Copyright (c) 2009 All rights reserved. http://works.bepress.com/john_mullin Recent documents in John R Mullin en-us Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:44:57 PST 3600 http://works.bepress.com/john_mullin/57 http://works.bepress.com/john_mullin/57 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:28:51 PST Academics who teach either economic development or industrial policy courses struggle to find a core text to support their courses. Typically they borrow material from business, economics, political science, or public policy and blend articles into a reader that is rearely comprehensive and often lacks continuity. For this reason alone, these academics will be quite pleased to learn of John Accordino's new text, The United States in the Global Economy: Challenges and Policy Choices. John Mullin Global Economy http://works.bepress.com/john_mullin/56 http://works.bepress.com/john_mullin/56 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:17:20 PST Despite long odds, some distressed, high unemployment regions in the United States survive, revitalize, and prosper. While there are many reasons for their success, we hypothesize that a strong sense of community helps make bearable the anger, frustration, despair, and irrationality that accompany high job losses in a region. John Mullin Mills and mill-work http://works.bepress.com/john_mullin/55 http://works.bepress.com/john_mullin/55 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:30:34 PDT Over the past five years the Center for Economic Development has been actively involved in industrial planning activities in virtually every community in the Valley. At times our work has been as local as developing a zoning amendment for an industrial park or preparing an overall economic development program. At other times it has been focused on broad policy aspects such as Governor Weld's recent initiative on improving our economic posture, or participating in the recovery of the WestMass Development Corporation. Throughout our work on approximately 40 different projects, plans and studies, we have been consistently amazed at the degree of change that is occurring. The Valley certainly is not a stagnant place! At times it looks its age and well it should: it is one of the oldest industrial centers in the nation. At other times it is robust and innovative as the Millitechs, Eco Sciences, and National Evaluation Systems are nurtured and move into production. We are regularly asked what this change will mean to the Valley as we move toward the 21st century. It is a difficult question to answer. However, there are some indicators that we believe provide an accurate depiction of where the Valley is going. John Mullin Industrialization Pioneer Valley http://works.bepress.com/john_mullin/54 http://works.bepress.com/john_mullin/54 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:20:42 PDT Bondi's Island is so pungently smelly that it is a negative influence on where we live, work, play and invest. If we do not correct the problem quickly, the image of our region as a special place will erode dramatically. Further, this problem does not belong to Springfield alone. It is one that requires strong regional and state participation. John Mullin Bondi's Island http://works.bepress.com/john_mullin/53 http://works.bepress.com/john_mullin/53 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:33:05 PDT The book consists of a group of papers developed for one of a series of symposia to celebrate the centennial birthday of the University of Stockholm. It was organized by the University's Departments of History, History of Art and Human Geography. Invitees included scholars from Sweden, Britain, Finland, Denmark and the United States. John Mullin City planning http://works.bepress.com/john_mullin/52 http://works.bepress.com/john_mullin/52 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:53:05 PDT Home building generates substantial local economic activity, including income, jobs, and revenue for state and local governments. These far exceed the school costs-to-property-tax ratios. Furthermore, balanced growth, the availability of homes that match the character of the jobs, plays a significant role in attracting sustainable economic development. John Mullin Housing in Massachusetts http://works.bepress.com/john_mullin/51 http://works.bepress.com/john_mullin/51 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:29:13 PDT Communities increasingly see their economic development goal as one of attracting job-generating industrial development and face the need to develop a plan that will achieve this goal. Communities need to know a great deal to succeed at what has become a formidable task, and many have few resources to hire experienced planners to assist them. This chapter is intended to provide information to communities and others that may be embarking on just such planning. The consulting we have undertaken around the country has shown us firsthand the rapid changes that are taking place in the economy and how communities will need to be resourceful and creative if they are going to succeed at self-preservation while at the same time attracting new jobs. John Mullin Preserving and Enhancing Communities http://works.bepress.com/john_mullin/50 http://works.bepress.com/john_mullin/50 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:51:12 PDT Over the past decade we have been involved in more than fifty economic development projects in cities and towns across the Pioneer Valley. These have ranged from the revitalization of older industrial areas in Springfield, the development of incubator facilities in Chicopee, the reuse of the Waverly Mill in Adams to the siting of a new industrial park in Deerfield. In each case we are almost always questioned about how a community could encourage the next Pratt and Whitney Digital or BMW plant to come to our region. Upon hearing the question, we point out that there are only 1200 major plant location decisions made in a typical year and that there are 20,000 industrial development commissions chasing these companies. We also point out, that all things considered, home-grown, home-owned businesses bring a comprehensive set of assets to a community that are most often of greater value than, for example, a branch plant of a multinational company. We base our perspective on the following six points: John Mullin Home Grown Companies http://works.bepress.com/john_mullin/49 http://works.bepress.com/john_mullin/49 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:30:31 PDT Last fall, two of New England's oldest planners were sitting on the top of Mount Monadnock when they were approached by a group of graduate students. After a brief spell of friendly conversation, several students asked the wise ones for sage advice on the pitfalls of local planning. With a glint in their eyes and a sense of puckish humor they started to outline forty ways in which a newly minted planner could short circuit his/her career. And so, in what they hope will be taken with a great grain of salt, they listed the following. John Mullin Local Planning - Humor http://works.bepress.com/john_mullin/48 http://works.bepress.com/john_mullin/48 Mon, 03 Aug 2009 06:18:59 PDT This paper is a description and analysis of the plan for the rebuilding of Lisbon following the earthquake of 1755. This tremor was so devastating that the entire city centre, the Baixa, ceased to exist. From this chaos emerged the Marques de Pombal who, with the approval of the King, immediately brought order and began to develop efforts to create the new Lisbon. The effort first focused upon the development of four options that included rebuilding the city as it was, reconstructing the city with minimal improvements to the street pattern, undertaking a total rebuilding effort or starting fresh on a new site. After considerable analysis, Pombal selected the option to build under the 'clean slate' option. After selection of this option, the planners created six detailed plans. After considerable review, the dos Santos concept was selected. These six plans, designed largely by military engineers, were created with the intent of furthering Pombal's goal of creating a city that reflected new values. The city was to reflect a society in which the citizen, the merchant and the bureaucrat took precedence over the crown, church and nobility. The results were indeed a new Lisbon. John R. Mullin Reconstruction of Lisbon