Decatur is Weak Market City; Change & Leadership Needed
In the debate last week, we mentioned the research conducted by the Brookings Research Institute on Weak Market Cities in the US. Brookings studied economic characteristics of 300 cities and identified that one-third of the cities were weak market cities. Many variables were studied. The loss of population and jobs were the principal determinants of weakness. Decatur and Danville were the only two Illinois cities so identified. Policy reform in weak market cities should include: 1) Building on Economic Strengths, 2) Fix the Basics 3) Transform the Physical Landscape 4) Grow the Middle Class, and, 5) Create Neighborhoods of Choice. For the presentation from Brookings click here.
