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Category: North America

Examining economic inequity in King County, Washington

Guest blog by Allison Ashton Growth challenge: My growth challenge is regional economic inequity. The reason it matters is because BIPOC communities, women, and workers with lower levels of educational attainment in King County are experiencing increasing barriers to opportunity that inhibit their success and potential to contribute to and benefit from our tremendous regional economic…Continue Reading Examining economic inequity in King County, Washington

Slowing the rate of sprawl development in the U.S. using PDIA

Guest blog by Ryan Yetzer When I signed up for this course, I really didn’t know what to expect. One minute I was offered this amazing opportunity by our Mayor, and the next minute I’m receiving e-mails and course materials from the Harvard Kennedy School. I was excited for the experience, but certainly nervous as well….Continue Reading Slowing the rate of sprawl development in the U.S. using PDIA

Resiliency and sustainability: Key Takeaways from LEG2021

Michigan government building

Guest blog by Mathias McCauley What are some key ideas/learnings that you will take away from this course? The initial lectures on the “product space” and “PDIA” were fascinating and valuable to me.  Additionally, because of the nature of my organization and the state the region is located in (Michigan), I now believe that the most likely…Continue Reading Resiliency and sustainability: Key Takeaways from LEG2021

Falling in love with the problem, not the solution

Guest blog by Kyle Novak “Fall in love with the problem, not your solution.”  It’s a maxim that I first heard spoken a few years ago by USAID’s former Chief Innovation Officer Ann Mei Chang. I’ve found myself frequently reflecting on those words as I’ve been thinking about the challenges of implementing public policy. I spent…Continue Reading Falling in love with the problem, not the solution

Food security in Burien, WA during COVID-19 pandemic

Guest blog by Kevin Schilling COVID spread within three months of my first term on Burien City Council.  When I ran for the office a few months prior to that, my expectations for policies to implement focused primarily on improving coordination between our city’s robust social service providers and the city’s administrative capabilities.  However, these priorities…Continue Reading Food security in Burien, WA during COVID-19 pandemic

Low local supply in global value chains in Chihuahua, MX

Guest blog by Torres Luis Oliver Being part of this course was not only an academic experience, it was also a professional experience of great impact for the development of my skills as a professional in territorial development. In this sense, having spent ten weeks learning new methodologies and mechanisms to measure economic development and growth…Continue Reading Low local supply in global value chains in Chihuahua, MX

Promoting Equitable Investment and Job Generation in Fort Worth, Texas

Guest blog by Robert Sturns When I began the Leading Economic Growth program, my goal was really driven by a desire to understand how we could have a more equitable distribution of investment and jobs throughout my community. As we really begin to dig into issues of economic complexity, I discovered that our issue was much…Continue Reading Promoting Equitable Investment and Job Generation in Fort Worth, Texas

What Scrabble-playing Monkeys Have to Do with Contractors in Texas: Lessons from Leading Economic Growth

Guest blog by Maggie Jones Finding contractors in Texas right now is hard. Really hard. Finding contractors to work on a niche federally-funded home repair program with lots of red tape and paperwork is nearly impossible. Or so we thought. Fortunately for us, the many lessons from Leading Economic Growth over the last 10 weeks have…Continue Reading What Scrabble-playing Monkeys Have to Do with Contractors in Texas: Lessons from Leading Economic Growth