Economic Development

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MAPC

Promoting Smart Growth & Regional Collaboration

Building a more resilient economy in our region.

In 2021, MAPC Economic Development team is focused on advancing an equitable economic recovery and building economic resilience. In partnership with leaders in government, the private sector, non-profit organizations and academic institutions, the team is committed to providing comprehensive plans and capacity-building support based on up-to-date research. Together, we’re working to ensure that the recovery from COVID-19 addresses root causes of inequality and builds the ability of individuals, communities, and the region as a whole to respond to future economic disruptions.

Our work is guided by our Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, created in 2020 and released in January 2021. It serves as a blueprint for economic recovery in the region and focuses on increasing racial equity, economic resilience, and climate resilience in the region.

All of our work is based on research on existing conditions, current and future trends and best practices.

Questions?

To learn more about MAPC’s Economic Development services, please contact Betsy Cowan, Chief of Economic Development at bcowan@mapc.org.

our work

MAPC provides assessment and planning services to communities of all types, engaging stakeholders, identifying economic development opportunities, and developing strategies that address the interconnected nature of economic development, housing, and transportation.

Our development services are rooted in unmatched knowledge of the history, culture, and challenges of each of MAPC's 101 cities and towns and understanding of each community’s unique strengths, challenges, and concerns. We take a smart-growth based, multidisciplinary approach to help shape policies and plans that promote more opportunities for all.

COVID-19 Response and Recovery

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically, and possibly permanently, altered traditional economic systems as we know them - in the MAPC region and across the globe. MAPC's economic development team has helped our cities and towns respond in real time to the changes and challenges brought on by COVID-19, developing small business, unemployment, and digital access response plans; working on public health workforce development; and helping cities and towns repurpose street space to accommodate increased walking, biking, dining, and retail.

Community, municipal, and regional economic planning initiatives and downtown revitalization plans will be essential to recovery and resilience in our communities, and our team is ready to help our region respond.

Economic Development Planning

Our team digs into your community’s demographic and economic trends, current business landscape, and current practices to create goals and implementation steps to improve economic development in your community. Given the connection between economic development, housing and transportation, we develop strategies that prioritize and support community development, including community investment in housing, small and large businesses, workforce development and transit access.

Small Business Support Plans

Our team can help you understand the needs of small businesses in your community through a deep dive into existing conditions and interviewing/surveying small business owners. We’ll then create a plan for how you can support small businesses in your community through policy changes, financial assistance, and other programs.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we worked on COVID-specific support plans. Read more here.

Closing the Digital Divide

MAPC believes that municipalities have a key role to play in ensuring universal digital access via computing devices, digital literacy trainings, and reliable, and fast internet infrastructure. We’re working with cities and towns and municipal stakeholders on assessing what’s needed to close the digital divide and how to make that happen.

Unemployment Reponse Plans

Where can municipalities get unemployment data? What systems should cities and towns have in place to assist their residents? How can municipalities work with career centers? If an official is contacted by an employer who's hiring, what should they do? Many municipalities aren’t connected with the local career centers and other resources to help unemployed residents. MAPC can help evaluate the needs and resources in your city or town and develop an action framework for economic security.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we worked on COVID-specific unemployment plans. Read more here.

Workforce Development Strategies

Our team can help your municipality create a comprehensive strategy to develop a local workforce to support growing industries.

Zoning to Encourage Economic Development

Looking to create a bustling business district in an old industrial area? Attract office parks? Introduce new types of businesses to your community? Our team can help you rewrite zoning—for a parcel, neighborhood, or business district—that encourages economic growth. Given that zoning changes are done to achieve broader goals and given the importance of housing and transportation for economic development, our team will work with you to determine the appropriate zoning to meet those goals.

MAPC serves as the region’s Economic Development District (EDD), designated by the federal Economic Development Administration (EDA). As part of our work as an EDD, we assist municipalities in their efforts to secure funding from the EDA for a wide range of projects. To discuss funding opportunities, please contact Raul Gonzalez at rgonzalez@mapc.org.

As part of our work as an EDD, MAPC creates a regional economic development strategy every five years. This serves as a guide for the economic development activities of MAPC.The strategy design process offers a unique chance to evaluate current conditions that affect the economy and create strategies that capitalize on the region’s strengths and opportunities, address internal weaknesses, and minimize external threats to equitable economic development.

For the 2020-2025 CEDS, the compound national crises of COVID-19 and environmental disasters, and the continuing crisis of racial injustice, spurred the creation of a regional strategy with resilience and racial equity at its core.

2020-2025 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy

2020-2025 CEDS Vision

The Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for the MAPC region for the next five years is built on the following vision:

The region will be:

More equitable, with opportunities for people of all backgrounds, particularly BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color), and those in other marginalized groups to enjoy a high quality of life and to create, build and pass on wealth to future generations through living wages, high-quality public education, ownership of real estate, businesses, and other assets.
More resilient, with the increased capacity and infrastructure necessary to withstand public health, economic, and climate shocks through diversification of the economy, increased collaboration, support for the most vulnerable to address disparate impacts and ensure equity and proactive care for the environment.
More interconnected, with decreased distance between homes and places of employment, enhanced transit options that provide for more efficient travel, and digital access for all.

We will achieve this through:

Proactively developing collaborative partnerships with a range of stakeholders from the public, non-profit, and private sectors, in suburban and urban communities, with a focus on coalition building and movement support.
Building the capacity of MAPC and our partners to acquire tools and address barriers to advance racial equity, economic resilience, and climate resilience in the region.
Conducting analysis of both traditional data sources and alternative ones, such as data gathered through storytelling, focus groups, lived experiences, and annual evaluation of the CEDS implementation process.

Summary of Goals and Strategies

Goal 1: Residents of the region achieve financial stability in order to withstand three to six months of economic hardship.

Provide effective workforce development supports and address barriers to quality employment for BIPOC through public-private collaboration and private sector leadership.
Increase protections against predatory lending and expand access to financial services and education through partnerships with financial institutions and partners in the financial technology sector.
Provide publicly funded income enhancements for those earning less than a living wage and support reduction in household expenses.

Goal 2: There is increased parity between the wealth of BIPOC and White people in the region.

Expand access to stable housing for BIPOC.
Build the resiliency and stability of businesses owned by BIPOC.
Strengthen community-driven economic systems.
Explore and advance tax reform to address systemic inequity.

Goal 3: Everyone in the region is able to access jobs, goods, and services close to their homes via affordable transportation options, with shorter commutes and fewer transfers.

Enable the production of affordable housing near employment centers and transit nodes.
Expand digital access to enable remote work and learning.
Provide access to affordable, safe, and accessible transportation options.

For the full goals and strategies, read the full 2020-2025 Comprehensive Economic Development plan.

Parking Spillover

January 18, 2010