Cities Benefit From Programs to Welcome Outsiders

St. Louis’ Mosaic Project offers an example of how U.S. cities can welcome foreign talent and benefit from their skills.

1 minute read

August 10, 2019, 7:00 AM PDT

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Naturalization

Bill Dowling / Shutterstock

How do you connect a city’s resources to the new talented people looking to locate or grow their businesses? The Brookings Institute has looked at a few different cities trying to do just that.

They started with the example of the Mosaic Project, a Saint Louis an initiative which engages in a number of different projects to grow and start businesses, including mentoring programs, support groups, and resources specifically aimed at helping immigrant talent. "The Mosaic Project was initially sparked by a concern that, relative to peer cities, St. Louis had a lower share of the skilled foreign talent that can fuel innovation and make a region attractive to global firms," Rachel Barker, Marek Gootman, and Max Bouchet report for Brookings.

Monday, August 5, 2019 in The Brookings Institute

portrait of professional woman

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

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

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

April 23, 2025 - GoodMigrations

Aerial view of downtown Detroit, Michigan at twilight.

Detroit Launches Community Land Trust

A newly created CLT aims to support the building of affordable housing.

7 seconds ago - The Detroit News

Close-up of American flag sticker on a silver subway train.

Op-Ed: Why Mobility Is Political

The freedom to move remains unevenly distributed between people of different backgrounds.

1 hour ago - Streetsblog USA

Offshore wind turbines in water against a sunset sky

Bringing Community Voices Into Renewable Energy Planning

The MIT Renewable Energy Clinic helps coastal communities navigate the complexities of offshore wind development through neutral, inclusive engagement that surfaces local concerns and supports fair decision-making.

2 hours ago - MIT News

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO