The Meds and Eds in Urban Economic Development

Abstract

: Medical and higher education institutions have become centerpieces of urban economies, employing large numbers, purchasing goods and services, and anchoring neighborhoods by their land investments. Perhaps even more important in the knowledge economy of the twenty‐first century, these knowledge‐generating institutions help cities compete for growth. Yet the literature on urban economic development neglects them. Using Philadelphia as a case study, this article asks whether local and state policymakers have enacted policies to promote the meds and eds. It finds that, far from supporting these institutions, public officials have withdrawn support from them during the 1990s. State government has been shifting subsidies away from the institutions in favor of subsidizing their customers (i.e., patients, students). And municipal officials have challenged the tax‐exempt status of major nonprofit institutions. The article concludes that if policy makers recognized these as leading export sectors of the urban economy, they would be more supportive.

Transformation of the Urban Health Care Safety Net

“…9 In addition to health services, many safetynet providers are a source of assistance such as employment, affordable housing, language translation, and education; they are part of the overarching social welfare network and have connections with family services, food banks, and day-care facilities 3 and are stabilizers of local economics. 10 Financing the safety net…”

Airports in their urban settings: towards a conceptual model of interfaces in the Australian context

“…The economic interface recognises airport and regional potential alongside other economic anchors such as universities, hospitals, national parks, arts and cultural centres which provide the intellectual, cultural, natural and civic assets of the region (Adams, 2003;Maurrasse, 2007). Through strategic cooperation, economic benefits may be leveraged for both the airport and the region by nurturing and providing for appropriate commercial development and linkages in line with regional assets (Adelaide workshop, 2008).…”

Chains and Ladders: Exploring the Opportunities for Workforce Development and Poverty Reduction in the Hospital Sector

“…The shift toward treatment in outpatient care settings due to advances in medical technology, changing consumer preferences, and cost containment measures, specifically, the lowering of government and private reimbursements for inpatient care (Adams, 2003;Engel, 1999;Federal Trade Commission & U.S. Department of Justice, 2004;Langabeer, 2007;Robinson, 1994), has challenged the dominance of hospitals in recent years. The shift toward treatment in outpatient care settings due to advances in medical technology, changing consumer preferences, and cost containment measures, specifically, the lowering of government and private reimbursements for inpatient care (Adams, 2003;Engel, 1999;Federal Trade Commission & U.S. Department of Justice, 2004;Langabeer, 2007;Robinson, 1994), has challenged the dominance of hospitals in recent years.…”