Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

The Kind Of Solution A Smart City Is: Knowledge Commons And Postindustrial Pittsburgh, Michael J. Madison

Book Chapters

This case study brings new attention to a critical but under-appreciated dimension of so-called “smart” cities: how smart city governance builds and relies on institutionalized sharing of data, information, and other forms of knowledge across all sectors of public administration. Those smart city practices are referred to here as knowledge commons and systematized using the Governing Knowledge Commons (GKC) research framework. That framework extends and modifies Ostrom’s research tradition as to community-based resource governance. As with other GKC-focused research, this work relies on a qualitative case study. It draws a detailed, context-specific portrait of a smart city as knowledge commons …

Webinar: Economic And Business Outcomes Of Bicycle And Pedestrian Improvements, Jenny H. Liu

TREC Webinar Series

The National Street Improvements Study, conducted by PSU in conjunction with PeopleForBikes and consulting firm Bennett Midland, researched the economic effects of bicycle infrastructure on 14 corridors across six cities — Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Memphis, Minneapolis and Indianapolis. The study found that improvements such as bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure had either positive or non-significant impacts on the local economy as measured through sales and employment. In this webinar, lead researcher Jenny Liu will share the results of the investigation and the unique methodology for investigating these economic outcomes.

This webinar is based on a study funded by the …

Understanding Economic And Business Impacts Of Street Improvements For Bicycle And Mobility – A Multicity Multiapproach Exploration, Jenny H. Liu, Wei Shi

TREC Final Reports

Many cities across the country, as part of Complete Streets initiatives or to promote community livability and environmental sustainability, have engaged in street improvement or transportation infrastructure upgrade projects that increase access and mobility for pedestrians and bicyclists through a reduction of on-street parking or traffic lanes. With various transportation modes competing for scarce resources (including right-of-way and transportation funding), city planners and transportation agencies often struggle with how to justify these infrastructure investments for non-motorized modes such as bicycling and walking, particularly when driving is still the predominant mode of transportation in most cities. There is a vital need …

Planning For Industrial Land And Industrial Jobs: An Evaluation Of New York City's Industrial Business Zone Program, Jennifer Davis

Masters Theses

In recent years, industrial preservation policies, which aim to preserve urban industrial activity and industrial employment often through the preservation of industrial land, have emerged as a flashpoint in cities across the country that have implemented these policies. While critics contend that industrial preservation policies amount to smokestack chasing in “post-industrial” cities like New York City, industrial preservationists argue that such policies help to preserve well-paying, middle-class jobs and thus represent a tool to mitigate rising income inequalities in cities. Despite considerable attention to these policies, minimal research has evaluated the effectiveness of industrial preservation policies as land use and …

The Intentional City: Shaping London’S Urban Future (Event Transcript), Zack Taylor

Centre for Urban Policy and Local Governance – Publications

Edited transcript of remarks made at a public roundtable celebrating the launch of the Centre of Urban Policy and Local Governance held at Western University on November 23, 2018. Participants included Pierre Filion, Professor in the School of Planning at the University of Waterloo and an expert in mid-sized cities; Arielle Kayabaga, Councillor-Elect for City of London’s downtown Ward 13; Michelle Baldwin, Executive Director of London’s Pillar Nonprofit Network and Co-Founder of Innovation Works; John Fleming, Managing Director of Planning and City Planner for the City of London; and Neil Bradford, Professor and Chair of …

The Intentional City: Shaping London’S Urban Future, Zack Taylor

Centre for Urban Policy and Local Governance – Publications

Summary of remarks made at a public roundtable celebrating the launch of the Centre of Urban Policy and Local Governance held at Western University on November 23, 2018. Participants included Pierre Filion, Professor in the School of Planning at the University of Waterloo and an expert in mid-sized cities; Arielle Kayabaga, Councillor-Elect for City of London’s downtown Ward 13; Michelle Baldwin, Executive Director of London’s Pillar Nonprofit Network and Co-Founder of Innovation Works; John Fleming, Managing Director of Planning and City Planner for the City of London; and Neil Bradford, Professor and Chair of the …

The Economic Impact Of City-County Consolidations: A Synthetic Control Approach, Joshua Hall, Josh Matti, Yang Zhou

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

Although more rapid development is a primary motivation behind city-county consolidations, few empirical studies explore the impact of consolidation on economic development. No studies look at government consolidation in the United States using modern causal inference methods. We use the synthetic control method (SCM) to examine the long-term impact of city-county consolidations on per capita income, population, and employment. The results from the three cases explored indicate that consolidation does not guarantee development and actually can have negative effects. Additionally, consolidation can deepen the urban-rural divide by accelerating the decline of rural populations relative to those of urban areas. The …

The Unmaking Of An Embargo: How Policy Entrepreneurs At The Individual, State, And National Levels Are Creating New Paths For Policy Change In Modern United States-Cuba Relations, Kyle C. Griffith

