Looking Back: Our Top Posts of 2015

In 2015, ICIC’s top blog posts covered a wide range of topics related to urban entrepreneurship and inner city economic development. Our most popular posts included two research infographics and covered a range of topics including food resilience, anchor institutions, cluster development and small business ecosystems. Three of our top posts included:

• A Grocery Store in Every Neighborhood: Boston’s Quest to Eliminate Food Deserts  - Although Boston only has two neighborhoods that officially qualify as food deserts, food availability and affordability varies across neighborhoods. In an infographic and blog post, we examined the dispersion of grocery stores and corner stores in various Boston neighborhoods and compared the prices of several food items in two neighborhoods.
• ICIC’s Small Business Ecosystem Framework - Cities’ small business ecosystems depend on a number of interconnected factors – from economic development authorities to community colleges and other workforce development organizations. If one of these factors is weak or missing, startups or growth may be hindered. In an infographic and blog post, we explain the crucial factors driving small business growth in cities, using Chicago as an example.
• Newark’s Data-Driven Approach to Leveraging Its Anchor Assets - For our 2015 report Creating an Anchored Local Economy in Newark: Recommendations for Implementing a Comprehensive Local Procurement Strategy, ICIC researchers analyzed procurement data from six anchor institutions in Newark. Together, these anchor institutions purchase $27.2 million in goods and services from local businesses every year. We identified areas where this local purchasing could be increased, bringing significantly more money to local small businesses, and offered strategies for implementation.

We look forward to providing further coverage on these topics – and more – in 2016!