Introduction There are many places in the American heartland that are ready for investment to translate local expertise, found in existing small and medium sized firms and their skilled workforce, academic research, and nascent stage entrepreneurial companies, into great economic opportunity. And the appropriate role of regional policy evolves as the number of firms increases,… Continue reading Place-Based Economic Development: A Guide for Implementation
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Place-Based Economic Development Toolkit: Omaha Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska is a city with a population of 500,000, approximately one-fourth of the entire state of Nebraska, filled with a rich history of economic development. The city is home to a handful of Fortune500 companies, including Union Pacific Railroad, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and ConAgra Foods. During the twentieth century, it became a hotbed… Continue reading Place-Based Economic Development Toolkit: Omaha Nebraska
Place-Based Economic Development Toolkit: Greenwood Mississippi
Incorporated in 1844, Greenwood thrived as a bustling cotton marketplace throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The town served as a pivotal hub for cotton distribution, establishing crucial connections to major cities like New Orleans, Memphis, and St. Louis. However, as cotton production evolved with mechanization in the mid-20th century, Greenwood’s economic fortunes took a… Continue reading Place-Based Economic Development Toolkit: Greenwood Mississippi
Place-Based Economic Development Toolkit: Central Indiana
Central Indiana offers a perfect example of a region building on its strengths through industry collaboration and civic partnerships. The Central Indiana region is anchored by Indianapolis, the state capital. The 11-county metropolitan area is home to 31% of Indiana’s population (2.14 million in 2022) and generates 39.2% of the state’s total GDP. A pivotal… Continue reading Place-Based Economic Development Toolkit: Central Indiana
Place-Based Economic Development Toolkit: Kansas City Animal Health Corridor
The Animal Health Corridor is in the Kansas City metropolitan region, spanning from Lawrence, Kansas to Columbia, Missouri. The region holds the largest concentration of animal health companies, research institutions, and service providers in the world. The Animal Health Corridor is a powerhouse for animal health and bioscience industries, boasting a significant cluster of companies… Continue reading Place-Based Economic Development Toolkit: Kansas City Animal Health Corridor
Future of the Heartland: Deploying Place-Based Economic Development
Regions across the heartland are leveraging their unique assets and resources to attract federal investments and innovative cross-sector partnerships. Here are introductory slides used in a session at the Heartland Summit called Future of the Heartland: Deploying Place-based Economic Development where experts shared ways regions can consider physical and human infrastructure needs to coordinate action and investment… Continue reading Future of the Heartland: Deploying Place-Based Economic Development
Maternal Health: Accessibility, Affordability & Quality
The U.S. currently has the highest rate of maternal deaths of all high-resource countries and is the only country in the group where maternal mortality has risen in the last 20 years. As a country and a heartland region, we must protect our children, families and moms. Heartland Forward is currently researching the accessibility, affordability… Continue reading Maternal Health: Accessibility, Affordability & Quality
Exploring the Impacts of AI in Heartland States
Heartland Forward knows that regions matter. Taking an aggregate view of any change to the U.S. economy masks the opportunities and challenges faced by regions both rural and urban, as well as some states. It is tempting to think from a national or international angle about such shifts, but it is largely state-level leaders whose… Continue reading Exploring the Impacts of AI in Heartland States
Heartland Has Less to Fear from AI:Evaluating Occupational, Industry and Geographic Exposure
The heartland has less to fear in terms of losing jobs to the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) than other parts of the country — especially some large metro areas along the East and West coasts. Five heartland states — Arkansas, Mississippi, Indiana, Kentucky and Louisiana — are among the least likely to suffer employment… Continue reading Heartland Has Less to Fear from AI:Evaluating Occupational, Industry and Geographic Exposure
Black Business Opportunity Strategy: The Journey of Black Business Owners in Memphis
Acknowledgements Heartland Forward thanks the following organizations, without whom this project could not have been completed: Executive Summary Entrepreneurship is a powerful economic development strategy for communities and regions. But the extent to which entrepreneurs are able to succeed, relies largely on providing individuals with the right tools and environment to pursue their businesses. This… Continue reading Black Business Opportunity Strategy: The Journey of Black Business Owners in Memphis