At its heart, community economic development is about understanding place. We seek to understand how people live and work, to help create thriving communities statewide.
Our faculty research how economic growth, relocation, and changing labor markets affect the economy of communities across Wisconsin, especially in rural areas. Our work is geared towards informing governments, decision makers, business owners and community members. Trying to understand paths forward for rural economies in today’s world is especially challenging, requiring a focus on innovation, alternative development strategies, the role of women in business, and more.
Community Economics Development News
Lending practices of banks and credit unions before and during the Great Recession
Jordan van Rijn studied how loan decisions affected the performance of two types of financial institutions during an economic crisis.
Do driving restrictions affect urban housing markets?
Rhiannon Jerch examined if a policy that restricted urban car driving changed housing costs and home buying preferences in Beijing.
Property rights, land use and economic development
Dustin Frye studied how the complex history of property rights on Native American reservations has affected land development and cultivation.
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Community Economic Development Courses
AAE 306: The Real Estate Process Introductory survey course. Decision-making processes for the manufacture, marketing, management and financing of real estate space. Survey of institutional context, economics of urbanization, historical pattern and structure of city growth, and public policy issues regarding urban environment and business management.
AAE 520: Community Economic Analysis Economic theory (location and growth) applicable to community economic development; the role of private and public sector in local economic development, and techniques for economic analysis of community.
