Economic Development Strategy, Planning, and Evaluation
Mt. Auburn provides a full range of consulting services in the field of economic development analysis and strategy. Working with a variety of public and private organizations, the firm creates effective economic development policies and programs that promote economic growth and stability, job generation, and the improved functioning of capital markets.
recent projects
Utilizing Tax Incentives to Cultivate Cultural Industries and Spur Arts-Related Development
Parks and Beaches: Common Cents for the Commonwealth
Economic Vitality & Competitive Cities
Louisiana: Where Culture Means Business
World Trade Center Economic Recovery: Rebuilding the Economy of Lower Manhattan
World
Trade Center Economic Recovery:
Rebuilding the Economy of Lower Manhattan
Mt. Auburn Associates was hired by ESD in
early 2004 to develop a public policy record of ESD actions to respond
to the September 11th attacks. Through interviews with participants
inside and outside ESD, Mt. Auburn was asked to provide a history of
ESD’s response to the disaster and to make recommendations at the
policy/program design and implementation level.
Mt. Auburn’s work focused primarily on ESD’s business outreach
efforts, early economic recovery activity, and the design and
implementation of its business loan and grant programs.
The recently released report found that ESD exhibited early, strong,
well-informed, and decisive management of the recovery process. Recovery
programs, which included loans, grants, and technical assistance,
reached a large proportion of impacted businesses in Lower Manhattan and
were implemented in a timely fashion. A number of factors contributed to
the rapid response. A clear and fast decision by Governor Pataki to
designate one entity, ESD, in the leadership role for economic recovery
minimized turf battles. ESD stressed goals of speed and flexibility in
the design and implementation of recovery programs. ESD’s existing
infrastructure of data, information systems, and business relationships
also played a critical role.
Prior to September 11th, 2001, relatively little attention had been paid
to the resources needed for economic and business, as distinct from
physical or environmental, recovery from a large-scale disaster. As a
result, the federal funding programs tapped to support economic recovery
were often a poor fit for the task. The federal funding programs were
essential to the economic recovery but their use required time consuming
negotiations of necessary waivers and administrative burdens for record
keeping that did not fit the profile of businesses seeking assistance.
The report recommends federal laws and policies be reviewed and revised
to address the economic recovery needs of a large-scale disaster. The
report also recommends that state and local governments, with the help
of the Department of Homeland Security, should be better prepared for
economic emergencies.
By formalizing the lessons learned from the World Trade Center disaster
recovery, ESD has already helped others. ESD officials made two trips to
Louisiana to assist that state in its post-Kartina economic recovery
effort.
For the full report, click here.
