Arizona Statewide Economic Study 2002

Summaries of Arizona Studies and Rankings

Arizona Studies
Over the last ten years, there have been many seminal studies by groups of public and private sector leaders examining elements of Arizona’s economy and related public policy issues. While they have been conducted at different times by distinct groups of civic leaders, many of the key findings cut across the public policy lines to reach similar conclusions. A few of the most important ones are summarized in this section.

These studies were selected by the Technical Advisory Committee because they represent the most recent thinking on a range of issues from the environment (Brown Cloud) and policy (Five Shoes) to growth management (Growing Smarter) and emerging technologies (Arizona Partnership for the New Economy). It was important to include comparable studies from various parts of the state (Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies). The issues raised in the Arizona Town Hall’s recent report, “Moving All of Arizona into the 21^st Century Economy,” presage many of the findings of the Statewide Economic Study.

Arizona at the Crossroads: Strategic Assessment (ASPED)

Arizona Partnerships for the New Economy (APNE)

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)

Five Shoes Waiting to drop on Arizona’s Future

The Governor’s Brown Cloud Summit

Growth Management and Open Space Protection in Arizona

Moving all of Arizona into the 21st Century Economy & Report of the 78th Arizona Town Hall

Rankings
Economic development professionals and business leaders frequently rely on national compilations of state and local rankings to determine the attractiveness of a location for business location or expansion. The methodologies used to develop these rankings vary widely. However, they can be useful benchmarks to track perceived and real progress in certain categories.

The Technical Advisory Committee identified a series of national rankings commonly used by economic development professionals to provide a sampling of the most widely-referenced assessments.

America’s High-Tech Economy: Growth, Development and Risks for Metropolitan Areas

Arizona’s Report Card for Higher Education

Arizona’s Report Card for Public Education

Development Report Card for the States, 2000-01

The State New Economy Index