The Flow of Prosperity: Do Inner City Firms Bring Opportunity to the Disadvantaged?

This white paper is the fourth and final in a series outlining results from the 2012 Inner City 100 survey analysis. The paper analyzes what factors make these firms more likely to hire disadvantaged workers in the communities where they have settled.

Growing Healthy Economies: Leveraging America's Urban Food Cluster

This white paper, produced in partnership by ICIC and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, advises cities how to tailor a unique food strategy. With a new interest in healthy foods and employment opportunities in packaging, transportation, distribution and logistics—for starters—there is a strategy to fit every city.

Economic Investment Opportunity Study of Southeast Louisiana

This study analyzes the cluster development priorities of Southeast Louisiana post-Katrina and assesses how well the activities of the region’s local capital markets are aligned with the region’s economic development goals. The study provides recommendations on the role that Seedco Financial-Louisiana, a Community Development Finance Institution, can play in bridging the gaps that may hinder the region’s growth and cluster development.

Community and Capital: Investing in America's Future

This report underscores the impact of the Inner City Capital Connections program and highlights the success of the small business participants.

The Disparate Challenges To Growth

This white paper is the third in a series outlining results from the 2012 Inner City 100 survey analysis. The paper analyzes if the hyper-achieving, fast-growing companies have notable limits to growth. The firms’ self-reported revenue growth projections for the periods 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 revealed a surprisingly varied picture.

The Looming Challenge to U.S. Competitiveness

As part of the U.S. Competitiveness Project, Harvard Business School asked its alumni to complete an in-depth survey on U.S. competitiveness. Nearly 10,000 business leaders responded worldwide, resulting in a first-of-its-kind analysis of data from a broad group of central actors in the global economy. This report on the findings was presented by Harvard Business School professor Michael E. Porter at the 2012 Inner City Economic Summit.

Growth Capital: The Source

This white paper is the second in a series outlining results from the 2012 Inner City 100 survey analysis. The paper looks at variables influencing where a firm looks for growth capital. A regression model identified seven factors explaining 58% of the variability among the firms, including CEO work history, CEO ethnicity and CEO age.
 

Creating Equity: Does Regionalism Have an Answer for Urban Poverty? Can It?

Broad regional approaches to economic development tend to be ineffective when it comes to addressing urban poverty. With this in mind, ICIC issued a research paper examining the impact of regional approaches on distressed urban communities. ICIC offers recommendations on how regional policies can most effectively incorporate the needs and assets associated with inner cities.

What Does It Take To Be America's Fastest-Growing Urban Business?

This white paper is the first in a series outlining results from the 2012 Inner City 100 survey analysis. The paper introduces the 2012 Inner City 100 winners along with business practice trends exhibited by the group. The goal of the white paper series is to give readers greater intuition about what it takes to rank as an Inner City 100 winner.
 

The Time is Right to Grow the Urban Food Industry Cluster

This article was published by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and co-written by Adina Astor, Next Street; Karen Karp, Karp Resources; Teresa Lynch, ICIC; and freelance writer Jim Miara.  The article makes the case for investing in and tailoring economic development efforts to grow urban food clusters.

An Industrial Strategy for the City of Saint Paul

ICIC, in partnership with Interface Studio and Laura Wolf Powers of the University of Pennsylvania School of
Design, developed an analysis of the industrial assets of Saint Paul, Minnesota. This study catalogs the findings from the assessment.

Designing an Inner City Food Cluster Strategy

Approximately 1 in 8 Americans is involved in a job directly related to food. This presentation uses Boston and Detroit case studies to highlight the significant opportunities for job creation within the emerging urban food cluster.

A Cluster-based Approach to Inner City Economic Development

Harvard Business School Professor Michael E. Porter's presentation, "A  Cluster-based Approach to Inner City Economic Development," at the 2011 Inner City Economic Summit.

Is There a New Geography of American Poverty?

This paper examines the notion that poverty is moving to America's suburbs. Based on an analysis of data from the American Community Survey, ICIC finds that targeted economic development in cities remains the most effective approach to alleviating regional poverty.

Creating Shared Value: Anchors and the Inner City

This paper examines the roles anchor institutions can play in their communities, including purchaser, workforce developer and community infrastructure builder.

Anchor Institutions and Urban Economic Development: From Community Benefit to Shared Value

Anchor institutions, such as hospitals, universities, arts and cultural institutions and sports venues, hold unique economic power in inner cities. This paper shows how leaders can jump-start local economic growth by creating shared value through the different roles anchors can play.

Building Sustainable Businesses: Lessons from Successful Urban Entrepreneurs

This white paper examines critical success factors for fast-growing inner city businesses: doing more with less; maintaining continuity in a downturn; getting connected; leveraging inner city assets; and impacting neighborhoods.

Capital Availability in Inner Cities: What Role for Federal Policy?

This paper examines capital availability in America's inner cities and the role of federal policy.  The paper recieved the KFS Promising Paper Award for 2011, which is bestowed on the authors of working papers with promising potential for impacting the understanding of entrepreneurship and innovation using the Kauffman Firm Survey (KFS).
 

