It is a story as old as time. The process can be exhausting in the pursuit of “the one”, and the search can go long and far. While that old story typically refers to love, the same can be said for the relationship between places and economic development. Cities across the country have continually pu … Read more

In April, Rick Morse wrote on this blog about local councils, common purpose, and collaboration, and particularly the role an organized council can play in bringing common purpose to a collaboration. Quoting Mary Parker Follett, an early scholar of organizational behavior, Morse writes that “when pe … Read more

My last post highlighted the potential of promoting entrepreneurship and small business assistance as an economic development strategy.  In order to provide appropriate support for entrepreneurs and small businesses, it is important for public officials and local assistance organizations to understa … Read more

As the U.S. economy struggles to build and sustain momentum in the aftermath of the Great Recession, one strategy that warrants greater attention by policymakers is entrepreneurship development.  As discussed in a previous post, there is some debate about the extent to which new, small firms drive j … Read more

Jonathan Morgan is a School of Government faculty member. This is the first in a series of blog posts focused on the topic of “What Works in Economic Development.”[1] Upcoming posts will discuss the latest information regarding what we know about the effectiveness of various economic development str … Read more

Jonathan Morgan is a School of Government faculty member. A widely cited statistic that is generally accepted at face value is that anywhere from 60 to 80 percent of new jobs are created by small and/or existing firms.  What is the basis for this information?  Is this a well-established fact or mere … Read more

Lisa Stifler is a Research Associate with the Community & Economic Development Program. For many rural communities, economic development efforts over the past couple of decades have often been focused on attracting and recruiting industries and big employers to their towns, counties, or regions. … Read more