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 THE AREA 
 REDEVELOPMENT 
 
 
 i.m. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 
 
 BOOKSHELF OF 
 COMMUNITY AIDS 
 
 PLANNING FOR 
 
 NEW GROWTH 
 
 - NEW JOBS 
 
 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 
 Luther H. Hodges, Secretary 
 
 AREA REDEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION 
 William L. Batt, Jr., Administrator 
 
 ARA PUB. NO. 62-A 
 
 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office 
 Washington 25, D.C. - Price 15 cents 
 

 CONTENTS 
 
 The Area Redevelopment Act 
 
 What Is the Overall Economic Development Program? 
 
 The OEDP and Designated Redevelopment Areas 
 
 Getting Started 
 
 Submitting the OEDP 
 
 Essential Elements of the OEDP 
 
 Redevelopment Area Organization 
 The Redevelopment Area and Its Economy 
 Basis for Economic Growth 
 Problems and Needed Adjustments 
 Area Goals and Program 
 
 Local 
 
 State 
 
 Federal 
 Actions of Other Private and Public Organizations 
 Attachments 
 
 In Summary 
 
 Appendix A. Sample Form — Submittal of Overall Economic 
 
 Development Program by Redevelopment Area Organization. 
 
 Appendix B. Sample Form — Certification of Approval of 
 
 Overall Economic Development Program by State Economic 
 
 Development Agency. 
 
 Appendix C. Sample Form — Guidelines for Overall Economic 
 
 ^qev^ Development Program Review by Area Redevelopment 
 
 \ Administration. 
 
 iH 
 
 Z 
 
FOREWORD 
 
 •LOCAL INITIATIVE* 
 COMMUNITY PLANNING 
 PRIVATE INVESTMENT 
 
 These are the key ingredients for success under the Area Redevelopment 
 Act which President Kennedy signed into law May 1, 1961 — an act which 
 creates a partnership of private enterprise, the community, the State, and 
 the Federal Government in the battle against substantial and persistent 
 unemployment and underemployment. 
 
 Of all the ingredients, none is more important than community economic 
 planning. It is, in fact, an absolute "must" — for Congress declared that 
 locally conceived Overall Economic Development Programs must be ap- 
 proved by the Area Redevelopment Administration before consideration 
 can be given to requests for financial assistance. 
 
 If we are to succeed in our joint efforts to rebuild the economies of 
 pockets of chronic joblessness and low income, communities must proceed 
 in an orderly and logical way. They must map out a step-by-step program 
 to restore economic vigor and provide permanent employment opportunities. 
 
 This booklet is designed for the guidance of designated redevelopment 
 areas in their long-range planning. It describes the nature of the Overall 
 Economic Development Program, suggests some guidelines for the prepara- 
 tion of a plan, and tells how it should be submitted for approval under the 
 provisions of the Area Redevelopment Act. 
 
 This is the first in a series of publications under the general heading: 
 "A Bookshelf of Community Aids." We regard it as the most important 
 of these publications — just as we believe that the Overall Economic Devel- 
 opment Program will prove to be the community's most important single 
 document. 
 
 For, irrespective of the assistance that later may be forthcoming from 
 Federal or State sources, the local plan will be both a blueprint for progress 
 and a vehicle for channeling the community's self-help efforts in the 
 direction of growth and job opportunities. 
 
 Administrator, Area Redevelopment Administration. 
 
AREA 
 
 REDEVELOPMENT 
 
 ACT 
 
 The Area Redevelopment Act was passed 
 by the Congress and signed by the President 
 to provide long-term solutions to the long- 
 standing problems of areas with chronic un- 
 employment and underemployment. As far 
 back as 1955 a study by the Joint Economic 
 Committee pinpointed the problem: 
 
 A paradox of modern economic society is the 
 continuing existence, during periods of full 
 employment, of geographic pockets in which 
 chronic unemployment and underemployment 
 are excessively high. . . . A comprehensive 
 unified program which takes into account all 
 the various types of remedial action necessary 
 in the particular situation is still needed. 
 

