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| Greetings! |
 WELCOME to the Campaign to Renew Pennsylvania's March 2007 E-Update. In this special issue, we'll link you to three new reports with significant findings about Pennsylvania's economy and system of governance.
Authored by the Brookings Institution, Pennsylvania Economy League and Pennsylvania State University, the studies sound a warning important for all Pennsylvanians to hear: Healthy communities are key to a healthy economy. But our laws and policies restrict our municipalities from governing for sensible growth. Outdated fiscal and governance systems are acting like a parking brake on our regional economies. The prescriptions for change are tough but doable.
The studies generated statewide media attention yesterday, an indication of the importance of this issue. From Meadville to Philadelphia, from Towanda to Pittsburgh, more than two dozen daily and weekly newspapers (as well as radio and television) carried stories or editorials about the reports. The headlines tell the tale: Pennsylvania's economic growth is hurt by outdated laws. Click HERE for links to news articles from around the state, and an opinion essay that appeared in the Harrisburg Patriot by Todd Vonderheid, RenewPA's director of strategy. |
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| Report: "Committing to Prosperity" |
 Brookings update shows progress, but more to be done
In a new report, "Committing to Prosperity: Moving Forward on the Agenda to Renew Pennsylvania," commissioned by RenewPA, the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program provides an update of its 2003 report, "Back to Prosperity." The update, while recognizing some positive developments, such as increased in-migration to the state, new urban revitalization, and job creation, confirms that Pennsylvania is still barely growing, that older communities continue to hollow out, and that the transitioning economy is still lagging. Ultimately, "Committing to Prosperity" urges Pennsylvania to go above and beyond incremental adjustments to enact deep, systemic change.
Click HERE to read the full report, the executive summary and ten separate regional profiles.
"Strengthening Rural Pennsylvania"
The trends identified by Brookings that signal economic challenges do impact all areas of the state, rural as well as metropolitan. Penn State researchers conducted listening sessions with citizens in rural communities across the Commonwealth, and found five common themes. "Sometimes we have a tendency to think of rural areas as being separate from urban and suburban areas, and we make decisions about each in a public-policy vacuum," said Ted Alter, Penn State professor of agricultural, environmental and regional economics. "We need to recognize that policy changes often create a domino effect that does not stop when it gets to rural Pennsylvania." Click HERE for the report. |
| Report: "Structuring Healthy Communities" |
 "Structuring Healthy Communities," conducted by the Pennsylvania Economy League, provides an assessment of fiscal trends affecting nearly all of Pennsylvania's 2,500 municipalities over the past 30 years. The analysis of municipal revenue from 1970 through 2003 found a systemic decline in the fiscal health of communities statewide, which cuts across all types of municipalities, in rural, suburban and urban areas, and in all regions of the state. The best fiscal management and programs of economic and community development are not enough to turn the tide within municipal boundaries, evidence suggests. These trends already impact more than 1,000 municipalities where more than half of Pennsylvanians live. Without new tools for community leaders, it's only a matter of time for the rest of the state. You can learn more about this report at the PEL website. |
| Stay Connected |
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| 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania |
 The Campaign to Renew Pennsylvania (RenewPA) is an initiative of 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania. RenewPA is dedicated to building partnerships and coalitions to improve the competitiveness of our regional economies, and the health and quality of life of our communities. 10,000 Friends is an alliance of organizations and individuals committed to promoting land use policies and actions that will enable Pennsylvania to strengthen its diverse urban, suburban and rural communities. Visit our website.
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