Although city leaders are increasingly prioritizing resilience planning in the face of climate change, food systems have been largely left out of the conversation. Our new research finds that natural disasters could create extended food supply disruptions in U.S. cities, especially in neighborhoods with limited food retail options and food insecure populations. Read More

Small businesses are the backbone of urban economies: They play a critical role in creating jobs for local residents. Yet too often city leaders and economic developers are not prioritizing small businesses when allocating resources to drive growth, focusing their strategies instead on the attraction and retention of large businesses. Read More

The success of high-tech accelerators has ignited the creation of similar models around the country hoping to replicate their accomplishments. But their achievements have not come without criticism. Read More

With one-third of our nation’s minority poverty concentrated in our inner cities, and signs of economic insecurity and income inequality everywhere, it’s easy to understand the sense of hopelessness and abandonment that tens of millions feel and are expressing in the streets of America’s cities. Fortunately, there are transformative approaches that are based on the simple and now well-documented premise that our inner cities have distinct competitive advantages. Read More

We invite you to view the new, special issue on inner-city economic development now available in Economic Development Quarterly (EDQ), a peer-reviewed journal based at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. Read More