Planning: a Futile Exercise or a Critical Tool for Community Development?
As an urban planner and a former finance consultant, I am always on the look-out for good planning advice. It seems that a lot of planning guidance is inspiring, but rather inconsistent. Burnham’s...
View ArticleSmall Towns, Great Gowns, Big Opportunities
In recent months our Fourth Economy team has been hard at work on several town-gown development projects. It’s time to share a few lessons learned. First, if you live in a smaller town and are...
View ArticleEconomic Development: What I Didn’t Learn in Planning School
I received my Master’s in Urban Planning with a focus on Community Development. I learned a lot about how to design “great places” as the American Planning Association calls them. Characteristics of a...
View ArticleThree Strikes and You’re Out or Still California Dreamin’?
The news out of California so far in 2014 is raising serious questions about the future of the Golden State. Strike 1: The most pressing issue is the drought which is widely impacting a state that is...
View ArticleMakers, Starters, and Youngsters – The Evolution of Pittsburgh’s Workforce...
As chairperson of the Workforce Development, Jobs, and Human Capital Subcommittee of the Economic Development Transition Team assembled by our new Mayor, Bill Peduto, I had the opportunity to meet with...
View ArticleMade in [insert state name]
During our projects across the United States this past year, Fourth Economy has come across a number of initiatives for supporting local manufacturers and boosting the local economy. One approach...
View ArticleFourth Economy Helps Launch North Dakota-Minnesota Regional Action Plan
6 Key Priorities Shape the Economic Development Agenda Regional industry, especially homegrown industry, must be an integral stakeholder in the development of strong and effective regional economic...
View ArticleFEC Projects Impact for One-of-a-Kind Trail Plan: Pike2Bike
There is a potential big deal brewing in the world of trails. The FEC team always challenges our clients to identify their unique value proposition. What sets your community or region apart from all...
View ArticleForget the Smokestacks…Chase the Housing: A Case Study in Smaller City...
It has been a busy year here at Fourth Economy. Many projects have kept us hard at work, traveling across the country and meeting great folks. A theme among these projects has been a growing desire...
View Article9 Themes Identified in Transformed Regional Cities
After hundreds of hours speaking with the leaders of America’s transformed cities, analyzing data until our eyes crossed and summarizing all of our findings in an action oriented report, I am ready to...
View ArticleNational Fourth Economy Community Index Lists Top 10 Mega-Sized Counties for...
Fourth Economy Consulting announces the latest release of its national community index, listing top counties from across the nation. The Fourth Economy Index highlights those communities ideally...
View ArticlePreparing your Local Economy for Climate Change
Many state governments have devoted a great deal of resources over the past decade to mitigating and responding to climate change through energy and urban planning related efforts. Planners and energy...
View ArticleIt’s all About that Base: Baseline Data, Energy Planning, & Economic Development
It’s no secret that the best strategic plans are based on qualitative and quantitative analysis, using this information to determine the best allocation of resources to pursue growth and change. Too...
View ArticleWater Economy Network to Host National EPA Water Technology Innovation...
Fourth Economy continues to be involved in developing and implementing cluster strategies that move beyond the data, focusing more on tangible marketing opportunities for regions across the country....
View ArticleWIA to WIOA – What It Means for Economic Developers
The following guest post is provided by Thomas P. Miller and Associates, a national workforce development consulting firm and partner with Fourth Economy Consulting on numerous projects to align...
View ArticleWorking as a Freelancer
More Americans are becoming freelancers, and enjoying the freedom of working independently and making their own decisions. Various studies predict that over 40 percent of the American workforce will be...
View ArticleFourth Economy Releases 2015 County-by-County Competitiveness Analysis for...
New analysis highlights the economic competitiveness of counties across the Commonwealth. HARRISBURG, PA – Fourth Economy Consulting today announced the release of the 2015 Pennsylvania County...
View ArticleFormer Fourth Economy Client, Bedford County Planning, Advances “Pike2Bike” Plan
This past April, Bedford County (PA) Planning Officials hosted one of several stakeholder tours of the decommissioned Rays Hill and Sideling Hill tunnels – tunnels that formerly served as Pennsylvania...
View ArticleFourth Economy Prepares Economic Plan for Lebanon, PA
After several months of stakeholder engagement and data analysis, the City of Lebanon, Pennsylvania along with hundreds of regional stakeholders came together in May 2015 to release its new economic...
View ArticleNew Investment and Programs Follow Altoona, PA’s Downtown Housing Study and...
At the end of 2014, Fourth Economy in partnership with Pfaffmann and Associates and Fourth River Development Company, completed a downtown housing market study and redevelopment plan for the City of...
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