 ^//z // 
 
 Recession in and recovery out, these areas 
 have been plagued by economic conditions 
 that are the byproduct of progress, of chang- 
 ing times and changing technologies, of plant 
 migration and the exhaustion of natural re- 
 sources. Wherever these areas are, there are 
 unemployed or underemployed Americans. 
 Through no act of commission they find them- 
 selves with the wrong skills, in the wrong 
 place, at the wrong time. Even when the trend 
 in general unemployment has been reversed, 
 In times of an advancing economy, these areas 
 do hot share fully in the national economic 
 advance. Special measures are necessary. 
 The Area Redevelopment Act provides these 
 necessary measures. As President Kennedy's 
 1962 Economic Report states: 
 
 . . . The achievable rate (of unemployment) 
 can be lowered still further by effective poli- 
 cies to help the labor force acquire the skills 
 and mobility appropriate to a changing econ- 
 omy. We must also continue the cooperative 
 effort begun with the Area Redevelopment 
 Act, to bring industry to depressed areas and 
 jobs to displaced workers. Ultimately, we 
 must reduce unemployment to the minimum 
 compatible with the functioning of a free 
 economy. 
 
 The Area Redevelopment Act provides the 
 tools. It remains only to use them wisely. 
 
WHAT 
 IS THE 
 
 OVERALL 
 
 ECONOMIC 
 
 DEVELOPMENT 
 
 PROGRAM 
 
 The Overall Economic Development 
 Program (OEDP) is a blueprint for 
 progress — the local or area plan of ac- 
 tion for achieving the objectives of the 
 Area Redevelopment Act. 
 
 In writing this legislation, Congress 
 declared that no financial assistance 
 could be given to a redevelopment area 
 unless it has first won approval of its 
 long-range plan for economic growth. 
 It further stipulated that Federal funds 
 could be used only for those projects 
 which were "consistent" with this plan. 
 
 The basic elements of the OEDP 
 include : 
 
 • A description of the representative 
 local organization sponsoring the 
 OEDP 
 
 • A background picture of the redevel- 
 opment area as a place in which to 
 live and work 
 
 • An assessment of the labor skills, 
 natural resources, physical facilities, 
 transportation networks, and available 
 markets 
 
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 • An analysis of the roadblocks imped- 
 ing progress 
 
 • A program of action for creating 
 new employment opportunities — with 
 local, State, and Federal responsibili- 
 ties clearly identified. 
 
 The importance of the OEDP can be 
 judged by the language used by the 
 House Banking and Currency Commit- 
 tee in reporting the Area Redevelopment 
 Act to the House of Representatives. It 
 called the requirement for long-range 
 planning "one of the key features of this 
 legislation, and one of the most con- 
 structive for long-term recovery." The 
 committee's report said: 
 
w 
 
 The requirement for such a program will assure that 
 the community has reviewed carefully the various eco- 
 nomic solutions open to it, before any request is made 
 for such assistance; that the projects submitted are in 
 their proper priority with respect to the community's 
 program; that the community is embarking on a program 
 which is within the available financial, manpower, and 
 technical resources; and that the program contributes 
 toward a permanent solution of local problems. 
 
 This requirement for careful studies and advance 
 planning should assure, first, a real knowledge of the 
 economic potentials of the area — whether they lie in the 
 commercial or industrial field. It should point out the 
 strong and weak points of the area, in both the skills of 
 its manpower and its resources in materials, location, and 
 facilities. Such planning should take into account all 
 the potentials of the area. They may be in recreation or 
 tourism, not heavy industry; they may lie in the promo- 
 tion of parks and the restoration of forests, with the 
 construction of necessary access roads; they may be in 
 research or in light industry employing large numbers of 
 clerical or scientifically trained workers. 
 
 It is, moreover essential that each program be ap- 
 praised realistically . . . in order to make the wisest use 
 of limited public funds and to give maximum help to the 
 area. This is "seed money," to help give impetus to a 
 broad program which, if the unemployed are to be re- 
 employed, will call for private and local public efforts 
 many times the size of the Federal program. 
 
 If each economic development program is appraised in 
 a broad way, for the long future, and suitable retraining 
 is undertaken, the benefits of this legislation will be far 
 greater than can be measured by the financial loans or 
 grants. 
 
 Many areas of the Nation, of course, have been engaged in 
 economic planning for a long time — and their success in off- 
 setting chronic unemployment, or at least in keeping it from 
 spreading further, is testimony to this planning. Many other 
 areas were not in a position to undertake this necessary pre- 
 liminary step prior to the passage of the Area Redevelopment 
 Act. The House committee declared: 
 
 In many small industrial areas and rural areas that are 
 primarily agricultural, economic programs of the kind 
 envisioned here simply do not exist. Assistance in ana- 
 lyzing their problems in a factual way is an essential first 
 step. Without it, much valuable time and effort could be 
 wasted in haphazard attempts at industrialization. 
 
