In this issue: Creating inclusive development, the impacts of gentrification, retooling cities, and why American men are leaving the workforce. No Images? Click here
IEDC conference session proposal deadlineThe International Economic Development Council (IEDC) 2017 Annual Conference is taking place in Toronto, ON, from September 17th to 20th, 2017. The IEDC is inviting you to submit session proposals for the conference that address trends and topics reflective of the organization's diverse membership. The deadline is November 18th. Innovative solutions to retool citiesThe Manhattan Institute has released its latest study on the challenges facing American cities. The first, The Next Urban Renaissance, was released in 2015. Its new report, Retooling Metropolis, focuses on how social media, markets, and regulatory innovations can make cities more livable. The four essays cover bi-directional data flows and collaboration between private firms and cities, the right price of street parking, the use of micro units, and improving the way cities contract services. Each of these offers interesting examples of ways cities are overcoming their challenges. The exploration of parking, for instance, looks at a better way for cities to manage their on-street parking. In 2012, an International Parking Institute report found that roughly 30% of cars circulating in a city at any given time are looking for parking spots. A new approach that has been implemented in San Francisco’s new SFpark system could change that. Following SFpark’s switch to a metered rate based on parking demand within an area, the city saw a 50% decline in the number of cars circling for a spot, with drivers finding spots five minutes faster. On the issue of affordable housing, the collection suggests more aggressive permitting of microunits, apartments that are smaller than conventional studios. Permitting microunits allows for more housing units to be created within the physical floor area that is currently allowed. More permissive zoning, including lifting bans on microunits, increasing the minimum-unit size, or altering density caps, will alleviate some of the housing-related issues in cities across the US. These innovative solutions provide municipalities with the opportunity to confront critical issues facing their residents, visitors, and businesses, directly impacting the economic potential of cities. Gentrification: Improvement or displacement?When tasked with redeveloping community neighbourhoods and revitalizing downtown centres, economic developers can face concerns about gentrification. As Richard Florida explains, gentrification is either the “colonization of poor, minority neighborhoods by affluent whites” or is nothing more than the “natural process of neighborhood transformation and change”. However, as a new study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia highlights, the effects of gentrification are more complicated than we generally think. The study, Gentrification and Residential Mobility in Philadelphia, uses detailed new data on the economic condition of residents to provide a closer look at the overall effects of gentrification on neighborhoods and residents. The study found that gentrification didn’t result in a higher rate of residents moving out compared to other neighbourhoods. But, gentrification was found to divide cities into areas of concentrated advantage and disadvantage as median household incomes would increase in gentrifying neighbourhoods but decline in non-gentrifying neighborhoods. Ultimately, the study finds that gentrification hits the least advantaged and most economically vulnerable hardest. Although residents who are the most vulnerable are not more likely to leave their gentrifying neighbourhood, they are much more likely to end up in lower-income neighborhoods with more crime and schools with fewer resources when they do move. For economic developers, it’s important to recognize all of the potential impacts of downtown revitalization and neighbourhood redevelopment. This means working with local governments and stakeholders to improve the living conditions and economic opportunities for those that are most vulnerable. Company CornerBuilding sector strategy capacity in TorontoTrudy Parsons was recently invited to participate as a guest faculty member at the Toronto Sector Skills Academy. Established by the Metcalf Foundation in partnership with the Aspen Institute, the program aims to equip community, workforce development, and government leaders to “grow, strengthen, and sustain” sector strategies in the Toronto region. Sector strategies are workforce development approaches focused on specific industries with the goal of supporting business competitiveness while improving employment opportunities for low-income workers. Closing the skills gaps that help workers access better jobs or improving the quality of low-wage jobs are two recognized streams to achieve this outcome. Trudy was joined by Leslie Hirsch, Director of the NYC Labor Market Information Service, City University of New York Graduate Center. Trudy and Leslie spoke on the importance of Labour Market Information, how to access it, and how it can be integrated into strategic-thinking and programming. The program, which is the first of its kind in Canada, builds on the leadership development model created by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program in 2005. Out & AboutNovemberBrock Dickinson will be teaching a course on “Neighbourhood Economic Development Strategies” for the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) in Toronto, ON, on November 18th. Trudy Parsons will be speaking at the University of Waterloo's Year 3 session on November 22nd. DecemberTrudy Parsons will be at the US National Governors Association (NGA) for a Discussion on Innovation and Skills on December 6th. JanuaryTrudy Parsons will be attending the Cannexus conference taking place in Ottawa, ON, from January 23rd-25th. Brock Dickinson will be the keynote speaker at the Ontario Ministry of Advanced Education & Skills Development Central Region All-Staff Meeting in Toronto, ON, on January 19th. He will be speaking on the topic of “Building A Culture of Innovation.” Survey InvitationHave you taken the survey on the establishment of a pan-Canadian, grassroots workforce development forum? Share your thoughts on a Canadian Workforce Development Forum. Employment Development IndexOctober 2016Our Employment Development Index is a visual representation of changes in regional employment figures over time. Visit the Employment Development Index archives for previous editions. |