FOUNDATIONS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLANNING AND POLICY I
PUBP 8110S/CP 6231 | Spring 1996 | Dr. Philip Shapira

Assignment 4 - Final

40% of grade; assigned 5/15; due 5/31

Please answer one of the following questions:

1. What is the relationship between entrepreneurship and economic development? In what regions and under what conditions can we expect to find higher levels of entrepreneurship? How--if at all--can economic development policy and planning promote the development of entrepreneurial regions? What specific policies would be most effective and for what reasons?
2. Analyze the problems facing U.S. inner city communities and consider the role of economic development policy in addressing these issues. In your answer, please consider what economic development strategies and initiatives you believe would be most effective in the inner city, and why? Who should be involved in designing and implementing inner city economic development strategies and are there other policies and initiatives (beyond economic development) which you believe are necessary for successful implementation of inner city economic development strategies?
3. Consider a town or city you know well--perhaps where you grew up or where you live now. A community organization in the area has asked you to prepare an overall economic development strategy. Write a memo to them describing how you would set about this task. To motivate your discussion, you should briefly describe the character of the economy of the area, how it has been changing, and the problems and opportunities you see. Then devote most of your effort to considering what the process for strategy development might be and how you would accomplish this. Possible topics you might cover include: the elements the strategy might contain, the information you might need, the analyses you would wish to undertake, who you would consult, how different groups in the area might be involved, and what deliverables would be produced. How would you try to make sure any process and strategy recommendations could be implemented.

Logistics

Your paper should be typed, double-spaced, and around 3,000-3,300 words in length. Use appropriate references (and an accepted reference style), employing materials you have read in this course or elsewhere. Papers are due on May 31, 1996, by 4.00 PM in my mailbox, Room 110, DM Smith. (Graduating students: please make special arrangements with the instructor to deliver your paper several days earlier, before the grade deadline for graduates in your program.) If you have questions about the paper, you are encouraged to consult with the instructor, either in person or through email (at philip.shapira@pubpolicy.gatech.edu).

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