The Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program hired RW Ventures and Alen Amirkhanien to complete a preliminary assessment of Kansas City’s economy in the context of the Heartland region. This study scans key aspects of Kansas City’s economy to identify growth opportunities worth examining further. The research focused in particular on four strategic areas that affect economic performance: industry composition, functional and occupational concentrations, knowledge and innovation, and regional connectivity.

These reports exemplify a line of work conducted with MetroEdge for the Annie E. Casey Foundation and other community development institutions across the country. RW Ventures conducts specialized market analysis to assess the economic potential of urban neighborhoods, particularly for the purpose of commercial development. Using specialized metrics, data and software, we can evaluate the market opportunity for commercial development in specific neighborhoods and locations, providing community and government leaders with intelligence to attract and grow business in their cities.

Prepared by Kansas City Neighborhood Alliance and Bob Weissbourd (when at Shorebank Advisory Services, Inc.), this Start-Up Business and Implementation Plan describes a project to open a loan production office and engage in other activities to support emergence of a private sector market of “ma-pa” rehabbers to revitalize the private housing development market in a targeted neighborhood of Kansas City.

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