Regional Assets - The John R. Oishei Foundation

Brookings Institution: The Great Lakes region of the United States is a unique economic, social, and cultural area made up of all or part of 12 states, including the western portions of NY, PA, and WV; northern KY; all of OH, IN, MI, IL, and WI; and eastern MN, IA, and MS. Home to 97 million people, this region is defined by a shared geography and natural resources, a dynamic political and economic history, and strong principles of social organization.

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago: Today our region faces the challenge of evolving rapidly into a post-industrial, knowledge-based society, a shift in culture and technology as profound as the shift that took place a century ago when our agrarian societies evolved into an industrial nation. Industrial production is steadily shifting from material- and labor-intensive products and processes to knowledge-intensive products and services.

Florida, Gates, Knudsen, and Stolarick: Most who have commented on the university’s role in the economy believe the key lies in increasing its ability to transfer research to industry, generate new inventions and patents, and spin-off its technology in the form of startup companies. As such, there has been a movement in the U.S. and around the world to make universities “engines of innovation,” and to enhance their ability to commercialize their research.

Facilitated by the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, which also worked with a host of community organizations, the agenda emphasizes a commitment to making the region more attractive for private sector investment and growth. The policy and funding priorities outlined in the document have been identified by the project's partners as offering Buffalo Niagara its greatest opportunities for economic growth.

The absence of a region-wide vision for conservation, development, and public investment has become an increasingly central concern of the Region’s leaders. For the past two to three decades—the last regional plan was completed in 1974—local and regional actions have occurred without the benefit of reference to a larger policy or planning framework.

A new PolicyLink report, Shared Prosperity, Stronger Regions: An Agenda for Rebuilding America’s Older Core Cities, demonstrates that, despite significant challenges, older core cities can become economically competitive places where all residents can participate and prosper. It looks closely at five cities: Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh.

The Trust for Public Land presents quantitative and authoritative research on the economic benefits land conservation can bring to communities. Writers include scientists, economists, and researchers from academia, government, nonprofits, and industry. The report summarizes the best current studies, offers original research, and suggests topics for further inquiry.

University at Minnesota: Over the past generation, a unique form of dedicated space for artists has emerged in the United States. Minnesota serves as a laboratory in this study to explore the impact of artists’ centers on artists and on regions and neighborhoods. The state and its major metro area—the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul—host high concentrations of artists, with their ranks growing relatively rapidly over two decades.

The Buffalo Niagara region is envisioned as a world-class tourism destination, in significant measure because of its extraordinary artistic, cultural and heritage attractions which will become better known, more widely admired and more frequently visited.

UB Regional Institute report: With increasingly limited resources, how can the region sustain an industry integral to Buffalo Niagara’s economy and quality of life? Can the region fill this gap while providing a higher degree of funding predictability? If not, how will it be determined which organizations are left to falter? If so, whose responsibility is it to bridge the fiscal chasm – the public sector, the private sector, the cultural institutions themselves, or all of the above?

The Mid-Sized Cities category saw more upsets, with 2007’s giant, Pittsburgh, Pa., fueled last year by the citywide glass celebration, falling to No. 3. Buffalo rocketed to No. 1, climbing from last year’s No. 14. Scottsdale, Ariz., came in second, up two spots from its No. 4 ranking a year ago.

Urban Institute report: This report explains how advocacy for artist space development is carried out in different realms, the impacts of artist space development, and how to make it a priority within the context of community development and public policy. Based on case studies of 23 projects around the country, this report focuses on how artist space developments are positioned to garner support, the advocacy strategies pursued, and the impacts they claim or anticipate.