Regional economic connectivity is an economic, workforce, and community development strategy that focuses on industry clusters that are thriving in the broader region and establishing them within under-resourced communities (URCs). To better understand how well and under which circumstances distressed communities benefit from regional economic connectivity, ICIC and SRI examined geographic patterns of industry cluster employment in 181 metropolitan areas using a combination of data analysis and case study evidence. The result of this study is the new report Regional Economic Connectivity: A Strategy to Build Opportunity in Distressed Communities. Findings in the report indicate that URC economic connectivity is more prevalent in small and medium-sized metropolitan areas, suburban URCs, clusters that are highly specialized regionally, manufacturing-based clusters, clusters with low educational requirements for entry-level workers, and lower-wage clusters. The report also indicates a significant opportunity for economic developers and their partners to target asset development and other strategic investments to grow regionally strong clusters in URCs. Read More

In 2016, Austin, Texas was named by CNBC as the number one place in America to start a business. While starting a business in a location such as Silicon Valley typically relies on individual entrepreneurs, venture capital, and large risks, Austin has taken this formula and turned it into a neighborhood activity. Read More

The annual South by Southwest (SxSW) festival, held last month in Austin, is unquestionably a premier event for those in music, media and technology. Read More