Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Shenandoah Valley Partnership: Growing And Enhancing The Food And Beverage Manufacturing Industry, Justin Williams

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

This plan analyzes how the Shenandoah Valley Partnership can grow and enhance its food and beverage manufacturing industry. To answer this question, I interviewed and surveyed food and beverage manufacturers to understand their business needs, as well as interviewed service providers to identify their relationships with this industry. The four main results from the plan were:

• There is a need for more capital for the businesses.

• There is a labor shortage in the industry.

• The Shenandoah Valley has an excellent distribution location.

• The industry has a poor relationship with the region’s service providers.

The plan outlines recommendations on how institutions …

Moving Cleveland Above The Trend: Retirement Destinations, Iryna Lendel, Molly Schnoke, Madeline M. Frantz

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

A recent report conducted by the Center for Economic Development examined the structural and policy factors of economic growth in mid-sized metropolitan areas (MSAs). The Center used factor analysis as a data-reduction technique to identify five factors influencing mid-sized regional economies: 1) Innovation and Talent, 2) Entrepreneurship in High-Cost Areas, 3) New Residential Centers, 4) Retirement Destinations, and 5) Polarization. These factors were related to changes in regional employment, gross regional product (output), and per capita income. This brief outlines the initial analysis’ primary takeaways related to Retirement Destinations and explores how Cleveland and Northeast Ohio can retain its growing …

Resource Gaps For Minority Entrepreneurs: A Study Of 3 Cities, Merissa Piazza, Iryna Lendel, Shneur Kushner, Jack Yochum

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This study aims to assess minority resource gaps in entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) in three cities across Ohio: Cleveland, Toledo, and Dayton. This report seeks to answer two main research questions: 1) What are the local factors of EEs that drive growth for minority entrepreneurs? And 2) Across three sites in Ohio, what are the gaps in access to different resources for minority entrepreneurs in the ecosystem? This report covers the first year of this project’s findings as the project team engaged with all three region’s ecosystems in 2021.

Urbanization Policy And Economic Development: A Quantitative Analysis Of China's Differential Hukou Reforms, Wen-Tai Hsu, Lin Ma

Research Collection School Of Economics

The household registration system (hukou system) in China has hampered rural-urban migration by posing large migration friction. The system has been gradually relaxed in the past few decades, but the reforms have been differential in city size. We find a striking contrast in migration patterns between years 2005 and 2015; rural people tended to move more to large cities in 2005, but more to small- and medium-sized cities in 2015. We calibrate a spatial quantitative model to the world economy in both years with China divided into rural, mega-city, and other-city regions. We find that alternative urbanization policies that are …

Opportunities For Youngstown In The Supply Chains Of Northeast Ohio And Pittsburgh Economies, Iryna Lendel, Iryna Demko, Georgina G. Figueroa

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The Center for Economic Development at Cleveland State University conducted this analysis to determine opportunities for the Youngstown economy in the supply chains of Northeast Ohio and Pittsburgh economies. Youngstown can account for a greater share of input purchases from the NEO and Pittsburgh regions by focusing on Nonferrous Metal (Except Aluminum) Production and Processing, Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing, and Plastic Product Manufacturing. Youngstown can develop its economic ties with Pittsburgh’s economy in its aspirational sector – Financial Services.

Cooperatives In Ohio’S Economy: Their Contribution And The Impact Of Covid-19, Iryna Demko, Isabella L. Mcknight, Hannah Scott

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

Ohio is home to 452 cooperatives, including some of the largest agricultural co-ops in the country, and is the birthplace of rural electric cooperatives in the U.S. However, prior to this analysis there was little information about the economic impact of those cooperatives on the state’s economy. The research team used various public sources and interviews to gather data on 58 agricultural and food cooperatives and 25 rural electric cooperatives in Ohio. This study found that agriculture, food, and rural electric cooperatives supported an estimated 12,910 full-time and part-time jobs in the state, attained $875 million in labor income, and …

