Dan Houston has confirmed as a speaker at the 2010 Annual Conference of the American Planning Association in New Orleans.  Details to come.

In 2007, Civic Economics was privileged to work with Interface Studio of Philadelphia and Sam Schwartz Engineering of Chicago on a plan for the Wicker Park-Bucktown neighborhood on Chicago’s north side.  That project has since won three significant awards:

• The National Planning Excellence Award for Public Outreach from the American Planning Association
• A Charter Award from the Illinois Chapter of the Congress for New Urbanism
• A Special Achievement Award from American Council of Engineering Companies – Illinois

Civic Economics is pleased to note that our work in retail economics was featured in three of the world’s leading news sources in recent weeks:

The Economist featured our pivotal role in providing the economic foundation of the growing “shop local” movement around the world.

The Christian Science Monitor described our role in developing import substitution as a key component of mainstream economic development strategies.

Time featured the same research and its recent citations in support of local currencies, which encourage the highly localized exchange of goods and services.

Only recently did it come to our attention that our work is often cited by authors and scholars in books. With the help of Google Books, we have compiled a list of some of them for easy reference

Download Civic Economics In Print today.

Civic Economics is currently engaged in a number of exciting projects around the nation:

Milwaukee:
Working with Conservation Design Forum and Walk Studio, Civic Economics is preparing commercial and residential market analyses and strategies for a large swath of the city known as the Near North Side.

New Orleans:
The firm has just completed work on Independent Merchants and the New Orleans Economy: the Magazine Street Study. Conducted in collaboration with the Urban Conservancy with support from the Blue Moon Fund, the study carries forward our research into the economics of local retail and service provision. In addition, the findings make a strong case that revitalization efforts in damaged commercial districts should follow the historical urban model in the city rather than wholesale replacement of business districts with large format retailers.

El Paso:
Civic Economics has made an ongoing and open-ended commitment to assist the people of El Paso’s historic Segundo Barrio as the neighborhood works through two city planning initiatives. Our pro bono service is being guided by the Jesuit community at Sagrado Corazon church, which has served El Paso’s gateway neighborhood since 1893.

Spokane:
Civic Economics has recently completed a retail market analysis for the Spokane Tribe of Indians, who propose to develop a large regional shopping destination alongside a new casino resort in the town of Airway Heights.

Weatherford, TX:
Civic Economics is nearing completion of a retail market analysis and target recruitment strategy for the City of Weatherford, west of Fort Worth.

State of Kansas:
Civic Economics has been invited to return to Kansas as part of a team of consultants advising an ad hoc commission on the selection of casino developers and operators in Wyandotte and Sumner Counties.

From the beginning, Civic Economics has been committed to maintaining a diverse national practice.  We think it keeps our thinking fresh and exposes us to the best (and worst) practices across regions. 

It also makes for a lot of travel time. 

The map at right shows our work-related trips over the last few months, including multiple trips to several destinations.