metros

In conjunction with its annual Global Entrepreneurship Week, the Kauffman Foundation has released a report tracking per capita startup rates in 40 select U.S. metropolitan areas since 2006. The analysis reveals that startup rates have improved in metro areas, but remain well below pre-recession levels. Data also indicates that larger metros, those with populations greater than one million, have both endured and recovered from the recession slightly better than their less populous counterparts. Kauffman does not single out a single most entrepreneurial large metro, but notes that the Miami, Denver, Los Angeles and Dallas regions have performed impressively since 2006. Download the report...

City finance officers were better able to meet financial needs in 2013 than in 2012 and, despite national economic indicators pointing to continued slow growth, improved conditions for city budgets are projected for 2014 and beyond. These are among the findings in the National League of Cities annual survey on city fiscal conditions. Sales and income taxes seem to be a bright spot for cities. In 2012, city sales tax receipts increased over previous year receipts by 6.2 percent, similar to growth levels seen prior to the recession. City finance officers also reported year-over-year growth of 4.4 percent for 2012 in income taxes and are projecting growth of 2.3 percent for 2013. The report's authors warn that city fiscal conditions remain vulnerable to external policy shifts, including cuts in federal spending. Additionally, pension and health care costs continue to be a drag on municipal budgets. Read the report.

Typically, marketing efforts for cities and states encompass the promotion of a variety of desirable qualities to attract businesses and creative talent. Lately, it seems the title of Chief Innovation Officer has picked up steam in localities and across states as leaders seek to brand their region as “the” place for innovation. Take Colorado, for example, where last week Gov. John Hickenlooper rolled out a new logo and slogan for the state and, at the same time, appointed a new Chief Innovation Officer charged with leading the state’s efforts to increase competitiveness.

America is moving back to its cities. A majority of people on this planet live in metropolitan areas with one million people moving to cities and metros every five days. In the U.S., the nation’s top 100 metropolitan areas account for two-thirds of the nation’s population and generate 75 percent of national GDP. This is more than a trend, according to Bruce Katz and Jennifer Bradley of the Brookings Institution … this is a revolution. In The Metropolitan Revolution: How Cities and Metros are Fixing Our Broken Politics and Fragile Economy, Katz and Bradley claim that metropolitan areas are leading the nation in reform and innovation, and challenging the traditional federalist hierarchical structure that places federal and state governments on top with local and metropolitan areas at the bottom.

A new report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project cites that 20 percent of Americans do not have broadband access, while an additional 10 percent of Americans have broadband access via smartphones. The report suggests that age, educational attainment, and household income continue to be the defining factors for home broadband adoption. Broadband access is recognized as a driver for economic mobility, and communities across the country are addressing the issue with a range of policies that provide models for increasing affordability and access.

As federal immigration reform remains in gridlock, cities are leading a charge to make America more welcoming to immigrants. Driven by the potential economic growth, mayors and regional economic development organizations are moving ahead with the creation of new initiatives and entities to attract and retain high-skilled immigrants. For mid-sized, and even larger cities, high-skilled immigrants are viewed as untapped, potential tech entrepreneurs who in the past have been drawn to Silicon Valley and other tech hubs.

The city of Los Angeles is working with a consortium of public and private partners to redevelop unused docklands into space that will support new industry cluster development. The project highlights a trend of high-profile projects across the country, with cities like Brooklyn and Philadelphia repurposing dockside warehouse space to seed tech startups and advanced manufacturing.