Economic Development

Traditional downtowns are dead or dying in many US cities—what’s next for these zones?

COMMENTARY | Developers have overbuilt office and commercial space in US cities for decades. Now, in the wake of pandemic shutdowns, many downtowns face hard choices about the future.

  • By John Rennie Short, The Conversation

A group of US governors promises to install 20 million heat pumps by 2030

And they want to put at least 40 percent of them in disadvantaged communities.

  • By Katie Myers, Grist

County’s advanced mapping tool supports development decisions

Henry County, Georgia, used it to decide where freight facilities should go. But the computer-based tool could be repurposed to help other communities address their hot-button issues.

  • By Chris Teale

Are tax incentives boons or boondoggles?

Though there’s lots of evidence that the economic development tool may not be effective, it is still in wide use. Fortunately, there are ways to control the potential waste of taxpayer dollars.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

Can the future of passenger rail be found between Miami and Orlando?

The debut of Brightline service linking Miami to the central Florida tourist mecca is giving rail advocates hope that passenger rail will gain popularity elsewhere, too.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

‘Who’s going to work there?’: Lawmakers grapple with labor shortages

Affordable housing, reliable child care and available mental health services could be the key for state and local governments desperate to fill vacant job positions in their communities. Lawmakers are finding ways to meet workers' needs through legislation and funding.

  • By Kevin Hardy , Stateline

Analysis: A new approach to defining persistent poverty

COMMENTARY | Switching from using counties to census tracts in order to define persistent poverty may hurt rural communities and their chances when competing for federal dollars.

  • By Keith Wiley and Joe Belden, The Daily Yonder

What happens when high-earners leave cities, taking their spending power with them?

Urban-to-rural migration can shrink a municipality’s tax base, reduce property values and slow new business development, a new report says. Plus, more news to use from around the country in this week's State and Local Roundup.

  • By Molly Bolan

San Jose and the reemergence of the donut city

COMMENTARY | Post-pandemic pressures are compounding stresses cities were already facing, leading to the hollowing out of some American cities.

  • By Mark Davidson, The Conversation

Unless states act soon, the ‘AI rich’ will ‘only get richer’

The industry is currently concentrated in only a handful of places in the U.S. States can change that.

  • By Kery Murakami

The Whole-Home Repairs program is remaking the housing landscape

The landmark initiative is helping Pennsylvanians with costly fixes.

  • By Harrison Cann

‘Loved to death:’ New report says tourism that drives the state’s economy can hurt local cities

When droves of tourists arrive to small communities, the demand for housing, amenities and resources strains the pockets of state and local governments.

  • By Darrell Ehrlick, Daily Montanan
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One small step for man, one giant leap for Pittsburgh

Steel city startups are set to send new tech to the moon. But Pittsburgh’s galactic ambition doesn’t end there. Local and state officials want to play a key part in the future of America’s space exploration.

  • By Chris Teale

Child care costs would fall for low-income families under new rule in government program

The Biden administration plans to strengthen the Child Care & Development Block Grant with easier access and copayment caps for families, along with more payment stability for child care providers.

  • By Chabeli Carrazana, The 19th

Will the new wave of place-based policy leave persistently poor areas behind?

COMMENTARY | As the country’s ultimate left-behind places, these communities persist indefinitely in the shadow of growth and prosperity. A more accurate measurement would change that and lead to better policies.

  • By August Benzow and Kenan Fikri

Building infrastructure using inclusive planning

COMMENTARY | As billions of dollars flow to state and local governments under the infrastructure bill, public officials are responsible for using it to create a fairer economy.

  • By Don Howard

Who wants to live in Tulsa? Turns out, a lot of people.

A relocation incentive program that was fodder for a lot of jokes is thriving, and could be an important economic development tool for other cities.

  • By Molly Bolan

Billions in federal funds to make buildings more energy efficient are in jeopardy

A measure passed by House Republicans would claw back money intended to revise building codes in effort to cut energy use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

  • By Kery Murakami

With $1.4B Investment, Texas Hopes to Sprint to the Front of the Microchip Manufacturing Race

The state will pump the money into microchip research and manufacturing initiatives in an effort to attract new investments, secure lucrative federal grants and create thousands of high-paying jobs over the next decade.

  • By Francisco Uranga, The Texas Tribune

The Debt Deal Casts Doubt on Whether Congress Will Fully Fund the CHIPS Act

The Commerce Department has made available $500 million in its $11 billion effort to create regional technology and innovation hubs in small rural communities across the country.

  • By Kery Murakami

Officials Tout Data Centers’ Economic Benefits

Amazon said its facilities in Virginia paid more than $300 million in taxes last year alone, and local leaders said the campuses contribute to economic development.

  • By Chris Teale