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Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, most sectors of the various gambling industries in the United States were showing signs of stagnation or flat growth. Over the past few years, these industries have seen mergers between horse racing tracks, between horse racing tracks and casinos to form "racinos", and between casino companies. Some gambling facilities and racetracks have closed and have been sold to developers to be used for other purposes. An industry "shakeout" is occurring, and there appears to be a trend towards greater industry concentration as consumers could be showing less interest in gambling in general or that gambling is failing to attract new patrons as it did in past decades. This could be partially fuelled by the stagnation of disposable personal income (DPI) over the past 20 years or so. Consumer preferences and attitudes also seem to have changed regarding horse racing and gambling. Sports gambling and the expansion of online gambling do not appear to have offset negative or flat growth trends. These current conditions are somewhat a reversal of past fortunes in that in the 1980s and 1990s, the opening of a casino in a city was often considered a plus for local economic development. As more consolidation and establishment closures occur, the impact on various local communities and state governments must be examined regarding lost jobs, lost local and state tax revenues, and lost tourism. This paper is an attempt to assess these developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic development at the municipal level often necessitates that local governments make trade-offs between firm- and locality-based strategies. In recent decades, economic development researchers have described these efforts over time as exhibiting certain patterns and metaphors: as a series of waves, as embodying a type of lock-in effect, and as a policy layering process; however, the mechanisms behind these patterns remain unclear. This article draws upon 30 years of economic development policy decision making across the United States to understand what leads local governments to prioritize growth- or equity-oriented policies. We find that equity-enhancing economic development policies are more likely when local governments face less competitive pressure, have greater resource capacities, and experience greater intergovernmental involvement in the economic development planning process. Leveraging these factors can aid governments as they struggle to navigate a more sustainable path toward growth and equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 39% of American wealth exists in the form of private ownership in firms. Surprisingly, the existing economic geography literature offers us little insight into where the owners of this vast wealth reside relative to the firms they own, nor of the potentially important economic implications of this unknown geographical proximity. This comparative case study utilizes a unique dataset to examine three mid-size American manufacturing firms with varied ownership structures. It finds that the employee-owned firm and family-owned firm concentrate firm-created wealth in local communities to a greater degree than the publicly traded firm. Building on this empirical evidence, the paper then uses both Endogenous and Keynesian growth theory to argue that this concentration can feasibly lead to local economic growth through subsequent local reinvestment of that wealth. This theoretical insight is important because it offers a new perspective on the multifaceted debate concerning which firms should receive incentives from local policymakers. Results imply that public policy requiring local ownership as a condition of incentives is in the long-term economic interest of local residents. This pilot work contributes to the existing academic literature by justifying subsequent studies on the economic geography of firm ownership and by establishing methodological precedent on the subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States, competition among cities for economic development tends to be the norm. Cities are also collaborating more to improve their economic advantage. However, transaction costs inhibit various of interlocal agreements from being formed. This study examines the role of multilateral institutions in facilitating interlocal agreements for economic development. An analysis of survey data collected from city governments in eleven US metropolitan areas highlights the importance of regional institutions in moderating the effect of coordination problems on the formation of developmental joint venture agreements. The findings complement extant research on the governance mechanisms that mitigate transaction costs of collective action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities in the United States have become increasingly less dense either from sprawl from rapid development or vacancy due to decline. The benefits and costs of urban density have been a topic of research since the mid-20th century. The effect of urban density on incomes is one of these areas of research. Based on concepts rooted in urbanization economies and social output, it is assumed in this paper that an increase in urban density increases incomes. Urban density is defined as population and housing density. It was found using a cross-sectional lagged mediated multiple regression that population and housing density have statistically significant indirect effects on income in a sample of more than 300 metropolitan areas in the United States. The significant effects of these variables on employment and the effect of employment on income mediated these effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Anglophone literature on local and regional development policy there are tendencies to overextension of claims from one side of the Atlantic to the other, or there is no comparative framing at all. As a result the specificity of the West European case tends to be lost. In contrast with the USA, the West European instance is very different indeed. Although there have been changes since the postwar golden years of urban and regional planning, central government remains crucial in the structuring of local and regional development and has given expression to counter-posed class forces: regional policy was historically an aspect of the welfare state as promoted by the labor movement, while urbanization policy has been much more about the forces of the political right. In the USA, by contrast, local governments and to a lesser degree, the states, have been and continue to be supreme; in contrast to Western Europe, location tends to be much more market-determined, with local and governments acting as market agents. Class forces have seemingly been much weaker, territorial coalitions occupying the center ground. As a first cut, these differences have to do with state structure: the Western European state is far more centralized, facilitating the implementation of policies that are relatively indifferent to local specificity, while in the USA the converse applies. State