Strong Regions

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Strong Regions Smart Business Vital Communities
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San Francisco Bay Area

• Economic growth and prosperity
• in the 1990s

• Housing costs skyrocket,
• poverty accelerates

• Bank of America makes loans and
• investments of 5 billion to promote home
• ownership among low-income residents

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Chicago, Illinois

• System Sensor has urban
• workforce/suburban plant

• Jobs-housing mismatch lowers productivity

• Employers sign Metropolis Principles
• commit to locate plants near
• affordable housing/mass transit

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Common Themes

• Business competitiveness
• linked to health of the region
• Individual business efforts have
• limited impact
• Solving regional problems
• requires collective approach

Workforce
Transportation
Housing
Education
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Common Themes

• Business competitiveness
• linked to health of the region
• Individual business efforts have
• limited impact
• Solving regional problems
• requires collective approach

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MetroBusinessNet

• Action learning network of
• business-based civic organizations
• Models for business-led
• socio-economic change
• Forum for sharing experiences,
• learning from experts
• Documenting lessons
• Creating database of promising practices

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MetroBusinessNet Partners

• Bay Area Council
• Chicago Metropolis 2020
• St. Louis Regional Chamber
• and Growth Association
• Washington Board of Trade
• Austin Area Research Organization/
• Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce

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MetroBusinessNet
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Region is Operating Landscape for Business

• Business draws on regional
• Workforce
• Transportation system
• Housing
• Education and training system
• Supplier network

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Smart Businesses Strong Region Vital
Communities

• Walkable central cities
• Open space and parks
• Urban streetlife and nightlife
• Vibrant neighborhoods
• Good public transit
• Ample housing choices
• Good education systems

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Regional Challenges are Business Challenges

• Business performance impacted by
• Abandoned central cities
• Racial segregation
• Sprawl
• Traffic and gridlock
• High housing costs

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Regional Challenge Housing Costs
475,900
259,250

• In San Francisco,
• Exorbitant housing costs
• Firms unable to attract talent
• Competitive edge threatened

128,094
1982 1992 2001

• Median single family home
• price in San Francisco

Source National Association of Realtors
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Regional Challenge Urban Decline

• In St. Louis,
• Dramatic population
• decrease
• Racial segregation
• increases
• Vacant lots and
• buildings in urban core
• Struggle to attract
• young workers

750,026
622,236
451,112
396,685
348,180
1960 1970 1980 1990
2000

• Urban flight in St. Louis
• Population decline over time
• Source U.S. Census

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Problem-Solving Through Collaboration

• Not your fathers
• Chamber of Commerce
• Progressive business
• civic organizations
• Collaborative model
• of decision making

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The New Business Civic Organization

• Multisector collaboration
• and partnership
• Regional perspective
• Research and analysis
• Activism

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Regional Business Solutions Invest in Smart
Growth

• Bay Area Council
• 100 million for Smart Growth Fund
• Investments in inner-city neighborhoods
• Market rate of return on investment
• Social return to community in jobs, housing,
  transit

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Regional Business Solutions Business
Location

• Chicago Metropolis 2020
• Cost to business of jobs-housing mismatch
  documented
• Metropolis Principles developed
• Workforce housing policies proposed

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Regional Business Solutions Urban
Revitalization

• St. Louis
• Revitalize urban core through
• Bio Life Sciences Technopolis
• Retrofit old warehouses and
• manufacturing facilities
• Attract firms and talent
• Improve neighborhoods

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3 Key Roles for the Business Community

• Strategic investment of core operating
  resources
• Advocate for public policies that promote
  sustainable and inclusive regional growth
• Active partner in multi-sector regional coalitions

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Key Challenges

• Hard for business leaders to move beyond the
  charity model
• Business leaders dont necessarily see how their
  self-interest is served by a regional perspective
• Big cultural divide between business and
  community leaders

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Shaping Your Regions Future

• Work through business civic organization
• Build regional perspective
• Form collaborative partnerships
• Invest in research and analysis

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Visit www.metrobusinessnet.net Call
FutureWorks at [phone]