Mid-sized cities struggle to attract and retain businesses and talent to revitalize their local economies

Gateway cities and secondary metros are losing economic relevance as businesses consolidate in major tech hubs and remote work disperses talent unpredictably. Local economic development officials lack effective strategies to compete for investment, skilled workers, and entrepreneurship, while existing revitalization efforts fail to create sustainable, scalable growth. Cities need actionable frameworks to identify competitive advantages and execute targeted attraction campaigns.