Page 22 - Delaware Lawyer - Spring 2019

FEATURE
Brittany N. Forman, MPA, PMP and Stephen P. Mullin
Creating a
Challenges of economic development in small to mid-sized cities.
Cities are considered cool again. Recent research touts the resurgence of urban communities. Indeed, it is often cited that the majority (over 63 percent) of the American population lives in cities or their metropolitan regions.1 From millennials emerging in the professional world to baby boomers looking to downsize, people are flocking to walkable, transit- oriented urban communities that are rich with amenities. Despite the influx of residents and increasing public policy interest, it is important to remember that not all cities are alike.
20 DELAWARE LAWYER SPRING 2019
In 2017, the National League of Cities (NLC) published helpful research, titled Local Economic Conditions, which de-
scribed the factors that drive prosperity in small to mid-sized cities. NLC surveyed over 200 cities and categorized the juris- dictions by the characteristics of the local economy, including rural brain drains, major job centers, room to grow, cities on par and mid-sized business boomers.2
Wilmington falls into the “cities on par” category, which are places roughly between 50,000 to 100,000 in population with slow, but positive economic growth. Wilmington could also be categorized as a satellite city since it is located in the Phil- adelphia metropolitan region, but has its
own rich historical identity, central busi- ness core and bedroom communities. Advantages of Satellite Cities
There are numerous advantages that are distinct to satellite cities. The first and most obvious is location. Satellite cities inside metropolitan regions benefit from their proximity to large economic job centers. More specifically, they ben- efit from the increasing demand for urban living from millennial and baby boomers who are interested in walkable, dense ar- eas, while offering more affordable hous- ing and cost-of-living options. They often have superior transportation systems via a network of major highways and access to mass transit such as Amtrak and SEPTA,
Sense of Place