The Promise of Local Clusters

This paper uncovers the unique opportunity to develop local clusters such by leveraging resources in a community's own backyard. These businesses, from industries like health services and logistical services, typically sell goods and service within a single metropolitan area.

Anchor Institutions and Urban Economic Development: From Community Benefit to Shared Value

This presentation outlines ICIC's updated framework for how anchor institutions can have impact on their local communities while also contributing to their bottom line.

Building the Future: Leveraging the Construction, Housing and Real Estate Activity for Strong and Equitable Growth

This presentation provides an update on ICIC's current Construction, Housing and Real Estate (CHRE) findings and the implications determined from three city case studies: Cleveland, Dallas-Fort Worth and Washington, DC.

Leveraging Anchor Institutions to Grow Inner City Businesses

ICIC and Staples Foundation for Learning: Inner City 100 Hall of Fame

This white paper outlines the impact and results of ICIC and Staples Foundation for Learning Hall of Fame Inner City 100 program.

The Inner City 100: Ten-Year Perspective

This paper summarizes ten years of Inner City 100 data to uncover the key characteristics of growing inner city firms and the factors influencing their growth.

Using Procurement to Grow Inner City Businesses

This document is a resources guide for small businesses about procurement tips and practices.

Capital and Job Creation: Driving Investment into America's Inner Cities

This report outlines the impact of the Inner City Capital Connections report from 2005 through 2010; over the past five years, companies have raised more than $372 million in capital through the program.

Inner City Economic Forum Post Conference Report

This document provides a mid-year update to the 2009 Inner City Economic Forum Summit.

Federal Role in Supporting Inner City Business Development

This presentation outlines ICIC's recommendations to the White House about how to improve the inner city business environment.

Growing Successful Inner City Businesses: Finding from a Decade of ICIC Data

This presentation outlines why inner cities should have specific federal polices directed towards them for improving the business environment.

Industrial Strategies for Distressed Urban Areas

This presentation addresses how inner cites with industrial legacies can utilize their assets to create jobs. In addition, it provides a typology of four different industrial inner cities.

Inner City Capital Connections: Investing in America's Inner Cities

This report underscores and highlights the impact of ICIC and Bank of America's Inner City Capital Connections Report.

Foreclosures and the Inner City: The Current Mortgage Crisis and its Inner City Implications

This white paper describes the foreclosure crisis in inner cities and the implications for their economies.

Success in Growing and Declining Cities

This white paper illustrates why Inner City 100 entrepreneurs are successful in both growing and declining inner cities.

From Harlem to Hangzou: The Flight of Capital

This white paper makes a case for investment in America's inner cities.

The Role of Construction, Housing & Real Estate in Inner City Economic Development

This presentation outlines ICIC's Construction, Housing and Real Estate (CHRE) findings from 2008, which were critical to ICIC's current support from the MacArthur Foundation. This article appeared in the International Economic Development Journal detailing ICIC's research around the inner city retail market opportunity.

Realizing the Inner City Retail Opportunity: Progress & New Directions

This article appeared in the International Economic Development Journal detailing ICIC's research around the inner city retail market opportunity.

An Analysis of Retail Markets in America's Inner Cities

This paper summarizes ICIC's key findings about the retail market opportunity of America's inner cities.

Opportunity Newark: Jobs and Community Development for the 21st Century

This strategy document outlines Newark’s economic base and competitive advantages. The report provides strategies and recommendations for building upon the strengths of Newark's inner city.

Initiative for a Competitive Brooklyn: Seizing our Moment

This report details a strategy for fostering growth in Brooklyn's industry clusters: health services, food processin and hospitality.

City Growth Strategy: A New Agenda for Business-led Urban Regeneration

This report outlines the takeaways from ICIC's partnership with the Small Business Services and provides a market-based approached to the revitalization of seven urban areas in England.

The Changing Models of Inner City Grocery Retailing

This report outlines the takeaways from ICIC's analysis of three different grocery store models for inner cities.

America's Inner Cities Wired to Compete

This document demonstrates an analysis of inner cities and their broadband access and adoption and highlights why high-speed interest is important to urban economies.

West Louisville Competitive Assessment and Strategy Project

This summary outlines Louisville's overall economic strengths and challenges; the document also details a specific strategy for the Park Hill corridor, Louisville's inner city and industrial area.

Leveraging Colleges and Universities for Urban Economic Revitalization

This paper provides a description of ICIC's anchor framework for educational institutions and includes two cases studies for best practices: Columbia University in New York and the University of Virginia in Richmond.
 

Bridgeport Inner City Business Strategy Initiative Compete

This summary provides a top-line of industry growth strategies and recommendations for the City of Bridgeport, CT centered on increased metals manufacturing and urban tourism.

St. Louis Inner City Competitive Assessment and Strategy Project

This report outlines an assessment of St. Louis economic base and competitive advantages and provides specific cluster-led economic development strategies.

Inner City Business Development: Benchmarking Federal Spending and Guidelines for Action

This report outlines the competitive advantages of inner cities and uses Boston as a case study example to demonstrate how federal policies impact inner cities.

The Inner City Shopper: A Strategic Perspective

This document outlines the $86 billion dollar retail market opportunity in America's inner cities and outlines potential with sub-clusters such as apparel, specialty stores and customer credit.