The Intersection of Workforce Development,
Economic Development and Equitable TOD
Moving to Work is an applied research project undertaken to increase the regional knowledge of the intersection between three distinct fields: workforce development, economic development, and equitable transit-oriented development. Workforce Development prepares workers to enter career ladders through training, outreach and education. Economic Development grows the economy by fostering sectors and clusters of industries in which the region is competitive, and expanding “driving industries” which grow jobs across many sectors. Much work is already underway to link workforce and economic development. Equitable Transit-Oriented Development, the key focus of the Great Communities Collaborative, integrates transportation, land use, and housing to reduce the cost of living and expand access to opportunities for households of all incomes in the region. Understanding the interrelationship of these fields in a “spatial frame” based on geography, travel patterns, and transportation infrastructure – focuses our analysis and finds common ground between the fields.
The Moving to Work project includes the following elements:
Objectives:
- Link Bay Area equitable transit-oriented development initiatives with economic development and workforce development initiatives
- Inform the Bay Area’s Regional Economic Prosperity Plan, as part of the HUD-funded Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant process
- Understand mobility dynamics of low-income workers
- Identify strategies to increase career ladder job access for workers in areas of concentrated poverty
