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Economic & Community Development News

3-19-01 Philosopher poses questions to leaders

3-9-01 North American council honors Clemson economist

2-9-01 Charleston strides forward with looming urban footprint

12-99 Clemson Center studies issues of the future

11-22-96 CU nationally ranked in rural economic development

11-22-96 CU studies economic value of trees

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DATE: 3-19-01

CONTACT: Jim Fischer, (864) 656-3140 jfschr@clemson.edu

WRITER: Peter Kent, (864) 656-0937  peter.kent@clemsonews.clemson.edu

PHILOSOPHER POSES QUESTIONS TO LEADERS SETTING CLEMSON'S LAND-GRANT FUTURE

CLEMSON - Who are we? Where are we going? Institutions, like individuals, seek to explore their roles in life. Bill Maker, chairman of Clemson University's philosophy department, challenged Public Service Activities Advisory Board members to rethink the university's land-grant role in the future.

Maker was invited to speak to the board, which is meeting Sunday through Tuesday at Clemson's Hendrix Student Center. "As Clemson takes on its leadership role for the future, we feel it is important to look out to the year 2030 and explore what the university's role should be," said board chairman Ron Counton of Greer.

The philosopher felt a bit like a vegetarian at a barbecue. "It's a bit unusual for a philosopher to be invited to a gathering like this," said Maker. "We are not thought of as being very practical."

The audience, however, did find Maker's remarks both pertinent and provocative. "Clemson needs to get out of the Ivory Tower of academia and more engaged in the marketplace," Maker said. He added the university must not only provide the means - the technology and science - enabling the good life but also spark conversation about what the values of life should be  - the common good, civic virtue, private and corporate responsibility. The goal is build public dialog on challenging issues - land use, private property, genetically modified crops, cloning - that are vital to the future of South Carolina.

"Clemson can create a model for the future," said environmentalist Yancey McLeod of Eastover. "We have become a world of specialists and have narrowed our views, missing the larger web of connections."

Jim Fischer, dean of public service research at Clemson, noted that technology drives change and that in turn promotes more fragmentation as people focus on ever-increasing specializations.

"Clemson can become a unifying force," said Maker. "As a land-grant university, we have an obligation to provide information and techniques to help people live better lives." Doing so requires the university to work collaboratively, said Maker, breaking down walls on campus, enabling departments to work together and expanding Clemson's public service role across campus.

The need to provide information is vital to productive discussion. Some in the group raised a concern if Clemson could be counted on to be unbiased.

"Can we remain unbiased if industry pays for research?" said John Long  of Newberry.

The issue is one Clemson will need to confront, said Maker. "Scientific freedom versus proprietary rights of private companies will pose a challenge."

Tuesday, the advisory board will issue its recommendations about the public service activities' role in the new millennium to John Kelly, vice president of public service and agriculture.

END

DATE: 3-9-01 

CONTACT: Mark Henry, (864) 656-5774  mhenry@clemson.edu

WRITER: Peter Kent, (864) 656-0937  peter.kent@clemsonews.clemson.edu

NATIONAL COUNCIL HONORS CLEMSON ECONOMIST

CLEMSON - Mark S. Henry, a Clemson University agricultural and applied economics professor, has received the 2000 David E. Boyce Award for Exceptional Service to Regional Science presented by the North American Regional Science Council. Henry also serves as co-coordinator of the Regional Economic Development Research Laboratory, a think-tank dedicated to enhancing rural economic development throughout the South that is based at Clemson University.

Henry has provided more than 20 years of service to the Southern Regional Science Association and to regional and national economic development research centers and public service organizations. He has served on the association's executive council and on the board of editors for the association's "Review of Regional Studies," as well as holding various leadership positions, including president and program chair.

He has served as manager for the review panel of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Research Initiative and on task forces for the National Rural Studies Committee, Rural Policy Research Institute, Southern Rural Development Center, National Coastal Resources Research Institute and the Kellogg Foundation's Pathways from Poverty Project.

In addition, Henry has served as a visiting scholar-researcher at the USDA Economic Research Service, at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, at the Research Center of Bornhold, Denmark, and at INRA-ENESAD, Dijon, France.

Henry's service to the regional science community is balanced with an active research program focused on economic impact analysis, rural economic development policy, rural-urban linkages, and poverty and income distribution issues.

END

DATE: 2-9-01 

CONTACT: Jeff Allen, (864) 656-0228  jsallen@clemson.edu

WRITER: Peter Kent, (864) 656-0937  peter.kent@clemsonews.clemson.edu

CHARLESTON STRIDES FORWARD WITH LOOMING URBAN FOOTPRINT

CLEMSON - Metro Charleston's sprawl looms to grow worse than Atlanta's, according to Clemson University researchers. One predictor, especially, has triggered concern for the future quality of life in an area brimming with new  development.

