners has now joined forces with the Institute for Sustainable Development to recognize the chamber employing the most innovative and effective green strategies through the Green Plus Chamber of the Year Award,” Grimm concluded.

See more info here.