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the Cold War antagonisms of the twentieth century, the United States (US) championed greater global economic cooperation and an embrace of free market principles to encourage economic growth. Post World War II, passage of the Bretton Woods Agreement institutionalized this political agenda effectively establishing the rules of global commerce. The result has been increased economic participation and trade liberalization. One of the last remaining vestiges of Cold War hostility and impediments to trade is the US economic embargo of Cuba, in place since 1960. Increasingly seen as a policy failure, the US has taken steps in the past two …

Identifying High Demand Occupations And Understanding The Needs Of Northeast Ohio Manufacturers: Focus Group Summary Report, Ziona Austrian, Kathryn Hexter, Molly Schnoke

Kathryn W. Hexter

While the current economic climate is challenging, it provides an opportunity to assess critical workforce and talent issues facing the manufacturing community. In March 2009, Dr. Joel Elvery of Cleveland State University’s Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs released the Employment and Wage Trends of Manufacturing Occupations in the Cleveland-Elyria PMSA analysis. The analysis identified occupations that appear to be “pain-points” for employers - or open positions that are hard to fill and thus, in high demand.

Remix Cleveland- The Cleveland Music Sector And Its Economic Impact - Executive Summary, Iryna Lendel, Sharon Bliss, Candice Clouse, Merissa Piazza, Ziona Austrian, Kathryn Hexter, Renee Constantino, Matthew Hrubey

Kathryn W. Hexter

This study was commissioned by the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC)as a starting point for gaining a deeper understanding of the different sectors of the Cleveland arts scene in Cuyahoga county. Its objective is to understand the Cleveland Music Sector, delineate its components, learn its dynamics, and assess the economic impact of music events and venues in Cuyahoga county.

Remix Cleveland: The Cleveland Music Sector And Its Economic Impact - Full Report, Iryna Lendel, Sharon Bliss, Candice Clouse, Merissa Piazza, Ziona Austrian, Kathryn Hexter, Renee Constantino, Matthew Hrubey

Kathryn W. Hexter

No abstract provided.

Northeast Indiana Entrepreneurial Opportunity Survey Analysis, Ziona Austrian, Merissa Piazza, Eli Auerbach, Sunjoo Park, Joan Chase

Ziona Austrian

This survey report is associated with "Northeast Indiana Regional Analysis: Demographics, Economy, entrepreneurship and Innovation"

Northeast Indiana Entrepreneurial Opportunity Survey Analysis, Ziona Austrian, Merissa Piazza, Eli Auerbach, Sunjoo Park, Joan Chase

Ziona Austrian

This survey report is associated with "Northeast Indiana Regional Analysis: Demographics, Economy, entrepreneurship and Innovation"

Community Development Analytics: From Data To Decisions For Boston Main Streets, Michael P. Johnson Jr., Sandeep Jani

Michael P. Johnson

A successful Main Street organization should be able to identify community strengths and deficits, to formulate a range of potentially effective local initiatives for economic and neighborhood development, to implement select initiatives using the best mix of volunteer and paid resources, to share data and best practices among all Boston Main Street districts, and to communicate project progress and outcome measures with the Office of Business Development. This project seeks to help Boston Main Street DIstricts operate more effectively by articulating values, identifying performance metrics and choosing decision opportunities. We present preliminary study results from a survey of Boston Main …

Louisiana's Water Innovation Cluster: Is It Ready For Global Competition?, Stephen C. Picou

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The rapid growth of Louisiana's coastal restoration science and technology assets is paralleled by the growth of business resources to fulfill myriad project needs. Many institutions and organizations in Louisiana seek to further develop the state's research, education, engineering and related restoration assets into a globally competitive set of industries with exportable expertise and products that help the state capitalize on its water challenges. Globally, similar efforts are identified (and often branded) as water technology innovation clusters (or more simply water clusters). This paper explores the phenomenon of the development of water clusters by public-private partnerships and initiatives, nationally and …

The “Community Entertainment District” Designation As A Tool For Urban Redevelopment In Cincinnati, Ohio, Whitney Mcintyre Miller, Julie Cencula Olberding

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Many urban neighborhoods in the United States have experienced an exodus of businesses. Their Main Streets—once consisting of bustling restaurants and stores—are now marked by “for rent” signs and boarded windows. Some community leaders have given up, but others are actively trying to bring businesses back. In Cincinnati, Ohio, several neighborhoods are starting to use the community entertainment district (CED) designation to attract entertainment and arts establishments. This paper presents an evaluation of the implementation and early impacts of the CED in one neighborhood, which may be insightful to leaders in other urban areas in Ohio and beyond.

