Browsing by Author "Cobb-Dennard, Jamar"

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    Recommendations for a Thriving Indiana
    (IU Public Policy Institute, 2016-03) Littlepage, Laura; Lawrence, R. Mark; Klacik, Drew; Marron, John; Palmer, Jamie L.; Burow, Sue; Merritt, Breanca; Spalding, Ronnetta; Wyeth, Debbie; Cobb-Dennard, Jamar; Glaze, Brittany; Camacho-Reyes, Karla
    When it comes to Indiana, one size does not fit all. Our state is blessed with open spaces and small, rural communities reminiscent of simpler times, friends on front porches, or a Norman Rockwell painting. At the other end of the spectrum is Indianapolis, the 14th largest city in America, and urban communities from Gary to New Albany, Evansville to Fort Wayne. In between are cities, suburbs, towns, and rural communities of various shapes and sizes. All have differing assets, opportunities, and needs. So Thriving Communities, Thriving State is, in essence, three studies in one: an urban communities study, a mid-sized communities study, and a rural/small communities study (see definitions on page 2). This report is a summary of those three reports. The work was informed by three commissions composed of people from many walks of life in each kind of community. The research, analysis, and resulting recommendations were guided by their knowledge of the kinds of communities in which they live, work, and serve. Thriving Communities, Thriving State, produced community-based recommendations that require policy decisions at the local, regional, and state levels. In other words, it’s not only what Indiana can do for its communities, but also what communities can do for themselves and the state. All three commissions prioritized: • Education/workforce preparation • Leadership and engagement • Quality of life and quality of place In addition to these overlapping goals, the commissions each identified other areas including government innovation/local control, entrepreneurship, and acceptance of diversity.
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    Recommendations for Thriving Urban Communities
    (IU Public Policy Institute, 2016-03) Klacik, Drew; Cobb-Dennard, Jamar; Camacho-Reyes, Karla; Littlepage, Laura; Lawrence, R. Mark
    In January 2015, 19 commissioners from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors in urban communities came together with one researcher and one facilitator to determine what a thriving urban Indiana should look like. In subsequent meetings over 15 months, commissioners developed strategies and recommendations for how urban Indiana communities could maximize their contributions to a thriving state. Thriving Communities, Thriving State is a Policy Choices project of the Indiana University Public Policy Institute. Informed by a representative group of community leaders and other stakeholders, it explores state and local strategies and policies that can help Indiana communities of all sizes thrive and fulfill their critical roles in attracting businesses, new business investment, and workers to Indiana. Instead of examining local issues on a one-size-fits-all basis, Thriving Communities, Thriving State frames Indiana’s changing demographic and economic realities for three kinds of communities: • Urban: First- or second-class cities that have been among the 10 largest cities since 1900, generally with a population of 50,000+ • Mid-sized: 15,000+ population in 2010 that are not included in urban • Rural/small town: Small towns are those not captured above with a population between 5,000 and 15,000 or a seat of county government smaller than 5,000. For the purposes of these designations, small communities and unincorporated areas are considered to be rural.