Economic Development in Local Government

Since the late 1970s, Congressional legislation has prompted officials to develop inducements to entice new businesses to their communities. These economic development incentives often include land subsidies, low interest financing, flexible zoning laws and infrastructure improvements. The 37 articles in this work, written by some of the leading experts in the field, examine all aspects of economic development, including a general introduction and information on how to staff various economic development organizations. The application of public-private partnerships is covered in depth, primarily using case studies of success stories.

Roger L. Kemp, Ph.D., ICMA-CM, has been a city manager on both the East and West coasts for more than 25 years. He is presently Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Public Administration at Golden Gate University and a Fellow of The Academy of Political Science.

Edited by Roger L. Kemp

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 358
Bibliographic Info: tables, notes, references, index
Copyright Date: 2007 [1995]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-3251-6
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vii
Preface      1

I: Introduction
1. Raising Revenues Without Increasing Taxes      7
2. Local Roles and Responsibilities      12
3. The Need for Community Self-Evaluation      18
4. The Difference Between Economic Developers and Planners      25

II: The Structure
5. Setting Up Shop for Economic Development      37
6. Community-Based Development Organizations      45
7. Business Improvement Districts      62
8. Downtown Managers      71
9. Public-Private Cooperation      75

III: The Process
10. General Planning      91
11. Capital Planning      94
12. Strategic Planning      105
13. Building Community Partnerships      109
14. Downtown Revitalization      115
15. Using Urban Renovations Experts      125
16. Rethinking Economic Development Planning      131

IV: The Incentives
17. Business Incubators      149
18. Community Reinvestment Act      157
19. Directing Capital to Small Firms      170
20. Enterprise Zones      181
21. Leveraging Private Investment      187
22. Public-Private Partnerships      192
23. Urban Infill Development      196
24. Ways to Revitalize Your Downtown      211

V: The Application
25. Communiy-Based Economic Development      219
26. Developing the Contaminated City      232
27. Diversifying the Local Economy      239
28. Inner-Harbor Development      246
29. Main Street Projects      250
30. Negotiating Business Developments      254
31. Organizing for Economic Development      269
32. Reforming Zoning Regulations      279
33. Salvaging Neighborhood Shopping Centers      286

VI: The Future
34. Alternatives to Shaping Tomorrow’s Cities      297
35. An Industry Approach to Sustainable Development      305
36. Downtowns in the Year 2040      312
37. How Business Is Reshaping America      322

About the Contributors      339
Index      341

• “a useful smorgasbord”—Choice
• “makes the case that there can be substantial economic benefits…from encouraging private development…well worth studying”—Booklist
• “provides many examples and case studies”—Government Finance Review