Community Empowerment Research

We help churches and nonprofits
measure needs of the people they serve,
set strategies to meet those needs, and
assess the impact of their work in service, evangelism, and outreach.

Doing Well at Doing Good

Presentation Made by Professor Michael E. Porter at Willow Creek Leadership Summit, August 2007

Inner City Newark’s Competitive Advantages

Strategic Location

·     Transportation hub with immediate access to 7 major highways, 14th largest airport in the world, a rail hub, and a location 20 minutes to midtown Manhattan

·     Largest port on the East Coast and 3rd largest in the nation

·     Largest higher education center in the state with formidable research base; over 50,000 students and faculty at 5 higher education institutions colleges populate the college town

·     Flourishing cultural and arts; NJPAC is the 4th largest performing arts center in the nation

·     Vibrant neighborhoods; Ironbound District home to the largest Portuguese population in the nation

·     One of three state-designated Innovation Zones

Underutilized workforce

·     Many residents are working but underemployed

·     Hispanic population grew by 16%

·     42% speak languages other than English

·     Over 8,760 job vacancies in 2005

Inner City:
Newark
Underserved local market

·     Over 6X the income density per square mile of the region ($115M vs. $18M)

·     Retail spending potential is 55% greater than the average inner city

·     Growing student and downtown residential populations is expanding demand for amenities

·     Diversity of citizens creates unique niches and business opportunities

Linkage to industrial/regional clusters

·     Proximity to regional transportation & logistics infrastructure and companies

·     Attractive location for activities linked to leading clusters based in Manhattan due to proximity (e.g., financial services)

Sources: 2000 U.S. Census; 2002-2004 Bureau of Labor Statistics, ICIC-State of Inner City Economies