For many years, economists have touted the higher-education and health care sectors as powerful engines for local economic growth. However, a growing chorus of observers are warning about the continued validity of that premise.
"The reasons many cities turn to eds and meds for economic development are easy to understand," observes Richard Florida. "Both industries have been defined by substantial growth over the past few decades, and that looks set to continue." However changes are afoot in those industries that will likely result in a "greater concentration of the education and medicine sectors in fewer cities and regions."
Florida and his colleagues dig into employment data to determine which local economies are most at risk by such consolidation. Their analysis reveals that small cities like Goldsboro and Greenville in North Carolina; Johnson City, Tennessee; and Rome, Georgia might want to diversify their economies.
And, as he notes, this might not necessarily be a bad thing. Analysis by his colleague Charlotta Mellander indicates that "[e]ds and meds employment levels were uniformly negatively associated with nearly every single important measure of regional economic performance: income, economic output per capita, and high tech industry concentration."
FULL STORY: Where 'Eds and Meds' Industries Could Become a Liability
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
How Urban Form Impacts Housing Affordability
The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.
The State of E-Scooters in the US
Eight years after shared e-scooters were first introduced in US cities, the industry still teeters on the edge of success, hindered in part by limited infrastructure.
Rochester Shows Possible Future for Former Highways
A former freeway is undergoing a massive redevelopment that goes beyond highway removal to reconnect and revitalize surrounding areas.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.