Our Work
Downtown Business Mix Analysis: Midwest Cities with Population between 25,000 and 75,000
What types of businesses and services are located downtown today? What characteristics describe downtown differences in suburban and independent cities? What downtowns have a dense mix of businesses, employment, and residents? Introduction April 2020 — This study uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and business and demographic data to examine 259 cities (2010 population of 25,000-75,000) […]
April 15, 2020 Lunch N Learn: A Study Group Approach to Housing
Summary April 2020 — Kristin Runge and Sharon Lezberg discuss how communities can use a study group approach to address housing needs, looking at Waunakee in Dane County as a case study. Webinar Recording Additional Materials Lunch-n-Learn-Housing-Study-Groups Explore Our Lunch-n-Learn Series
The Changing Facades of Downtown: A La Crosse, Wisconsin Success Story (Issue 190, April 2020)
(Image Source: Jakob Braun / Unsplash) April 2020 — In May 2016 when Travis Gaarder purchased the downtown property at 111 4th Street North, he began his plan for improvements. The two-story building was only assessed at $45,300 and both floors were vacant. The last known tenant on the first floor was in the 1980s […]
April 8, 2020 Lunch N Learn: Broadband in Rural Economic Development
Summary Tessa Conroy discusses the role of broadband and Internet access in Economic Development across Wisconsin as part of UW-Extension’s Lunch n’ Learn series. Webinar Recording Additional Materials Broadband in Rural Economic Development PowerPoint Explore Our Lunch-n-Learn Series
April 1, 2020 Lunch N Learn: Potential Impact of COVID-19 on the Tourism & Service Economy
Summary Matt Kures discusses potential impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on Wisconsin’s tourism and service economy, including estimated loss of revenue and employment. Webinar Recording Additional Materials Exposed: The Potential Impact of COVID-19 on the Tourism & Service Economy PowerPoint Explore Our Lunch-n-Learn Series
March 25, 2020 Lunch N Learn: A Systems Approach to Community Economic Development
Summary Steven Deller discusses the importance of a systems thinking approach – how the elements of a system are interconnected and influence each other – in community economic development. Webinar Recording Additional Materials Community Economic Development: A Systems Thinking Approach PowerPoint Explore Our Lunch-n-Learn Series
February 6, 2020 Lunch N Learn: Getting Access to Childcare: Why? How? and Who to Work With?
Summary Tessa Conroy discusses the status of child care in Wisconsin and has several guests discuss the strategies that they have seen or contributed to. These guests include: Jessie Small from Total Administrative Services Corporation (TASC) Courtney Berner from the UW Center for Cooperatives (UWCC) Paula Drew from the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA) Karl […]
WIndicators Volume 3, Number 1: Student Loan Debt: A Challenge for Wisconsin?
The growth in student debt in the United States has become a cause for concern. At the beginning of 2006, student debt, or loans taken out to pursue higher educational opportunities, was approximately $481 billion. By the beginning of 2019, that amount has grown to nearly $1.6 trillion (Figure 1a). While student loan debt remains smaller than consumer credit debt ($4.1 trillion) or mortgage debt ($15.5 trillion), the rate of growth of student debt is alarming.
January 8, 2020 Lunch N Learn: Wisconsin 2020-Community Economic Development at the Start of a New Decade
Summary Steven Deller discusses Community Development, Economic Development, and Community Economic Development and the differences between them. Webinar Recording Additional Materials What-is-Community-Economic-Development Explore Our Lunch-n-Learn Series
Current Trends in Retail: Looking Ahead to 2020 and Beyond (Issue 189, December 2019)
The US is significantly oversupplied with retail space. We have as much as 10-times the square feet per person as Germany. This has contributed to as many as 10,000 store closures this year. Smaller community malls have been hurt the most. Those that remain open typically operate at a vacancy rate of 10% or more. […]
WIndicators Volume 2, Number 7: Social Capital in Wisconsin
Numerous communities across Wisconsin encourage and support resident participation in local initiatives. These are places with high volunteerism rates where members can undertake constructive conversations about issues facing the community. Newcomers, along with their ideas and input, are welcomed. Sometimes, it is said that these communities have high levels of “social capital”.
The Contributions of Health Care Services to the Wisconsin Economy with a Focus on Hospitals
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY October 2019 — The intent of this study is to update prior analysis documenting the contribution of hospitals to the Wisconsin economy. For this update we use the most recently available data (2016) and expand the analysis to also consider non-hospital related health care sectors. The health care sector remains one of the […]
