The Cape Fear region in North Carolina is experiencing a demographic transformation characterized by a diversifying younger population and a rapidly growing senior population that is predominantly White. To secure a thriving economy for the decades to come, the region must tap the economic potential of its growing young population. Building education and career pathways for all and ensuring young workers are prepared for the jobs of the future are key strategies for inclusive growth in the region. Download the profile and summary.

Media: Community, Business Leaders Discuss Inequalities and Growth (WilmingtonBiz.com) 

The Pine Ridge reservation, home of Oglala Lakota people, sits within a broader regional economic context whose primary sectors include tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, and retail.1 The Pine Ridge Reservation and the Rapid City Metropolitan area are interdependent economies that, to date, channel many economic benefits off-reservation. This Equity and Opportunity Assessment identifies key strategies to create greater vibrancy and equity in reservation-based economic activity—to increase prosperity and quality of life for both the Oglala Lakota people and the region as a whole.

Transit Oriented Development that’s Healthy, Green and Just asks a basic question about Puget Sound’s new light rail system – how do we ensure this massive public investment benefits all families? In Southeast Seattle neighborhoods the light rail has already accelerated gentrification and may lead to displacement of many communities of color into the suburbs. It’s not just a lack of affordable housing, though. Low-wage jobs keep family incomes down as real estate prices rise, creating pressure to leave. As it turns out, transit oriented development that ignores racial equity and job quality will short-change light rail’s potential environmental benefits

Filling the Financing Gap for Equitable Transit-Oriented Development describes the key components of a model system for equitable TOD, the most common challenges regional actors face in moving equitable TOD projects forward and a variety of strategies partners can use to address these challenges. The report includes recommendations for approaches to leveraging public and private funds, coordinating multiple actors, involving the community and managing issues around land use and assembly. LIIF and Enterprise co-authored the paper with support from Living Cities.