Migration Is Economic Development, Richey Piiparinen, Josh Valdez, Jim Russell

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The sponsor of this analysis, Global Cleveland, is an organization, but global Cleveland is also a reality. Elaborating, when it comes to the task of economic and community development, think of a city as a feather in the wind, or a stick in a rapid of water. Global forces push and pull at places, affecting a city’s relevance, or it’s standard of living. Yet some indicators are better measures of where a city fits into the global order of things than others. This analysis shows that standard measures of “success”, like population size, are relics of a bygone era where …

Pandemic-Related Business Assistance, July 2021, Iryna Lendel, Molly Schnoke, Scott A. Corsi

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The CARES Act is the largest stimulus package passed in the United States to date. On 12/27/2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act was passed, providing $900 billion in stimulus relief for the pandemic. Another 1.4 trillion in spending helped plan the 2021 federal fiscal year. On 3/11/2021, the American Rescue Plan was passed providing an additional $1.9 trillion in economic stimulus to further aid the country through the ongoing pandemic. The pandemic has caused an unprecedented increase in unemployment, the closing or suspension of operations for many businesses, a drastic reduction in the capacity to produce many goods and services, and …

2020 Most Dynamic Micropolitans In The Mountain West, Kelliann Beavers, Katie M. Gilbertson, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Cities & Metros

This fact sheet draws from the “Most Dynamic Micropolitans 2020” report released by Heartland Forward, “an institute for economic renewal […] with a mission to improve economic performance in the center of the United States.” In this report, Heartland Forward offers the Most Dynamic Micropolitan Index to analyze the economies of smaller communities for a total of 515 micropolitan areas nationally. This fact sheet includes information on job growth, annual pay growth, and personal income growth for micropolitan areas in the Mountain West region.

Pandemic-Related Housing Assistance, July 2021, Iryna V. Lendel, Molly Schnoke, Scott A. Corsi

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

On 12/27/2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act was passed, providing $900 billion in stimulus relief. Another 1.4 trillion in spending helped plan the 2021 federal fiscal year. On 3/11/2021, the American Rescue Plan passed providing an additional $1.9 trillion in economic stimulus to further aid the country through the ongoing pandemic. The pandemic has damaged not only health systems, but social and economic systems as well. One effect of COVID-19 has been mass housing instability, which is predominantly due to evictions. Many people have lost their jobs, in part or altogether, due to COVID-19, leaving residents with little income to pay …

Pandemic-Related Business Assistance, February 2021, Iryna V. Lendel, Molly Schnoke, Erica Henrichsen

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The pandemic has caused an unprecedented increase in unemployment, the closing or suspension of operations for many businesses, a drastic reduction in the capacity to produce many goods and services, and a significant reduction of disposable household income. To assist with these economic emergencies, federal, state, and local governments have passed legislation to aid households and businesses, including some programs for nonprofits. This brief groups the actions of all levels of government into four categories: general business support, small business support, industry-specific support, and unemployment benefits for individuals. The subsequent sections offer a summary of each program and a link …

Pandemic Related Housing Assistance, December 2020, Iryna V. Lendel, Molly Schnoke, Erica Henrichsen

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The COVID-19 disease has resulted in a worldwide pandemic. Over 85 million worldwide confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in a single year (2020) with more than 1.8 million of those cases resulting in death. The United States reported over 20 million confirmed cases in 2020 with over 300,000 deaths. This is a public health crisis that has resulted in widespread government response including event cancellations/prohibitions, stay-at-homes orders, the closure of nonessential businesses, and more. Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio declared a state of emergency on 3/9/2020 immediately following the first case reported in the state. On 3/13/2020, President …

Urbanization Policy And Economic Development: A Quantitative Analysis Of China's Differential Hukou Reforms, Wen-Tai Hsu, Lin Ma

Research Collection School Of Economics

The household registration system (hukou system) in China has hampered rural-urban migration by posing large migration friction. The system has been gradually relaxed in the past few decades, but the reforms have been differential in city size and by the coastal-inland divide. We find a striking contrast in the migration patterns between years 2005 and 2015; rural people tended to move more to the coastal urban region in 2005, but more to the inland urban region in 2015. We calibrate a spatial quantitative model to the world economy in both years with China being divided into the rural, coastal urban, …

