What do you all think? Has the EZ/EC program been effective in promoting central city revitalization in its chosen locations? Are businesses being started/relocated, and center city residents being hired? If not, where could the program improve? From what I can tell, having lived in three of these, the success seems anecdotal.
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EZ/EC program
- Thread starter oulevin
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To be quite honest, I have not seen any real changes in the EZ/EC areas throughout my city.
Cardinal
Cyburbian
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Sadly, I would agree that there is no consistent success. I would blame the mediocre showing on a failure for any "big picture" economic development planning and implementation program. Piecemeal solutions, as most EZ/EC designations are, will never be effective.
I'm most familiar with Chicago's EZ, and I would agree that there's no real evidence that it's been successful. There's been growth in employment in the EZ areas, but very little relocation of businesses.
I think the growth that happened in the EZ would've happened anyway, because of the economic growth of the '90s.
I think the growth that happened in the EZ would've happened anyway, because of the economic growth of the '90s.