 While economic planning carries no guarantee of suc- 
 cess, this provision insures that careful attention will be 
 given to the problems of the area and to the steps that 
 need to be taken to restore prosperity. It will be a rea- 
 sonable guarantee that redevelopment of the area is fea- 
 sible, and that the project for which assistance is sought 
 will make a real contribution to the long-term expansion 
 of industry and employment. 
 
 W 
 
THE OEDP AND 
 DESIGNATED 
 REDEVELOPMENT 
 AREAS 
 
 It is only natural that the OEDP will vary markedly from one 
 redevelopment area to another — for the problems and needs of each 
 area differ greatly. Each has a unique combination of economic, 
 social and political institutions. 
 
 Redevelopment areas differ in another significant respect: some 
 consist of a single county or even only part of a county; others in- 
 clude several counties; still others straddle the boundaries of two 
 or more States. 
 
 Although the act requires that each redevelopment area be covered 
 by an OEDP, the territory embraced by a long-range economic plan 
 need not coincide with the boundaries of a designated redevelop- 
 ment area. 
 
In some instances, it may be more rational for the economic de- 
 velopment program to extend over a fairly large and economically 
 homogeneous region — the anthracite area of Pennsylvania, for 
 example; the agricultural counties throughout the State of Missis- 
 sippi; the cutover area of Northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and 
 Michigan. In other instances, State governments have already 
 divided their States into regions for planning and development pur- 
 poses, and OEDP's might conceivably follow these predetermined 
 lines. 
 
 There are distinct advantages to a regional OEDP which embraces 
 several designated redevelopment areas. It saves time, for one 
 thing — for many times a regional OEDP will suggest single solu- 
 tions to common problems. What's more a regional OEDP helps 
 assure that the overall problems and the potential of the entire re- 
 gion will be viewed and interpreted consistently by each redevelop- 
 ment area. 
 
 An OEDP may even cover a region which includes both desig- 
 nated and nondesignated areas; it does not follow, however, that 
 the entire region is eligible for financial assistance — only the of- 
 ficially designated areas will be able to obtain aid under the Area 
 Redevelopment Act. 
 
 When it appears logical to prepare a regional OEDP, the par- 
 ticipation of the appropriate State agency in all phases of the plan- 
 ning is especially important. This procedure not only insures bet- 
 ter statewide coordination; it also gives the local redevelopment 
 organization an opportunity to concentrate on the strictly local 
 problems and strictly local solutions. 
 
 In cases where a regional 
 economic plan has been drawn 
 up it would he well to have it 
 supplemented by local county- 
 wide economic development 
 programs. Every designated 
 area should work toward a goal 
 of having its own OEDP, indi- 
 vidually tailored to the area's 
 needs and potentials. 
 
GETTING 
 
 STARTED 
 
 A redevelopment area 
 needs an officially recog- 
 nized group to coordi- 
 nate local activities aimed 
 at stimulating new pri- 
 vate and public invest- 
 ment in order to provide 
 permanent employment 
 opportunities. In addi- 
 tion to being the prime 
 mover within the re- 
 development area, this 
 group will be the contact 
 point with State agen- 
 cies and with the Area 
 Redevelopment Adminis- 
 
 ion. 
 
 iiJiiiiiiiiiiMiartiiii'ijWlg^v 
 
 The local organization should inciuo*^ a^Tro^f-"section of all the elements 
 in the community. It should not be confined to any one segment of the'i 
 population. While it will hardly prove feasible to have every organization 
 represented, every representative element of the community should be 
 included. 
 
 This is especially so in areas whose population consists of groups with 
 substantial numbers and percentages of unemployed and underemployed 
 men and women otherwise not represented in community-wide programs of 
 economic development. Wherever such groups exist and show promise of 
 contributing toward such programs, their spokesmen should be encouraged 
 to participate in the local organization. This will assure that all groups 
 having a vital interest in their community's economic growth and prosperity 
 will be given an opportunity to participate in the systematic and thorough 
 economic diagnosis and prescription for their area's redevelopment. 
 
 Some elements will be more strongly represented than others. For ex- 
 ample, in most communities business and civic organizations will be promi- 
 nent in matters affecting the community as a whole. This representation 
 should not, however, be exclusive of other elements in the community. 
 
 10 
 
The following listing will be useful as a guide for choosing a community- 
 wide and representative local redevelopment group: 
 
 Government: Local and county government 
 
 Economic groups: Retail and manufacturing businesses, finance, building, real 
 
 estate, professional groups, organized labor, agriculture 
 Civic groups: Civic clubs, community improvement groups, taxpayer's 
 
 groups 
 Church groups: Ministerial organizations, church councils, individual 
 
 churches 
 Educational groups: Schools, colleges, libraries 
 
 Family groups: Ethnic or racial groups 
 
 Welfare: Social service, health, and welfare organizations 
 
 Information: Press, radio, television 
 
 If the redevelopment area includes several communities or counties, the 
 interests of each should be represented on the group submitting the OEDP. 
 
