National League of Cities Center for Research and Innovation and Northeastern University Kitty and Michael Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy have launched the Economic Development Partnership. This partnership assists cities and towns in attracting and expanding private investment, a sustainable tax base and well paying jobs.
As the nation’s cities and towns continue to face severe fiscal challenges, they are seeking economic development solutions that are more informed, accountable, and effective than ever before.
“The Partnership assists cities in responding to the rapidly changing economic conditions. The systematic approach employed by the program will give communities a leg up in creating a strong foundation for future economic growth and development,” said Ronald Loveridge, mayor, Riverside Calif., and President, National League of Cities.
Communities enrolled in the program are guided through a confidential survey of their relative capacity to compete for private sector investment. The survey is ideally completed by the mayor, together with senior municipal officials and key staff. The city is then provided an assessment report and practical strategies to surmount the “deal breakers” within their control that discourage critically needed private sector investment.
With nearly two hundred questions in the self-assessment, this rigorous examination helps local officials explore their community’s potential in ten assessment categories:
These categories were developed in conjunction with the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties to reflect the private sector perspective on the importance of each factor in their investment decisions. Pilot programs have been launched in nearly 70 cities in the northeast, with great success. Cities have used the program as a guide for re-tooling their development process, to help local elected officials better understand and lead local economic development, to bring together city staff who may not traditionally be involved in economic development and to direct scarce resources for economic development in a coordinated and impactful way.
Specifically, communities enrolled in the Partnership will receive:
Join the Partnership!
The cost to enroll in Economic Development Partnership is one-time fee of $5,000. Members of the National League of Cities receive a 10% discount. To join the Partnership, contact Christiana McFarland, Director, Finance and Economic Development at the National League of Cities, at (202) 626-3036 or mcfarland@nlc.org.
For more information, visit http://www.economicdevelopment.neu.edu/.