Minority- and Immigrant-Owned Businesses in Economy

Two of my recent new publications examine the scale and impact of minority-owned and immigrant-owned businesses in the local and global economy. A report for the Center for State and Local Finance (CSLF) looks at the growing trend of these businesses in the state of Georgia and its role in employment, revenues, payroll, etc. (see here) and an article accepted by Small Business Economics explores the transnational activities of immigrant-owned businesses (see here).

Be Serene – Serenbe

The 2nd RayDay celebration hosted by the Ray Anderson Foundation brought me to the town of Serenbe, southwest of Atlanta, in Chattahoochee Hills. A Utopian dream or a new urbanism mecca as touted by some, this town is nested in the greenness, connected to nature and its offerings, adopts sustainable design, and has shops around the corner of your house. While amazed by its natural beauty, I wonder how this little oasis is linked to the larger metropolitan area and how “sustainable” its going to be? In any case, you may want to check it out here http://www.serenbe.com or better, in person.

Urban Life in Europe

My recent conference and leisure trip to Greece (Athens conference) and France (Paris conference) reignited my belief in urban life and city living. What is more gratifying to an urban scholar than seeing subway trains packed with passengers, pedestrian streets heavily used by walkers and street front cafes and brasseries full of happy people. I realize that elsewhere in the world, the Jane Jacobs description of dense and socially interactive urban living is still very much a reality. The crowds gathered around traveling musicians on plazas and at metro entrances are more impressive to me than the grand historical buildings behind them! At the same time, the mobility and diversity of the urban populations are universal.

On Ethnic Communities

Ethnic Communities, places where ethnic minorities and immigrants reside and ethnic businesses abound, have attracted much research and popular attention in recent years. Whereas the exact physical form, economic structure, and social/cultural organizations vary across these communities, they might have the effect of promoting community development and help immigrants through an economic downtown. Read my two articles on the topic from two different perspectives: Ethnic Enterprises and Community Development (GeoJournal forthcoming) here and Does Residence in an Ethnic Community Help Immigrants in a Recession (Regional Science and Urban Economics forthcoming) here .

Science & Innovation Policy and the Middle Class

I entered two somewhat unfamiliar domains these several days as I attend two conferences here in Atlnata as presenter and discussant: The Science & Innovation Policy Conference hosted by Georgia Tech’s School of Public Policy and a Middle Class Phenomenon in Emerging Markets Conference hosted by Georgia State’s Robinson College of Business. As different as they sound, I do find quite some meaningful linkages between them. Maybe someone can take this title as a dissertation topic?