"Population density - the number of people living per acre - is notably low in high-growth areas in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties," said Jeffrey Allen, director of the S.C. Water Resources Center at Clemson's Strom Thurmond Institute (STI). "Declining population density is caused by a more dispersed settlement pattern, and that typically leads to a greater loss of rural land. The trend toward declining density, however, is not irreversible. Abiding by comprehensive land-use plans can dramatically help deter sprawl."

Using a computer-generated growth model, STI researchers compared projected development patterns through 2015 with the comprehensive plans developed by the local governments. The results showed a mismatch. Based on the STI growth model, the region's urbanized area would grow to 386,913 acres by 2015, exceeding the comprehensive development plan projection of 323,704 acres. The 63,209-acre difference - an area nearly the size of the city of Charleston - could bring the density figure down to 2.12 persons per acre, compared to the current 3.34 persons per acre.

"Ironically, Charleston's current population density - 3.34 persons an acre - already is lower than Atlanta's 4.04 number, even though Atlanta is far better known for its sprawling growth," said Allen. "The trend toward having fewer people living per acre needs to be halted, even reversed in some areas."

State law requires local governments to create comprehensive plans that contain a map identifying land uses, as well as identifying areas that should grow and those that should remain undeveloped. The plan and map chart the future for an area, pointing the way for new roads and sewers, schools and shopping centers. They also earmark areas that should be protected from growth, including farms, fields and forests.

Political realities often muddy land-use ideals. From a conservation perspective, higher density - more people per acre - means rural land will be saved. From a lifestyle viewpoint, however, density is perceived as a negative. Local government officials tend to bow to pressure from developers and residents, enacting suburban zoning regulations prohibiting more than two or three houses per acre.

"Comprehensive plans are just that - plans," said Allen. "They have little effect if the local government does not adopt zoning and spending policies to implement the plan. The mismatch between officially sanctioned growth and the predicted urban footprint illustrates the need for implementing such programs and policies."

END

DATE:  December 1999

CONTACT:  Robert H. Becker, (864) 656-4700 rhb1@clemson.edu WRITER:  Debbie Dalhouse, (864) 656-0937 ddalhou@clemson.edu

CLEMSON CENTER STUDIES  ISSUES OF THE FUTURE

CLEMSON --  What will be the critical issues facing South Carolina in the year 2030 and how will they be addressed? These are some of the questions posed by the Jim Self Center on the Future at Clemson University.

"The year 2030 was chosen as a target date because that's when the baby boom will be coming to an end and we'll be entering a new demographic era," said Robert H. Becker, director of the Strom Thurmond Institute of Government and Public Affairs that houses the center.

"The remaining baby boomers will also be in their later years, bringing a whole different set of health care issues to the forefront, and there's not full a replacement cadre from the baby boom echo."

Another major demographic change will be a vastly larger population in the state. Projections call for one million new people to move to South Carolina by 2015, with another million expected by 2030 as both retirement homes and job opportunities lure people from other states.

Most of this growth is expected to be concentrated in 15 counties in the I-85 corridor, Columbia metro region and coastal areas.

"Without planning it, these have become big city areas with concurrent big city problems," said Becker, "so it's encouraging that they are already holding discussions on 'smart growth' - balancing economic development with environmental quality and quality of life."

By 2030 the high-growth areas of Greenville-Spartanburg, Columbia, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Beaufort-Hilton Head and Rock Hill might look like Charlotte or suburban Atlanta today. The population may resemble that of Florida today, with a large number of retirees and with more newcomers than natives.

"With so many new people, we may see an erosion of traditional South Carolina values," Becker said. "This represents both opportunities and problems. First we need to look for common ground, then hold debates and seek consensus on key questions to basically define South Carolina for the next century. The questions we should address are:

"Do we believe everyone has a right to clean water or affordable, safe highways? How do we raise the standard of living for all citizens? What do we want the countryside to look like - unbroken strips of development or identifiable communities surrounded by open spaces? What is the balance of private property rights and public needs? How do we utilize our natural resources - the agricultural lands, forests and wildlife habitats?"

Through an initiative called SC: Today and Tomorrow, the Self Center on the Future is forming panel of 1,000 policy makers, community leaders, interested citizens and academicians to focus on critical issues, examine alternatives and offer potential solutions. The panel will be linked electronically for instant communication and feedback.

"We'll conduct opinion polls, like Nielsen or Gallup, but with automatic results, chat groups and in-depth position papers on many, many issues," Becker said.

While the panel will not be completely assembled until sometime in 2000, the Self Center is already facilitating discussions in meetings around the state and conducting research on key issues, such as population growth, land use and environmental impact, and the cost of welfare reform.

Research is conducted by scientists at Clemson University and other organizations. One project began as a Clemson public service research initiative on population growth in Charleston and its impact on land usage. Research partners on that project included the state Department of Natural Resources and the Sea Grant Consortium, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the Coastal Conservation League.

