Library

Reports: Business competitiveness

Building an American Energy Future for All
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, February 2025, 21 pp.
Creating a better energy future for Americans depends on expanding reliable and affordable power sources, including clean energy. This report presents recommendations focusing on the economic and environmental benefits of energy investment in local communities. more info >

Promotiong Community Vitality and Sustainability: The Community Capitals Framework
North Dakota State University, June 2024, 5 pp.
This publication presents an approach to rural community economic development. It is intended to improve residents' quality of life, promote a stronger local economy, and enhance a region's environmental health. more info >

Understanding the Cost to Deliver High-Quality Publicly Funded Pre-Kindergarten Programs
RAND Corporation, May 2021, 48 pp.
This report examines seven pre-K systems across six jurisdictions and estimates the cost of a high-quality pre-K program. It also explores whether state-provided funding is adequate to cover the costs of providing high-quality programs. more info >

Building Resilient Rural Places: Strategies from Local Leaders To Strengthen Rural Assets, Diversity, and Dynamism
Brookings Institute, December 2020
A research series focused on effective solutions for rural economic and community development and innovative efforts underway to implement them. Each briefs highlights locally tailored economic development strategies that value and build upon place-based assets and which have generated success in fostering rural economies and opportunities. more info >

Community Ties: Understanding what attaches people to the place where they live
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, May 2020, 44 pp.
To understand what attaches people to the places they live, this study surveyed over 11,000 Americans living in 26 metro areas throughout the United States where Knight Foundation works. more info >

State of the Heartland: Factbook 2018
Brookings Institute, November 2018, 110 pp.
This report benchmarks the performance of the 19-state American “Heartland” on 26 socioeconomic measures and is intended to help Heartland leaders and citizens better comprehend the region’s current trajectory at a time of rapid economic and social change. more info >

Framework for Creating a Smart Growth Economic Development Strategy A Tool for Small Cities and Towns
United States Environmental Protection Agency, August 2016, 38 pp.
A step-by-step guide to building a place-based economic development strategy which is based on building upon existing assets, taking incremental actions to strengthen communities, and building long-term value to attract a range of investments. more info >

Building Assets Through Microenterprise
The Aspen Institute, January 2014, 12 pp.
Strategies being used by microenterprise development programs to help low-income families improve their financial footing, acquire assets and build wealth. more info >

Web sites

Prosperity Now Scorecard
Ranks the 50 states and the District of Columbia on performance measures in the areas of Financial Security, Business Development, Homeownership, Health Care and Education. more info >

Rural Grocery Stores: Ownership Models and Tips
This site examines some common ownership models used by individuals and communities to address the need for local grocery stores in rural communities. more info >