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 …

Jobless Pandemic: Geography Of Layoffs And Opportunity Zones, Georgina Figueroa, Matthew Ellerbrock, Iryna V. Lendel

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act is a law designed to protect workers against employment losses. Employers are required to provide employees with a 60-day notice in the event of plant closings and mass layoffs. Under normal conditions, WARNs are required in the event of a) Plants closing or stopping operation either permanently or temporarily affecting 50 or more workers; b) Layoffs of 500 or more employees during a 30-day-period or when these layoffs constitute at least a third of the company’s workforce; and c) Temporary layoffs expected to exceed six months, in this case, when a temporary …

Can The Eitc And Unemployment Insurance Replace Lost Wages?, Megan Hatch, Chloe G. White

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant effect on all aspects of social, economic, and political life worldwide. In the United States, millions of people have tested positive for COVID-19, and over 200,000 people have died from the virus. While Ohio’s governor and director of public health have been credited for their quick decision-making in response to the pandemic, Ohio’s communities still suffered, with well over 100,000 cases and thousands of COVID-19-related deaths statewide.

Policymakers aiming to reduce the spread of COVID-19 were forced to make difficult tradeoffs between public health and the economy. On March 23, 2020, Governor Mike …

Moving Cleveland Above The Trend: Benchmarking Regional Performance (Presentation), Iryna V. Lendel

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

About the Study

Model for understanding and predicting economic growth in U.S. mid-sized regional economies similar to Cleveland and NEO

Analyzed structural and policy-based factors and looked for outperformers - what can Cleveland learn about their public policies and programs?

Used a multi-stage process collecting 43 variables associated with regional growth, including educational attainment, business composition, regional assets, and quality of life

The mid-sized regional economies analyzed encompass 135 metro areas, and includes populations spanning from 352,823 to 3.9 million

Used factor analysis as a data-reduction technique to identify factors influencing growth in mid-sized regional economies:

*Innovation and Talent
*Entrepreneurship …

Moving Cleveland Above The Trend: Benchmarking Regional Performance (Report), Iryna V. Lendel, Merissa Piazza, Molly Schnoke, Jinhee Yun, Nora Walsh

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

When analyzing economic development, we must consider both the factors that can be changed through policy and those that cannot. This report includes our model for understanding and predicting economic growth in U.S. mid-sized regional economies to analyze structural and policy-based factors among similar regional economies. Our research used a multi-stage process that involved collecting 43 variables on a variety of topics that are associated with regional growth, such as educational attainment, business composition, regional assets, and quality of life. In total, our mid-sized regional economies encompass 135 metro areas, and includes populations spanning from 352,823 to 3.9 million. We …

A Return To State-Led Integrated Regional Planning? Emerging Approaches From Three U.S. States, Timothy Green, Donovan Finn

School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

After decades of neglect, several U.S. states have increased support for regional development planning, creating new programs, organizations, and funding streams to support it. Analysis of programs in three states (New York, Michigan, and Indiana) shows similarities among them as well as contrasts with prior episodes of state-led regional planning. The new programs deliberately sidestep older regional planning organizations like COGs and RPCs in favor of new organizations with larger roles for the private sector and greater access to public funds. The resulting plans focus on individual projects within a pro-development agenda, but still have potential to coordinate action at …

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 …

Worker-Owned Cooperatives As Urban Economic Development., Nick Conder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the topic of urban policies relating to worker-owned cooperatives, and the political conditions surrounding worker-owned cooperatives in American cities. The topic is studied through a comparison between two case study cities: Cleveland, Ohio and Jackson, Mississippi. Through the collection of public records and interviews with policymakers, analysts, and community activists, this study details the current policy status towards worker-owned cooperatives and the political context for the worker-ownership movement in each city. The study also offers preliminary assessments of existing worker-owned cooperatives and explores the obstacles facing worker-owned enterprises in the selected cities. The findings of the case …

