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Journal Article
Habitat III: The Quest for Sustainable Urban Development
People are moving to cities for many reasons, but, in essence, they are moving for economic, educational, and social opportunities. By 2050, the United Nations (U.N.) projects that almost three-quarters of the world?s population will call urban areas home.1 The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that, in the same period, the nation?s population will grow by 80 million people, 60 million of whom are likely to live in urban areas
Journal Article
Anchors Aweigh: Why Do Anchor Institutions Matter?
In many cities, the expectation of civic leadership from a few large corporations headquartered downtown has ebbed. Instead, cities are looking to nonprofit anchor institutions, such as universities, hospitals, and museums, to support economic development and other goals. As Eugenie Birch, co-director of the Penn Institute for Urban Research and one of the panelists at a Reinventing Older Communities session on anchor institutions, put it, ?Universities are the factories of the 21st century.?
Journal Article
Tracking Philanthropic Support for Community and Economic Development: New Research from Two Federal Reserve Banks
How many grants do large foundations direct towards community and economic development (CED) activities? What kinds of activities are supported with these funds? Which metro areas receive the most philanthropic support and which receive the least?1 And why do some metro areas receive more than others? These are the questions that researchers at the community development departments of the Federal Reserve Banks of Philadelphia and Atlanta answer in newly completed research.
Journal Article
Spotlight on Research: The Role of Small Businesses in Commercial Corridor Revitalization
Revitalizing the commercial sector in inner-city neighborhoods that have deteriorated is fraught with issues concerning, among others, the appropriate retail mix and location of establishments, as well as the impact of such efforts on residents and consumers. A key decision is who will serve as the prime mover for the revitalization activities. An article by Stacey Sutton takes a slightly unorthodox view by suggesting that small business owners are underexplored stakeholders who could spearhead a retail restructuring campaign. The following is a summary of the case she makes to support this ...
Journal Article
Equitable Transportation Tools and Publications
The following tools enable users to understand and analyze transportation trends and issues, with an emphasis on equity. The publications provide resources and strategies used in the equitable transportation field. All of these resources have been selected for their broad geographic scope or applicability
Journal Article
Resident Engagement: Effective Strategies for Community Building
Community-building initiatives bring together a number of stakeholders to set goals and implement activities to revitalize neighborhoods. As part of this process, organizations seek ways to incorporate resident input and increase resident engagement. Intermediaries and technical assistance organizations such as the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) provide strategies and best practices to solicit resident ideas and to encourage residents to participate in the process of building a community. According to the LISC Institute for Comprehensive Community Development, ?The work of ...
Journal Article
Urban Education: Models That Work
A good education is a prerequisite for many employment opportunities today. In a weak economy when relatively few new jobs become available, the need for educational preparation becomes even more paramount. In low-income communities where the quality of many schools is dubious, the employment prospects of the attendees are grim. There is an ongoing debate about how to improve schools in these communities in order to enhance education levels and improve job readiness. While the merits of charter schools and the role of vocational-technical schools are being debated, there are some school ...
Journal Article
Spotlight on Research: Early Labor Experiences of Young Men: Underlying Factors and Later Consequences
Unemployment has deleterious effects on the overall health of the economy. Also, unemployment is debilitating to those experiencing it. For young entrants into the labor force, their early employment/unemployment experiences may be especially critical to their later labor market success. Thus, the initial transition-to-work period may foretell future employment status and wages/income. This is a particularly crucial juncture for young minority males who generally experience high rates of unemployment. Conventional wisdom suggests that higher educational attainment plays a prominent role in ...
Journal Article
Federal Reserve Study Finds Evidence of Significant Impact of the Community Reinvestment Act
The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) of 1977 incentivizes depository institutions to meet the credit needs of low- and moderate-income (LMI) people and neighborhoods. Federal regulators periodically examine CRA-regulated depository institutions? (banks, hereafter)1 performance in lending and financial services. Banks? CRA ratings are considered when regulators approve bank mergers, acquisitions, and branch openings
Journal Article
Using Tax-Time Savings Programs to Build Assets
The recent financial crisis and subsequent recession had a debilitating effect on the wealth of many American families. In a report produced by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, it was estimated that household wealth declined 26 percent from its peak in 2007 to the trough in 2009. Not surprisingly, low- and moderate-income (LMI) families, who were already struggling financially prior to the crisis, were among the hardest hit. In 2008, nearly 30 percent of low-income families had zero or negative net worth.