Slow job growth, declining home values, a diminishing tax base, and concentrated poverty are but a few of the growing obstacles for well-established but struggling cities. Challenged by decades of globalization, technological change, and dramatic demographic shifts away from the urban core, these former industrial powerhouses, particularly in the Northeast and Midwest, have been eclipsed by burgeoning American cities with a viable niche in the new economy.In "Retooling for Growth", experts present new frameworks, cutting-edge analysis, and innovative policy solutions for the nation's government, business, civic, and community leaders to sculpt a sustainable and supportable economy for older industrial areas. The unique focus on rehabilitating weak market cities outlines ideas for reshaping the role of public agencies, the workforce, business organizations, and technology. Implementation of these measures addresses challenges such as fostering entrepreneurship, reducing poverty and inequality, and maintaining and augmenting the number of skilled professionals who reside and work in a community, among others.This collection of essays offers practical, achievable strategies for revitalizing industrial areas and building upon the potential of existing, but overlooked resources of economic, physical, and cultural significance. In this important volume, leading authorities provide a thought-provoking analysis of healthy economic development practices for both public and private sectors. It is copublished with the American Assembly.
Forward by Edward G. Rendell and Kenneth D. Lewis
Pt. 1 Frameworks 1
1 Regional Economic Development in Theory and Practice by Richard M. McGahey 3
2 Revitalizing America's Older Industrial Cities: A State Agenda for Change by Jennifer S. Vey 33
3 The Talent Imperative for Older Industrial Areas by Randall Kempner 61
4 Been Down So Long: Weak-Market Cities and Regional Equity by Manuel Pastor and Chris Benner 89
5 Effective Chambers of Commerce: A Key to Regional Economic Prosperity by Stephen Moret and Mick Fleming and Pauline O. Hovey 119
Pt. 2 Analytics 149
6 Understanding Economically Distressed Cities by Harold L. Wolman and Edward W. Hill and Pamela Blumenthal and Kimberly Furdel1 151
7 Placing Labor Center-Stage in Industrial City Revitalization by Ann Markusen and Greg Schrock 179
8 Occupational Clusters, Employment, and Opportunity for Low-Skilled Workers by Mark Turner and Laurel Davis and Andres Cruz 211
9 Manufacturing, Regional Prosperity, and Public Policy by Daniel Luria and Joel Rogers 249
Pt. 3 Policy and Practice 275
10 What Makes a Good Economic Development Deal? by Rachel Weber 277
11 The Reality of Economic Development in Older Industrial Cities; The Practitioner's Perspective by Jeffrey A. Finkle and Shari Garmise and Shari Nourick 299
12 Workforce Development Strategies for Older Industrial Cities; Toward a New Approach by Richard Kazis and Marlene Seltzer 325
13 Promoting Inclusive Economic Renewal in Older Industrial Cities by Angela Glover Blackwell and Radhika Fox 351
14 The Market-Building Potential of Development Finance in Older Industrial Cities by Jeremy Nowak 373