Oil And Gas As A Driver Of The Regional Economy: Updates, Iryna Lendel

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The economic trends in Northeast Ohio (NEO) over the last 20 years are typical of the Midwest region, with a positive increase in output outpaced by the state of Ohio, and the United States. The double recessions of 2001 and 2007-2009 show a deeper output decline in NEO than in comparable Midwest regions and the United States. Traditionally, industries with high regional specialization that have a competitive advantage and drive regional economies are called economic base industries. Groups of Regional Industry Drivers (GRIDs) are part of the economic base of a region. The Oil & Gas GRID accounts for less …

The Nasa Glenn Research Center: An Economic Impact Study Fiscal Year 2018, Iryna Lendel, Jinhee Yun

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

Economic impact estimates the benefits within the regional economy generated by an economic activity of an entity for an affected region. This study uses an input-output (I-O) model to estimate the effect of NASA Glenn Research Center’s spending on the economies of Northeast Ohio (NEO) and Ohio. This model measures economic impact in terms of growth in output (sales), value added (output less intermediary goods), number of new and supported jobs, labor income, and tax revenues.

This year’s study uses the same methodology to measure NASA Glenn’s impact on the economies of Northeast Ohio and Ohio as was used for …

Income Inequality In Nevada And The Southwest Megapolitan Triangle, Yanneli Llamas, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown

Economic Development & Workforce

This Fact Sheet highlights income inequality in Nevada at both the county and metropolitan level. The Tables that follow report disparities in income across 16 Nevada counties, as well as 9 metropolitan areas in the state, as identified by the Economic Policy Institute. To offer a complete comparison, we also present income disparities between the components of the Southwest Megapolitan Triangle: Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA; and Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ.

Coastal Fortresses: A Cross-Case Analysis Of Water, Policy, And Tourism Development In Three Gulf Coast Communities, Kimberly A. Krupa

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

As a result of development pressures and water resource struggles, once rural, spatially segregated coastal commercial fishing villages along the U.S. portion of the Gulf of Mexico are increasingly tourist frontiers for elites and the emergent businesses that cater to them. Over the course of the twentieth century, water events, from coastal land loss to hurricane destruction to natural disaster, have fast-tracked development projects that have allowed for the expansion of the tourism sector, and relaxed policies to encourage bold new economic development initiatives that often put poor coastal communities and their environment in jeopardy. This outcome is not universal …

Disruptive Growth Through Co-Working Industry: Economic Impact Of Potential Real Estate Market Intervention In Cleveland, Iryna Lendel, Merissa Piazza, Iryna Demko, Nick Zingale

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This report reviews the current state of the co-working industry and its potential for growth according to current supply-demand relationships as it relates to larger economic movements and to the regional market for Cleveland, Ohio, and the surrounding area. The report analyzes factors that influence co-working growth and uptake and projects the likely state of the industry in coming years. The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the nature and scope of co-working supply and demand and develops a typology that can identify benefits and approaches for distinct types of co-workers and co-working stakeholders.

Northeast Ohio Front Runners: Groups Of Regional Industry Drivers (Grids) Research Brief, Iryna Lendel, Merissa Piazza, Iryna Demko

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

Wealth-creating industries are the backbone of the regional economy; they contribute to economic growth, personal wealth, and regional competitive advantage. For an economy to stay vibrant and competitive, it is essential to identify these industries so that strategic policies can foster and support regional growth. Three regional groups of drivers were identified in Northeast Ohio (NEO): Professional Services, Growing Legacy Manufacturing, and Oil and Gas. These groups, known as Groups of Regional Driver Industries (GRIDs) were identified using statistical analyses and data-driven insights for 2013 to 2017. GRIDs had strong regional specialization, growing output, rising productivity, and local competitive advantage. …

Analysis Of Spirit Of Charity Innovation District: Community Engagement, Development & Planning, Michelle M. Thompson Phd, Gisp, Adriana Bennett, Ashley Goodrich, Hoang Tao

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

The purpose of this project is to give an overview of history, background, planning process of the Spirit of Charity Innovation District and the upcoming development of the former Charity Hospital Building.

Purpose of content analysis is to evaluate all forms of documents and articles available to see what major themes are discussed and carried out to get a sense of what qualities are the most important in the SCID.

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 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 …