Creating Livable Communities: An Economic Development Strategy

1. Creating Livable Communities: An Economic Development Strategy By Will Andresen, UW Extension – Iron County Anna Haines, UWEX, Center for Land Use Education Laura Lee, UW – Marshfield/Wood County Linda Stoll, Center for Land Use Education Tracey Mofle – UW – Barron County Doug Miskowiak – Center for Land Use Education

2. Outline • Focus on Economic Development • Physical characteristics of place matter • Natural resources and amenities • Vibrant downtown • Community designed for people • Project Elements • Interviews and Focus Groups - CLUE • Mapping – UW Colleges • College Student Survey - CLUE

3. Rationale for Project Quality of Life Health and Fitness Environmental Concerns Safety Economic Development

4. Traditional Approaches Business Recruitment Business Retention and Expansion Entrepreneurship Industry Clusters Regional Collaboration

5. Recent Research Richard Florida’s “Creative Class” Michigan “Cool Cities” Survey Rebecca Ryan’s “Next Generation” Sources: Richard Florida. The Rise of the Creative Class. Page 95. Michigan Economic Development Commission. “Michigan Cool Cities Survey: Summary of Findings”. Page 8. Rebecca Ryan. Live First, Work Second: Getting Inside the Head of the Next Generation. Page 12.

7. Top Five Location Decision Making Factors • Safe Streets – 93% • Affordable – 90% • Walkable Streets – 87% • Many Different Jobs – 83% • Place for Family – 79% • Source: Michigan Economic Development Commission. “Michigan Cool Cities Survey: Summary of Findings”. Pages 10-11.

8. What the Literature Says • Life-long Learning • Greenspace/Recreation/Natural Resources • Third Places/Vibrant Downtowns • Community Identity • Transportation – Walkable/Bikable,Transit • Health/Health Care • Culture • Services – Cell Phone/High Speed Internet • Retail • Safety • Local Food Supply

9. Case StudyMarshfield, WI – Pop. 18,000+Rice Lake, WI – Pop. 8,100+ • Conduct personal interviews with HR personnel: • Community features? • Community gaps? • Conduct focus groups: • Why did you come? • Will you stay? • What would make it better? • What role do the preferences found in the literature review play?

10. Results – Interviews and Focus Groups • Jobs first – then location • Locate closer to family or recreational preferences • Lack of preferences can be deal breakers • Lack of job for spouse is a big concern When making the choice between relatively equal positions – amenitiesmatter

11. Amenity Preferences are Age Sector Specific • Young/Senior professionals: • walking/biking network • diverse recreational activities including silent sports • vibrant downtowns with unique, trendy social and cultural activities/restaurants • national brand shopping • high-speed internet mandatory! • big events, festivals • resume builders/healthcare

12. Amenity Preferences, cont. • Professionals with families: • walking and biking to schools and parks • recreational opportunities for children and families (Regional parks, Y or Community Center), • quality, budget-friendly shopping with a few adult high-end stores, • kid-friendly restaurants with a few high-end and ethnic restaurants • family centered events • healthcare

13. Challenges to Change • Current Senior and Recently Retired Community Members • comfortable and reluctant to change • close friends live in community • good health care • convenient parking • local coffee shops and supper clubs • budget-minded stores • will travel for social activities, “snow birds” • fiscally conservative

14. Mapping Walking/biking layers Query: Can you walk/bike between 1st and 2nd Places? Mapping 3rd places Query: What do you have, where is it located and can you walk/bike to it? Query: what changes can have the biggest impact?

15. Legend Intersection_Traffic_Signals " ) BicycleTrails Streets_Biking <all other values> SAFEBIKE1 NOTSAFE " ) SAFE FirstPlaces SecondPlaces ) " ) " " ) " ) ) " ) " ) " " ) " ) " ) ) " " ) " ) ) " ) " " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) ) " ) " " ) " ) ) " " ) " ) ) " 0 2,375 4,750 9,500 Feet “Connectedness” Of First and Second Places in Marshfield, WI (Biking)

16. Legend " ) Intersection_Traffic_Signals BicycleTrails Streets_Walking <all other values> Safety_1 ??? " ) NOTSAFE SAFE FirstPlaces SecondPlaces " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) 0 2,375 4,750 9,500 Feet “Connectedness” Of First and Second Places in Marshfield, WI (Walking)

17. Legend 3rd Places Bars & Taverns 3rd Places Restaurants " ) Intersection_Traffic_Signals BicycleTrails Streets_Biking <all other values> SAFEBIKE1 NOTSAFE ) " SAFE Parks <all other values> SUBTYPE Conservancy " ) Park " ) ) " ) " " ) ) " ) " ) " " ) " ) ) " ) " ) " " ) " ) " ) " ) ) " " ) " ) " ) ) " ) " " ) " ) ) " ) " ) " ) " 0 2,375 4,750 9,500 Feet Accessibility of Third Places in Marshfield, WI (Biking)

18. Legend 3rd Places Bars & Taverns 3rd Places Restaurants " ) Intersection_Traffic_Signals BicycleTrails Streets_Walking <all other values> Safety_1 " ) ??? NOTSAFE SAFE Parks <all other values> " ) SUBTYPE " ) ) " Conservancy Park ) " ) " ) " " ) ) " " ) " ) ) " ) " ) " " ) " ) ) " ) " " ) " ) " ) " ) " ) ) " " ) ) " ) " " ) " ) ) " 0 2,375 4,750 9,500 Feet Accessibility of Third Places in Marshfield, WI (Walking)

19. Summary of Mapping Data • In general, first and second places are not well-connected • N/S and E/W 4-lane roads with heavy traffic divide Marshfield into four quadrants • Walking and biking between quadrants can be difficult • Most third places are congregated along major 4-lane roads and can be difficult to walk or bike to

20. Results – Student Survey • UWSP juniors and seniors • 380 respondents from all 4 colleges Table 5: Dream Job and Location

21. Location and Recreation Chi-square: value – 12.238; df – 4; p-value - .016

22. Importance of Recreational Opportunities

23. Entertainment Opportunities

24. Conclusions • The case study communities are not destinations – few people move there first and then look for a job • When a knowledge worker is deciding to accept a job or deciding between two jobs, being a “livable community” matters • If you want to keep knowledge workers, being a “livable community” is critical

25. Next Steps • Applied for additional funding • Two additional cases • Larger city – 50,000+ • Smaller community – 5,000- • Volunteer community – testing tool • Course development

26. Next Steps • Applied for additional funding • Two additional cases • Larger city – 50,000+ • Smaller community – 5,000- • Volunteer community – testing tool • Course development

27. Recommendations • ED diversity • Know who you are and where you want to go • Pay attention to place

28. Questions • Contact Information • Anna Haines - 715-346-2386; ahaines@uwsp.edu • Linda Stoll - 715-346-4853 lstoll@uwsp.edu • Will Andresen - 715-561-2695 will.andresen@ces.uwex.edu • Laura Lee - 715-389-6524 llee@uwc.edu