Report Does Broadband Boost Local Economic Development? By Jed Kolko Jan 11, 2010 The federal government and the state of California, as well as other states throughout the nation, have made universal access to broadband service a public policy goal, assuming that multiple economic and social benefits will accrue from increasing broadband access. This study assesses whether policies designed to increase broadband availability—especially to unserved and underserved communities—will contribute to local economic development. It finds a positive relationship between broadband expansion and employment growth, but the benefits for local residents are ambiguous. This report was supported with funding from The David A. Coulter Family Foundation.
Report Rethinking the State-Local Relationship: Local Economic Development By Jed Kolko May 18, 2011 Governor Jerry Brown’s January 2011 budget proposal sparked renewed interest in "realignment”—that is, in changing how the state and localities divide responsibility for programs and services. This report argues that bringing redevelopment and enterprise zones into the realignment debate could improve local development efforts. This report is part of a PPIC series on rethinking the state-local relationship. The other reports in this series include: An Overview of Realignment Child Welfare Services Corrections K-12 Education This work is supported by funding from the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund and by contributions of unrestricted support to PPIC’s Donor Circle.
Report Economic Development: The Local Perspective By Max Neiman, Daniel Krimm May 28, 2009 Since Proposition 13 in 1978 restricted property tax income, California’s local governments have increased their economic development activities, especially in the areas of land development and retail sales. Such measures have provoked criticism, but local officials say they have few alternatives. This paper presents a detailed survey of local economic development policies and activities. It includes assessments of their successes and failures by local officials. The results show that significant barriers to local economic activity exist, among them an inadequate state transportation infrastructure, high energy costs, and lack of an appropriately trained workforce.
Report Local Economic Development in Southern California’s Suburbs: 1990-1997 By Max Neiman, Gregory Andranovich, Kenneth Fernandez Dec 1, 2000 In the recession of the early 1990s, California’s cities and counties scrambled to attract and retain businesses, and several cities lavished public resources on private projects that showed little promise of benefiting those communities. Partly in response to these high-profile cases, Governor Davis signed a law to limit competition among localities for big box retailers and auto malls. Despite the media attention given to these cases and the subsequent legislative action, there has been little research on competition among localities for economic development. In this monograph, the authors use detailed survey data to characterize local economic development policy in Southern California. They also address apprehensions over local competition for economic development and reframe the regulation debate in terms of the state-local power balance.
Occasional Paper, Report The Wellsprings of California’s Economic Growth: Myths and Realities By David W. Lyon May 14, 1998 Speech presented to the Japan America Society, California-Japan 2010 Symposium, Los Angeles, California, May 14, 1998, and to the Economic Development Administration, Western Region Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, May 28, 1998.
Report Priorities for California’s Economy By Sarah Bohn, Vicki Hsieh, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Jenny Duan ... Jan 31, 2024 Though California faces considerable economic uncertainty, it also has tremendous potential to overcome the obstacles ahead. Practical policy solutions to promote a robust, resilient economy should build on the skills, diversity, and innovation of Californians.
blog post What’s in Store for California’s Economy? By Sarah Bohn Jan 10, 2024 California starts the year with low unemployment, rising wages, and falling inflation—but also with residents expressing pessimism about the state's economic outlook. We look at what's ahead for the California economy.
