Publication Date

1993

Comments

The Center for Economic Development at the University of Massachusetts, in Amherst, is part of the Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning Department, and is funded by the Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the University of Massachusetts.

Abstract

This project examines the economies of 13 municipalities in Southeast Massachusetts. Seven of the towns are located in Bristol County: Acushnet, Berkley, Dighton, Freetown, Raynham, Rehoboth and Westport. Five are located in Plymouth County: Carver, Lakeville, Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester. And one, Plainville, is located in Norfolk County.

The Southeast Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) has asked the Center for Economic Development to look at the forces which drive the local economies. SRPEDD has asked for some of the data to be shown over time so as to illustrate changes in the local marketplace. Examples of the data given here include population, educational attainment, wage and earning levels, and costs of living. We have also included a complete list of local inventors who have patented inventions in the past three years. This information was compiled for potential use in new economic development strategies

The report is structured by municipality within the three counties. In each section, a general description of the town is followed by demographic and economic data, local opinions and potential economic development strategies. We have attempted to locate potential growth areas by analyzing data from the Massachusetts Department of Employment and Training (See.Section II. for methodology). To this end, a matrix highlighting growth areas is presented for each town.

A second major component of the project has been to interview local government and business leaders in order to gather opinions on the economy and recommendations for economic development.

Together, these two parts form the basis of our findings. We have presented the data aggregately. This will allow SRPEDD to see our general observations and to assess the raw data for the purposes of the larger report. Some of the aggregate statistics presented in Section III compile the information for the towns as a composite group. This is given so as to show some common traits which may exist among the towns.

Pages

Section 2: Pages 1-141

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