November 3, 2025
As federal funding for workforce and economic development declines, mid-sized cities face a critical question: How can they create inclusive growth? This question was the focus of the Upjohn Institute’s 2025 Policies for Place convening, which brought together leaders from business, philanthropy, and government in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Grand Rapids offered a telling case study: decades of collaboration among businesses, philanthropies, and institutions helped transform the city from a manufacturing hub into a more diversified economy. Yet, while jobs and investment have grown, not all residents have shared in the benefits. Persistent gaps in housing, education, and opportunity remain.
From this experience—and from dialogue across sectors—10 key lessons emerged. They highlight how communities can:
Ground strategies in both data and lived experience. Numbers reveal trends and disparities but pairing them with voices from actual people in the community ensures solutions reflect real-world challenges and opportunities.
- Treat equal access as essential infrastructure. Just as roads or utilities support growth, equal access to housing, jobs, education, and services must be built into the foundation of development strategies.
- Elevate talent development as a core priority. Building and sustaining a skilled workforce requires new approaches to training, apprenticeships, and recruitment that reflect shifting demographics and technologies.
- Bridge the gap between social goals and business realities. Partnerships work best when community priorities also address employers’ most pressing needs, such as filling skill gaps or reducing turnover. Understanding what drives both the public and private sectors is key to building initiatives that work for everyone.
“These lessons show what’s possible when communities work across sectors with a shared vision,” said Kathleen Bolter, project manager for the Upjohn Institute’s Policies for Place research initiative. “They also underscore that growth alone isn’t enough. Leaders must be intentional about ensuring opportunity is broadly shared.”
The authors of the report from the Upjohn Institute are Kathleen Bolter, Tim Bartik, Brad Hershbein, Michelle Miller-Adams, Alfonso Hernandez, Kyle Huisman, and Bridget Timmeney.
Experts