Connecting People And Place Prosperity: Workforce Development And Urban Planning In Scholarship And Practice, Greg Schrock

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

In recent years, the field of workforce development has emerged as a distinct area of policy and practice. While planning scholars have begun to engage with the workforce development field, its relevance and points of connection to planning scholarship remain underexplored. This article attempts to define the workforce development field by articulating its core concerns as well as its domains of practice and scholarship outside the planning field. The article locates workforce development within three stands of planning scholarship, concluding that workforce development represents an important bridge for planners between “place” and “people” prosperity within communities.

Minority Participation In Technology Based Growth Industries In Northeast Ohio, Merissa Piazza, Elorm Tsegah, Ziona Austrian, Ellen Cyran

Ellen Cyran

No abstract provided.

Manufacturing Brief: Trends In Manufacturing Industries In Northeast Ohio, Ziona Austrian

Ziona Austrian

No abstract provided.

Northwest Indiana Entrepreneurial Opportunity Survey Analysis, Ziona Austrian, Merissa Piazza, Eli Auerbach, Sunjoo Park

Ziona Austrian

This survey report is associated with "Northwest Indiana Regional Analysis: Demographics, Economy, entrepreneurship and Innovation"

The Role Of Colleges And Universities In Neighborhood Real Estate Development, Jill Norton, Ziona Austrian

Ziona Austrian

No abstract provided.

The Nasa Glenn Research Center: An Economic Impact Study, Ziona Austrian, Adina Swirski Wolf

Ziona Austrian

This study describes the impact of GRC on the State of Ohio and on Northeast Ohio, where GRC is located. Northeast Ohio includes the eight counties in the Akron and Cleveland metropolitan areas.1 This report is an expansion and update of an earlier study, published in February 1996.2 As before, this study employs two methods to determine GRC’s influence on the state and local economies. The first method uses quantitative models to estimate the effect of GRC on the studied economies. These models measure economic impact in terms of growth in total output, household earnings, and number of new jobs …

Manufacturing Brief: Trends In Manufacturing Industries In Northeast Ohio, Ziona Austrian

Ziona Austrian

No abstract provided.

What Works In Economic Development Practice? An Evaluation Of Strategies & Tools, Ziona Austrian, Jill Norton

Ziona Austrian

What Works in Economic Development reviews evaluation literature relevant to economic development strategies. While economic development programs are difficult to evaluate, the literature reveals important information about the level of success achieved by various programs. It also demonstrates how positive results can be realized. A “what works” matrix follows the review of the evaluation studies. The matrix highlights the significant findings and key lessons that can be learned from this work.

New Establishment Dynamics: Business Formation And Survival Trends In Ohio, Afia Yamoah, Ziona Austrian, Joel A. Elvery

Ziona Austrian

The Ohio New Establishments Dynamics data (O-NED) is a new data set, developed by the College and Center. O-NED tracks employment and number of establishments for establishments that first started employing people between the 2nd quarter of 1997 and the 1st quarter of 2008. The report “New Establishment Dynamics: Business Formation and Survival Trends in Ohio” summarizes how trends in employment growth and establishment survivorship differ across sectors of the economy and various regions of Ohio. This new data set allows us to analyze the number of establishments born in a specific year called “birth cohort” and document their survival …

The Role Of Csu's Eda University Center (Presentation), Ziona Austrian

Ziona Austrian

No abstract provided.

Regional Dashboard Of Economic Indicators 2008: Comparative Performance Of Midwest And Northeast Ohio Metropolitan Areas, Ziona Austrian, Afia Yamoah, Iryna Lendel

Ziona Austrian

This report describes the findings from the third study of Dashboard indicators using the framework that was developed in the previous two studies. The framework resulted in a set of indicators that explains the dynamics of regional economic growth for large and mid-sized metropolitan areas in the United States. The objective of this study is to continue monitoring the performance of Northeast Ohio metropolitan areas over time and in comparison to other metropolitan areas across the United States.

Northwest Indiana Regional Analysis: Demographics, Economy, Entrepreneurship And Innovation, Ziona Austrian, Merissa Piazza, Eli Auerbach, Sunjoo Park

Ziona Austrian

This report is associated with "Northwest Indiana Entrepreneurial Opportunity Survey Analysis"

The Information Technology Cluster In Northeast Ohio: A Briefing Paper, Ziona Austrian

Ziona Austrian

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Northeast Ohio Central Cities In The Regional Economy, 2000-2007, Ziona Austrian, Candice Clouse, Eric J. Mundy, Frank Akpadock, Thomas Jr. Finnerty, John R. Bralich

Ziona Austrian

This report examines the four central cities in Northeast Ohio – Akron, Canton, Cleveland, and Youngstown — in the context of their metropolitan areas. A central city is the largest or most important city of a metropolitan area. A metropolitan area combines a large city with adjacent urbanized areas and peripheral areas that are closely bound to the center with strong ties to commuting, commerce, and a common labor market.