Seizing the Moment: How Regional Economic Development Councils Can Build a Good Jobs Economy examines the current proposal to create Regional Economic Development Councils to serve as New York’s flagship jobs program. The report argues that Regional Councils must transform the state’s economic development programs from wasteful corporate giveaways into coordinated and outcome-oriented job creation programs that deliver good jobs and broad community benefits.
The report features several positive and negative case studies within New York and draws from best practices across the country to make the case that it is possible to improve current economic development efforts. The report contains concrete recommendations that emphasize using performance standards, accountability measures and transparency reforms as baseline criteria for evaluating development projects, and also puts forward a vision for high-performance regional economic development that focuses on creating sustainable, long-term strategic plans to improve our regional economies.