Inclusive and Equitable Development

Resources

1. Opportunity for growth: How reducing barriers to economic inclusion can benefit workers, firms, and local economies by Brookings
   This report explores how inclusive growth coalitions can address barriers by stimulating dynamism and job creation and ensure all communities can physically and socially access job and educational opportunities. The authors discuss how often these coalitions do not yet exist and building them takes time and resources. They explore how a broader and more diverse set of firms, workers, and communities can reach their productive potential and offer a compelling opportunity for growth.
2. Committing to inclusive growth: Lessons for metro areas from the Inclusive Economic Development Lab by Brookings
   This report exposes the divergent storylines in growth across the city of Nashville. Although the city had the lowest unemployment rate in a decade, a housing recovery, and a booming stock market, there were deeper trends that pointed to narrowing the opportunity for both historically marginalized populations and beyond. The report discusses how some residents suffered from isolation from the benefits of growth and became battered by its downsides such as, bolstering criminal records, aggravating underperforming schools, and increasing. 
3. Measuring inclusion in America’s cities by Urban Institute
   A database is linked to measure inclusion in America’s cities. To better understand what makes cities inclusive, data was collected on 274 of the largest US cities and ranked based on economic, racial, and overall inclusion across four decades. Cities are able to track their progress over time and compare themselves with peer cities. Economic health is included in each city’s profile to understand whether cities could harness growth to improve inclusion.
4. The five characteristics of an inclusive economy: getting beyond the equity-growth dichotomy by the Rockefeller Foundation
   Based on a broad range of input from experts, academics, peers, and public opinion, the Foundation defines inclusive economies by five inter-related characteristics: participation, equity, growth, sustainability, and stability. This report guides a constructive and nuanced conversation on the elements needed for a more inclusive economy, particularly for the poor and vulnerable. It leads the authors to think about the work that is continuously being done to think about how one might measure each of these characteristics globally, at the national and sub-national level, and across various markets (e.g. financial, dairy, coffee, electricity).
5. Inclusive recovery in US cities by the Urban Institute
   In this report, researchers use an empirical analysis to understand how economic health and inclusion interact in US cities over several decades. The study includes trends in economic health and inclusion across many cities and within a smaller subset of cities that have experienced an economic recovery. To better understand whether and how an economic recovery can support inclusive outcomes, researchers study four cities on how they improve on inclusion measures during their recovery. Through discussions with individuals, an in-person convening, and a review of literature, key lessons and common building blocks are identified that can support progress on inclusion during a city’s economic recovery.
6. Inclusive economic development: good for growth and good for communities by JFF
   In this report, JFF summarizes what they’ve been learning from their work in communities about the relationship between inclusion, economic growth, and development and offer an overview of what they’ve learned to date.
7. Inclusive economic and community development initiative by the City of Sacramento, CA
   In April 2019, the City engaged a team of national and local economic development experts, led by RW Ventures, LLC (RWV), to develop an Inclusive Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan. Building from a deep analysis of the Sacramento region’s economy, this project will engage stakeholders in creating an action agenda that establishes an overall vision and economic development framework, aligns existing work, and specifies synergistic growth strategies and initiatives.
8. Innovative approach to building inclusive pipelines of competitive talent by The Center for Inclusive Competitiveness
   This article explores supporting the growth of employment in communities of color on a greater scale through STEM. In it they discuss an organization called ScaleUp Partners — a consultancy and education organization that supports the growth of equitable economies — to develop a national “inclusivity index.”
9. Case study of New Orleans’ approach to developing an inclusive innovation ecosystem by the Greater New Orleans Foundation 
   Over the course of six months, Forward Cities and ScaleUp Partners visited four cities to learn about their efforts to build inclusive local economies. These cities, New Orleans, Durham, Detroit, and Cleveland all agreed to form some version of a Local Innovation Council through which organized efforts to stimulate and cultivate inclusive entrepreneurship would offer access to resources, improve business ownership and connect diverse communities as viable pipelines of economic productivity to their local innovation ecosystem. A case study for each city describes the approaches taken and presents insights into the challenges faced and positive outcomes achieved.
10. Framework for community leadership by a community foundation by the Council on Foundations
    The community foundation is a community partner that creates a better future for all by pursuing the community’s greatest opportunities and addressing the most critical challenges, inclusively uniting people, institutions and resources from throughout the community, and producing significant, widely shared and lasting results. This framework they created can be used to bring clarity to the definition and practice of community leadership by individual community foundations.
11. Can we build inclusive, innovative local economies? by the Governing Institute
    This article highlights a new learning collaborative that is charting efforts in four metros to connect minority communities to entrepreneurial resources.
12. Detroit inclusive growth strategy by the Governing Institute
    This article explores the need for inclusive economic competitiveness in Detroit, MI.
13. Opportunity for all: strategies for inclusive economic development by the Economic Development Research Partners at IEDC
    The issue of economic opportunity is one of increasing concern to economic developers, because it both hinders their ability to improve their economies and because they have an important role to play in potential solutions. This paper explores the issue from an economic development perspective by presenting evidence of the problem, examining why it matters, and offering common themes and promising practices derived from nine case studies.
14. Actionable ideas for economic recovery in American cities by Brookings
    This directory provides links to actionable ideas for economic recovery in American cities. Reports range from a framework to support equitable recovery to turning COVID-19’s mass layoffs into opportunities for quality jobs.
15. Aligning local and regional data to achieve a more inclusive economy: A Northeast Ohio model by The Rockefeller Foundation
    This report is ideal for practitioners and policymakers interested in coordinating data across multiple stakeholders and geographies, and is particularly relevant for those interested in addressing inequality through more equitable economic development efforts. The report includes one example of a model in which cross-sector partners identify ways to improve labor market outcomes for all residents, especially lower income residents, across an 18-county region: first by using data and research to identify economic challenges and opportunities, and second by coordinating a plan of action across diverse sectors and jurisdictions. This report includes the process that Northeast Ohio, and specifically the Fund for Our Economic Future, experienced as one example of cross-sector partners struggling to build—and re-build—a competitive economic base that benefits all people in its various communities. Its lessons have relevance for others trying to do the same in their own local, national or global contexts.
16. Metro Recovery Index by Brookings
    The Metro Recovery Index presents data across a variety of indicators to illustrate the impact of the crisis (compared to a pre-crisis state) and the trajectory of recent change, for both large and midsized U.S. metropolitan areas. The indicators track impacts and trajectories in three major categories: the labor market, the real estate market, and other areas of economic activity. Brookings Metro will update the tracker on a monthly basis as providers release new data.
17. Spotlight on local recovery efforts by Brookings
    This directory places a spotlight on local recovery efforts from COVID-19 across America. Reports range from putting California’s idle restaurants to use by fighting food insecurity and creating a more equitable workplace to grant-making to support small businesses in southeast Michigan.