structures, however, are parts of broader social formations and reflect the different socio-historical conditions in which West European societies, on the one hand, and their American counterpoint, on the other, have emerged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the involvement of the US federal government in the policy of urban development in the years 1965-2012. The implementation paradox, understood as a limited ability to achieve national policy objectives as a result of the empowerment of potential adversaries, and the changing views of the successive presidents on federalism were considered crucial in explaining the discussed issue. The following categories have been used: federalism, orientation and instruments of development, and financial outlays for development. Orientation and instruments of development have been presented on the basis of selected federal programmes addressed to cities, and outlays - based on federal budgets. Three generations of public policy implementation theories constitute the theoretical framework of the study. In conclusion, the author points to the withdrawal of the federal government and the growing importance of state authorities in urban development policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the application of a profit and loss sharing approach to tax increment financing (TIF) districts in the USA. Design/methodology/approach: A survey based on this approach was distributed to representatives of community redevelopment authorities (CRAs) in the State of Florida to ascertain practitioner feedback. Findings: Although a majority of the respondents did not feel it was possible for political, economic and legal reasons, some did feel that it was a practical, reasonable and sustainable approach to financing projects for economic development. Some responses were correlated, with others indicating that certain beliefs framed their answers to the questions. Research limitations/implications: The surveys were only distributed to CRAs in the State of Florida. Future research will need to include other CRAs in other states to make the findings more generalizable. In addition, the results are merely descriptive and are not an assessment of a successful application. Practical implications: The need for more development in blighted areas of many cities across the USA will put emphasis on innovative approaches in financing this. The growth of Islamic finance in the USA and the regulatory framework for it might open a doorway for its application in this area. Originality/value: This is the first attempt to apply an Islamic financing methodology to local economic development in the USA, with practitioner feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem, research strategy, and findings : The maker movement is placing small-scale manufacturing development on mayoral agendas across the United States and promises to reinvigorate production economies in central cities. To make effective policy, planners need more knowledge about the entrepreneurs at the center of this phenomenon. Here we present a qualitative investigation of urban maker economies. We draw on semistructured interviews with firms and supportive organizations in Chicago (IL), New York City (NY), and Portland (OR). A limitation of our approach stems from the unavailability of population parameters; we cannot confirm that our sample refl ects the universe of maker enterprises. We find that makers draw on ecosystems comprising mainly for-profit firms. The public and nonprofit sectors are important in areas where markets do not provide the resources that fledgling makers require. We find 3 distinct types of maker enterprise: micromakers, global innovators, and emerging place-based manufacturers. Each makes a different contribution to local and regional economic development. Takeaway for practice : Planners can maximize the potential of the maker movement by distinguishing among the 3 types of maker firms. Practitioners focused on employment creation should prioritize emerging place-based manufacturers, helping them build supply chain connections and ensuring that they have affordable space into which to expand. Artisanal micromakers also generate economic benefits, as do global innovators focused on product design and prototyping. But emerging place-based manufacturers have the highest potential for employment creation, both directly and via the business growth they stimulate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article explores the changing landscape of local economic development in the United States from a period of stability (1999) to a period of recessionary pressures (2009). This research finds support for one of the key components of the city limits thesis: competition drives developmental policy use. Additional notable findings include a declining role for private business in the economic development process, a mixed relationship between policy adoption and resident’s level of need for economic development, and an emphasis on higher visibility policies during recessionary periods. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A new consensus is emerging around effective modes of government action in the economic sphere--in essence, a new approach to industrial policy--that has significant implications for the reform of the subnational economic development function currently underway in the UK and US. Leading-edge local and regional economic development practise must be smarter, more flexible, more collaborative among stakeholders, more experimental and evaluative and much less prone to generic diagnoses of economic challenges and the application of universal strategies. In turn, good planning scholarship is needed to help design the organisations and practises that the new model requires and to train the professionals who can function effectively under it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past decade has been one of the more turbulent in terms of the economic pressures felt by localities. Through three national-level surveys taken at five-year intervals over the previous decade, the authors examine changes in the use of economic development strategies employed by localities with populations more than 10 000. Despite reporting having moved away from a reliance on business incentives to a broader set of strategies, we find that after the recent recession, localities are relying on business incentives at their highest levels in 10 years. Moreover, the most recent survey results suggest that there are observable patterns among localities and their use of first-, second-, and third-wave strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers insights into the role for regional science and regional scientists in analyzing shale- energy development. The stories described are drawn from popular press accounts of the Bakken Basin in North Dakota and the dry-gas-producing counties of the Marcellus Shale in Northern and Central Pennsylvania. The comparison of the two shale plays highlights housing, labor market, and fiscal issues for these two locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a