Findings on this and other research efforts are posted on the Self Center's web page, called S.C. Digest, for instant access by all interested parties, with no printing or distribution costs. The site is currently logging from 6,000 to 8,000 requests a day, with visitors downloading information on welfare reform, population growth projections, gambling, land-use conflicts on the urban fringe, water pollution, even sustainable tourism in eastern Europe.

The Self Center on the Future website can be reached from the Thurmond Institute's home page:  www.strom.clemson.edu.

END

DATE: 11-22-96                   

CONTACT: David Barkley, (864) 656-4952 dbrkly@clemson.edu

WRITER: Debbie Dalhouse, (864) 656-0937 ddalhou@clemson.edu

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY NATIONALLY RANKED IN RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EXPERTISE

CLEMSON -- Clemson University's graduate program in agricultural economics has been ranked among the top four in the nation by the professional journal Review of Agricultural Economics . 

The ranking is based on a survey conducted in 1994 among those members of the American Agricultural Economics Association who were most often asked to review scholarly papers for publication in the association's national journal.  Clemson was ranked fourth in the nation in the field of community and rural development. 

Other universities named in the survey for agricultural economics programs were Virginia Tech, the University of Wisconsin, Penn State and Oklahoma State (tied for fourth).

"Our placement is a source of particular pride since the respondents were restricted to individuals familiar with rural economic development programs nationwide," said Gary Wells, chair of the agricultural economics department at Clemson.

"This recognition was earned because of the quality of students the university has trained and because of nationally recognized research conducted by the faculty," he said.

One of the Clemson research projects, "A New Micro View of the U.S. Rural Economy," was reviewed by Business Week magazine and was used by the president's Council of Economic Advisors for a briefing with President Clinton.  One of the principal investigators in that project was Clemson agricultural and applied economics professor Mark Henry.

Henry also was involved in another research project, conducted with agricultural and applied economics professor David Barkley, that examined the effect of public school quality on the economic development of rural communities.  This investigation found that improving local school quality can be used to encourage rural community development throughout the South.

Barkley and Henry have also conducted research on methods to improve the services and financing of a five-county transportation service in South Carolina's Lowcountry.  The transportation service links workers in Beaufort, Allendale, Jasper, Hampton and Colleton counties with jobs in the service industries on Hilton Head Island.

The two researchers are now working on a national study for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to analyze the potential for industry "clusters" to stimulate employment in rural communities.  A similar study of wood products manufacturing in South Carolina is being prepared for the S.C. Department of Commerce for use in targeted industrial recruitment and development efforts.

Other research efforts by the economic development faculty include studies of the consequences of global economic change for rural South Carolina, the effectiveness of credit pooling techniques for infrastructure development in rural communities, the economic benefits and costs of expanded quality health and medical care in rural South Carolina, and a comparison of solid waste disposal alternatives and costs among South Carolina counties. 

These and other rural development research efforts are sponsored by the S.C. Agriculture and Forestry Research System based at Clemson.

In addition to Barkley and Henry, Clemson's rural economic development researchers include Jim Hite for public finance and natural resource policy, Mike Hammig for international development and sustainable small farms, Verne House for rural economic development policy and public policy education, and Ed McLean for demography and rural sociology.  Also, Chris Sieverdes conducts community leadership development and rural sociology training through Clemson's Cooperative Extension Service. 

END 

DATE: 11-22-96                   

CONTACT: Judy Caldwell, (864) 656-4952 jcldwll@clemson.edu

WRITER: Debbie Dalhouse, (864) 656-0937 ddalhou@clemson.edu

CLEMSON PROFESSOR STUDIES ECONOMIC VALUE OF TREES

CLEMSON -- Is there any economic value to trees in landscaping commercial developments?

Clemson University horticulturist Judy Caldwell is exploring this question to help commercial developers and local planning commissions make informed decisions about current and future building projects.  Caldwell is a researcher with the S.C. Agriculture and Forestry Research System based at Clemson. 

She is cataloging current information from various sources, such as real estate, tree and scientific professionals.

In addition, Caldwell is conducting a random telephone survey of major commercial developers across the country to assess their perceptions and attitudes toward planting or preserving trees in the landscape.  So far, most developers who have been questioned have never considered that trees could provide an economic value to property. 

"Most people think trees have a social and environmental value but not an economic value," Caldwell said.  "Developers seem to be more concerned about the maintenance costs and liability issues than about the effect on property values."

Early evidence gathered by Caldwell contradicts this perception.  Initial information suggests that apartment buildings and commercial parks with trees in the landscape have higher occupancy rates, enjoy lower tenant turnover and command higher rents than comparable developments without trees.  Retailers have also noted that consumers tend to spend more time and more money in shopping areas that are attractively landscaped.

Caldwell is looking for commercial developers across the nation who exemplify a commitment to tree preservation and are willing to share their experiences.

She plans to make her research findings available in both printed form and on the World Wide Web in spring. 

Caldwell's research is being funded by a $114,000 grant from the National Urban and Community Advisory Council and is being conducted in partnership with the Davey Tree Company.

END