The 'Economic Value Atlas': A New Tool for Assessing Economic Development

In an effort to generate a new approach to economic development and infrastructure investment, the Brookings Institution has developed a new "Economic Value Atlas."

1 minute read

June 7, 2019, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


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Joshua Rainey Photography / Shutterstock

Adie Tomer shares news of the "Economic Value Atlas" (EVA), writing that "metropolitan governments and their civic partners need a suite of land use and infrastructure policies and practices that work in service of broader economic objectives."

To meet that need, Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program worked with Metro, the metropolitan planning organization for the Portland region, to create the EVA. Here's how Tomer describes the function and scope of the EVA:

The EVA offers a suite of tools and processes to bring this multidisciplinary approach to reality. Through the guise of a new mapping application, the EVA compels metropolitan stakeholders to sit around a common table, develop shared values, dissect where regional economic outcomes fall short, and then actively consider policy reforms to address those shortcomings head-on. The EVA also demonstrates a platform that does not shy away from complexity, giving stakeholders a single place to consider trade, innovation, skills development, and quality placemaking.

The beta version of the EVA is available on the Metro website.

Wednesday, June 5, 2019 in Brookings Institution

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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