national database this project evaluates the relative merits of the creative and procreative classes in supporting sustainable economic health in cities over time. The analysis suggests that attempts at attracting the creative class through development of cultural and entertainment amenities appear misguided. The creative class, at least as currently defined in the popular and academic literatures, does not seem to be a reliable driver of economic growth. Further, the record of local economic development incentives appears similarly weak. Financial incentives in particular do not appear to lead to economic growth and actually seem to make local economies worse. What does appear to lead to economic growth? The answer, based on the data here, seems to be investments in policies and activities that make the community a better place to live, and a better place for families (of any type or form) in particular—good local schools, safe streets, parks, libraries, public buildings and spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research administers an exploratory survey to local economic developers in the state of Kentucky to examine opinion regarding the creative class. We hypothesize that Kentucky officials, especially the ones from the rural areas of the state, will be skeptical of the creative class theory of economic development. However, analysis shows half of the sampled economic developers to be supportive of the creative class, and rural developers are just as likely as urban ones to support the theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research has suggested that attracting retirement communities to local areas results in job and wage growth. This article examines whether significant growth in local retirement-age populations has led to such job and wage growth. The results suggest that general retirement population growth does create job growth. However, the average wage growth results are mixed. Understanding these economic implications of attracting retirees is necessary for communities to determine how to manage the benefits yet control for the costs of increases in retirement populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relative effectiveness of local economic development efforts often hinges on the question of who benefits from regional growth. The authors address this issue by decomposing U.S. county-level employment into four supply components: net commuting, the employment (unemployment) rate, the labor force participation rate, and population. They find that over all counties, net commuting represents the largest supply response, although this primarily holds in metropolitan areas. The benefits to original residents, measured as the sum of unemployment and labor force participation responses, are larger in rural counties. They also are larger in central-city counties of the larger metropolitan areas. The greatest benefits are found in persistent-poverty nonmetropolitan counties as well as in mining and manufacturing-dependent nonmetropolitan counties. Finally, sensitivity analysis indicates the importance of geographical scale and periodicity in assessing the issue of who benefits from regional job growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines local economic development goals and policies in Canada and the United States during a 7- year period. The analysis is based on surveys of cities with a population greater than 10,000 in the two countries conducted in 1994 and 2001, allowing for an assessment of the extent of change versus stability in overall approach toward economic development Economic development priorities in both U.S. and Canadian cities have remained relatively stable, focusing most heavily on traditional economic development strategies. Cities in both countries are tightening their focus on a traditional package of policies and thus appear to be institutionalizing their approaches. Whereas U.S. cities manifest a more passive role for government, Canadian cities reflect a more active role through partnerships that require an active professional staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines how organizational networks and civic participation may affect employment growth in municipalities across the non-metropolitan United States. Influence of the organizational networks of local governments on the success of economic development efforts; Benefits of organizational contacts; Economic development efforts by local governments.

Concomitant with the contemporary restructuring of local economies in the United States has been a distinctive local politics: one which revolves around a competition among localities rather than conflict within them. The role of the local dependence of various actors is explored with a view to explaining this politics. Some firms are locally dependent and form business coalitions to stimulate investment in their local economy. They attempt to harness the powers of local governments, which are susceptible as a result of their own local dependence. Subsequent local economic development programs often pose threats to people in their workplaces and living places and elicit opposition. To overcome this opposition, business coalitions attempt to promulgate a shared interest in a local community. This interest is extended to include threats to the local community implied by the economic development programs of business coalitions elsewhere. The local dependence of people makes them receptive to this argument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Socioeconomic inequalities and natural resource exploitation reflect the limitations of how the current food system functions. Global and local conceptual categories are used to describe two alternatives that are shaping the way food is produced, processed, distributed, and consumed. In the United States, food hubs are seen as a model that is able to scale up local and regional food systems in the face of the negative consequences generated by the dominant globally oriented system. Although food security and economic development are the main desirable outcomes for any food system initiative, not much research has been done about how food hubs contribute to these two interrelated key issues. In this study, the research questions have been narrowed down by taking into account the four dimensions through which food security is commonly framed (availability, access, utilization, and stability) and the seven drivers of the community wealth building approach to economic development (ownership, place, multipliers, collaboration, inclusion, workforce, and system). Seven food hubs operating in the Northeastern U.S. were surveyed. Qualitative information was collected about their activities in accordance with the dimensions and drivers included in the adopted conceptual framework. The results suggested that food hubs that operate as business incubators and food processing facilities are involved in several wealth building strategies. Nonetheless, food hubs cannot generally be considered a stand-alone policy to increase food access for underserved social groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]