Innovating for Growth: A Gateway Cities Symposium
On October 23, 2013, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development and the Innovation Institute at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative brought together leaders from four Gateway Cities in Massachusetts (Holyoke, Lowell, New Bedford, and Worcester) at Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Gateway Park. This event, titled “Innovating for Growth: A Gateway Cities Symposium”, was a full day of dynamic discussion on how each of these cities are working to grow their Innovation Economy, as well as an exchange of ideas on ways to promote “entrepreneurship for all,” potential challenges to each city's economic future, and ways to overcome those challenges.
The day’s proceedings were documented by the amazing staff at the Urban Initiative at UMass Dartmouth, which generated the report available here. This publication captures the discussion between an innovative policymaker in Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and noted entrepreneur Desh Deshpande, focused on the power of entrepreneurship and innovation in Gateway Cities, as well as the importance of public-private partnerships.
Gateway Cities Report
Working with MassINC and the Brookings Institute, the Innovation Institute undertook a rigorous study to examine whether and how major Massachusetts cities can position themselves to become gateways for future economic development.
We looked at eleven cities, with populations over 35,000, including Brockton, Fall River, Fitchburg, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, New Bedford, Springfield, Pittsfield, and Worcester.
Entitled Reconnecting Massachusetts Gateway Cities: Lessons Learned and an Agenda for Renewal, the Project collected economic and demographic data on these cities, interview public and private regional leaders examine the development plans of comparable cities across the country, and develop a roadmap for urban economic development in the knowledge economy, for each of these cities.
