Economic Development
Artificial intelligence study committee considers potential recommendations to lawmakers
The committee is the latest effort as Wisconsin government and business leaders attempt to confront use of and ongoing advancements of AI technology.
Report: Broadband can transform a rural community
New research shows a more than 200% growth rate for businesses in rural areas with high broadband utilization rates.
No, America’s battery plant boom isn’t going bust – construction is on track for the biggest factories, with over 23,000 jobs planned
The future of these job-generating gigafactories, many of them in Republican states, could be at risk if the next president tries to wipe out the programs that made them possible.
What other states can learn from Indiana’s investment in quantum technology
COMMENTARY | The emerging technology holds the promise of transforming public services at the state and local levels. Indiana’s collaborative model is a blueprint for states seeking to cash in on quantum.
Can happy hour attract people downtown again?
States that once banned the afterwork ritual are rethinking their stance as they try to entice people back to the city.
Six months later, what did cities learn from the solar eclipse? Plan, plan, plan.
Communities in the path of totality look back at the lessons learned. Preparing for the worst and biggest impacts is worth it, they say.
Two years later, money from the CHIPS Act is moving
Now that more than half of the almost $53 billion federal investment has been spoken for, the real work has begun as state and local governments look to cash in. Here’s what experts say officials need to do.
The government spends millions to open grocery stores in food deserts. The real test is their survival.
In 2018, Illinois officials highlighted the opening of six stores through a $13.5 million grocery initiative. Four of them have closed.
Kansas v. Missouri stadium battle shows how states are reigniting border wars
Kansas may spend billions of dollars to lure pro sports teams from Missouri, just a few miles away.
Small towns are paying remote workers to move in
With remote work apparently here to stay, rural communities are trying to attract new residents with everything from cash to potlucks, and farm-fresh eggs.
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How Connecticut is developing untapped talent to fill 30,000 open jobs statewide
COMMENTARY | Three strategies bring together employers, community organizations and education providers in a new skills-based ecosystem.
$1 trillion a year in tax breaks goes out the door. Are states keeping track?
A new report from the Volcker Alliance highlights the lack of transparency around tax expenditures, and calls on states to better monitor whether the tax breaks are achieving their intended effects.
The great Salt Lake City tax tradeoff
In a few weeks, the city council will be voting on a 0.5% sales tax to support economic development downtown. But it’s not the money that is drawing all the attention, it’s what the city is giving up.
It’s time to take a serious look at esports gaming
The growing popularity of competitive video games is creating opportunities for governments at all levels. It builds skills, fosters community at local rec centers and schools and even boosts tourism.
Financiers plan to launch a Texas-based stock exchange
The group announced Wednesday it raised $120 million in capital to start a CEO-friendly stock exchange that aims to capitalize on discontent over new rules and rising compliance costs at Nasdaq and NYSE.
Post-pandemic, downtown recoveries continue to be uneven
From office conversions to bonding programs to unconventional approaches, cities are testing different ways to revive their downtowns.
Shiny new things and public priorities
COMMENTARY | The economic growth and civic pride benefits of new stadiums are not enough to compensate for the required public financial commitment.
Microchip companies need federal grant money. They’re rolling out child care to get it.
To draw women into the semiconductor and construction industries, the CHIPS Act requires companies to provide child care. But will it boost the supply of care, or exacerbate an existing crisis?
Skateboarding’s latest trick: Reviving cities
New skate plazas are proving that making spaces skateable makes them safer and more dynamic, too.
Neediest areas are being shortchanged on government funds
COMMENTARY | A recent study of the Community Development Block Grant program showed that neighborhoods with the largest share of low- to moderate-income families were less likely to receive CDBG funds than communities that were closer to the 51% threshold.
