Brookings Institution Honors District’s Public/Private Collaboration in Economic Development

Washington, DC has been designated as a winner of the 2007 Urban Markets Pathfinder Awards. Sponsored by the Urban Markets Initiative at the Brooking Institution, the award acknowledges excellence in “Capturing Market Potential by Investing in Communities.” A presentation ceremony will take place during the District of Columbia reception on May 21 at the International Council of Shopping Centers Spring Convention in Las Vegas. The Washington, DC Economic Partnership received specific acknowledgement for its mission of promoting business opportunities throughout the District of Columbia and creating linkages among disparate parties to foster collaborative work efforts. The announcement by the Brookings Institution specifically mentioned publications produced by the Economic Partnership, including DC By the Numbers, Neighborhood Profiles and Neighborhood Retail Opportunities.

In a letter to District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty, the announcement of the award emphasized the collaborative nature of economic development, citing that “[A]ppropriate access to goods and retail services must be a part of any agenda to create healthy communities. For some retailers, making an investment decision requires a different perspective, one that enables a more accurate assessment of a neighborhood’s economic strengths and weaknesses. Your success in bringing retail to Washington, DC’s 14th Street corridor has demonstrated that, with the right frame of reference, the public and private sectors can fill critical gaps in urban markets while still enabling retailers to operate at a profit. The establishment of, and continued support for, the Washington, DC Economic Partnership was instrumental in producing material for neighborhood marketing. This nonprofit, public/private partnership promotes economic development throughout the city by compiling information on business and development opportunities within neighborhoods, and by linking disparate parties for collaborative work. This type of partnership exemplifies the positive impact that government agencies can have on economic development and urban markets throughout the city.”

Recognition of the work of the Economic Partnership was a welcome acknowledgement to the diligent efforts of our staff, in particular, Chad Shuskey, Director of Information Technology and Research, and Lauren Gertzman, Graphic Designer, who are largely responsible for the publications. The announcement was well timed and coincided with the recent release of the 2007 Neighborhood Retail Opportunities book, which features 200 retail development projects throughout the District of Columbia and demographic data tracked by neighborhood across the city. More details of this new publication may be found in the accompanying story.