Eileen Norcross

Lessons from Business Improvement Districts: Building on Past Successes

Although most people probably have not heard of them, Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) have proliferated across the globe. Geographically defined zones authorized to collect taxes from businesses within their boundaries, BIDs have significantly changed urban governance and revived business areas. The property owners within a BID elect a board of directors who funnel the collected funds to various activities, which usually include sanitation, street cleaning, street improvements, additional security, and marketing for the business neighborhood. However, the BID model is very flexible and could be used to tackle other urban problems.This Policy Primer provides basic background information on the history, legal framework, and past successes of BIDs, information that local governments interested in promoting BIDs within their jurisdictions might find useful. It further proposes alternative ways urban governments could give BIDs enhanced roles in local governance.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Will More Public Spending Pave the Way to a Better Infrastructure?

This is a policy paper on the effect of infrastructure spending. Congress and the new Administration are considering an

The Crisis in Public Sector Pension Plans: A Blueprint for Reform in New Jersey

825 billion stimulus package that would in part grant the states

From BIDs to RIDs: Creating Residential Improvement Districts

550 billion in new spending, much of which will be dedicated to infrastructure. Proponents claim this money will not only create government-funded jobs but will increase consumer spending and thereby increase incomes, while also improving Americas infrastructure - ensuring safety and economic productivity. While Americas infrastructure may indeed need improvement, public spending is not the best way to fix it. Our infrastructure needs more than just a physical overhaul. It needs to move from an outmoded model of government provision to a system that permits and encourages innovation and flexibility.