Highlights: Activities and Articles

The Center for Economic Development undertakes technical assistance projects at the request of communities, regional planning agencies, Economic Development Districts, State Organizations, non profit entities and private sector clients. Each project is undertaken by a group of students, supervised by at least one faculty member. The following is a list of technical assistance projects completed in the 2003 - 2004 academic year.

• Springfield Technical Community College requested assistance in determining their impact on the economy of greater Springfield.
  
• The Town of Erving, in collaboration with the Donahue Institute, requested assistance with their master planning efforts and reuse options for the Erwing Mill.
  
• The Massachusetts Army National Guard requested an armory closure and relocation study.
  
• The Massachusetts Army National Guard requested a military hotel feasibility study on Cape Cod.
  
• Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission requested an employer survey and assessment of economic development service providers in the greater Worcester region.
  
• The Town of Upton has requested assistance with their Master Planning efforts.
  
• The City of North Attleboro has requested assistance with their master planning efforts.
  
• Martha’s Vineyard Planning Commission requested an island-wide attitude survey.
  
• Town of Mendon requested assistance in preparing the economic chapter of their master plan.

RECENTLY PUBLISHED PAPERS

"Breathing New Life into Old Places" in Mark B. Lapping, ed., The Flannel Shirt Frontier: Life and Work in Contemporary New England. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England/Dartmouth College. (Forthcoming late 2005).

“Preservation and Housing as Catalysts for Economic Growth: A Look at the Impacts of the Massachusetts Community Preservation Act”. Economic Development Journal, Vol. 3, #1 (Winter 2004) pp. 43-49.

"Teaching Experiential Learning in the Urban Planning Curriculum", Journal of Geography in Higher Education. Vol. 27, #3 (November 2003). pp. 297-308.

"University Extension and Urban Planning Programs: An Efficient Partnership". Journal of Extension. Vol. 41 # 1 (February 2003). pp. 1-9.

" Opportunity Lost: A Clash between Politics, Planning and Design in Defense Housing for Pittsfield Massachusetts", Journal of Planning History. Vol. 2, # 1 (Winter 2003) pp. 25-46.

Indicadores de Medida do Sucesso Economico, Economia and Prospectiva, Special Issue, #15/16, (June 2001) pp. 213-237.

Measuring the Effectiveness of Downtown Revitalization Strategies, Commercial Urbanismo Comercial em Portugal e a Necessidade de uma Nova Gestão Urbana. Edited by Balsas, C. et al. Lisbon: URBE and CMPV Press. (2002) pp. 43-48.

Waterfront Planning and Brownfield Redevelopment in Massachusetts, The Changing Coast. Published by EUROCOAST/EUCC: Porto, Portugal. (2002) pp. 295-303.

Benchmarking: Measurable Indicators of Economic Success. Economic Development Journal, Vol. 1, #2 (Spring 2002) pp.42-52.

The Changing Character of Economic Development, News and Views: American Planning Association, the Economic Development Division Newsletter. (Summer 2002).