 In some areas, much material that will be useful in preparing an economic 
 development program is readily available in the form of data found in eco- 
 nomic base studies. But in some of the smaller towns and rural areas it will 
 be necessary to start from the beginning. In either case, many public and 
 private organizations can be of assistance — the area and economic develop- 
 ment divisions of banks, utilities, railroads, and universities, for example, 
 or local, State, and Federal agencies. 
 
 In the rural agricultural areas the U.S. Department of Agriculture is in a 
 position, along with its affiliated agencies, to exercise leadership and pro- 
 vide guidance both in organizing at the community level and in developing 
 the long-range plan for economic growth. The expert services of the 
 Department of Agriculture are available to all local organizations in these 
 areas. 
 
 To help with Indian reservations and with mineral resource areas, the 
 U.S. Department of the Interior will have personnel and resources available 
 to help redevelopment areas get started. 
 
 The U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Health, Education, 
 and Welfare, the Housing and Home Finance Agency, and the Small Busi- 
 ness Administration all have many technical services to assist the re- 
 development area at various phases of program development. And field 
 coordinators of the Area Redevelopment Administration are always avail- 
 able to assist the local organization. 
 
 The local organization should establish early contact with the State agency 
 designated by the Governor to coordinate State responsibilities under the act. 
 
 It is important that local organizations work closely with the designated 
 State agencies, since they play a major role in the redevelopment process. 
 These State agencies review and approve OEDP's before they are sent to the 
 Area Redevelopment Administration, and later are requested to certify that 
 project proposals are consistent with the overall program before the project 
 requests are forwarded to ARA for consideration. 
 
 Before approving OEDP's from rural areas, the Area Redevelopment Ad- 
 ministration relies on the recommendation of the Department of Agriculture 
 to determine whether the economic plans are consistent with general objec- 
 tives for the economic development of rural America. Similarly, OEDP's 
 submitted by Indian reservations and mineral resource areas go first to the 
 Department of the Interior for its recommendations. 
 
 11 
 
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 SUBMITTING THE 
 
 OEDP 
 
 |The OEDP must be submitted for approval first 
 [15 the State and then to the Area Redevelopment 
 Administrator. The local organization must, there- 
 fore, complete the form shown in appendix A on 
 page 26, attach the OEDP statement and supporting 
 documents and maps, and send the form and pro- 
 gram attachments to the organization designated by 
 the Governor to handle redevelopment activities. 
 
 The State office will, in turn, review the plan and 
 complete the form shown in appendix B on page 27, 
 before forwarding the form, the program and at- 
 tachments to the Administrator, Area Redevelop- 
 ment Administration, U.S. Department of Com- 
 merce, Washington 25, D.C. 
 
 The local organization should reproduce its OEDP 
 in quantity for the use of all groups taking part in 
 the program. In any event, it should make certain 
 that enough copies are sent to the State agency for 
 certification so that 20 copies can be forwarded to 
 the Area Redevelopment Administration. 
 
 12 
 
When the territory covered by an OEDP lies in two or more States, the 
 review agency for each State should certify the program. If this is not 
 feasible, an OEDP for each State will be accepted for review. 
 
 The Area Redevelopment Administrator will review the long-range pro- 
 gram and inform the State and local organizations of the action that is to be 
 taken. He will also notify other Federal agencies cooperating in the pro- 
 gram, so that their resources can be brought to bear on the problems of 
 unemployment and underemployment. 
 
 If the OEDP is considered to be inadequate, it will be returned to the local 
 organization with suitable suggestions for revision. Also, should some 
 phases of the program require explanation, in order that a proper evaluation 
 can be made by ARA (see appendix C), the local group may be asked to 
 supply further information. 
 
 To get the area redevelopment program underway with minimum delay, 
 ARA may give provisional approval to an OEDP. This will make it pos- 
 sible for the local group to submit requests for assistance on specific projects. 
 Approval of an OEDP does not mean automatic acceptance of each project 
 listed in the program. Projects will be judged on their individual merits. 
 
 If provisional approval has been given, the more comprehensive economic 
 program should be prepared and submitted within 1 year, although, under 
 unusual circumstances, the Administrator may extend this period. 
 
 The overall economic program should contain clear statements of back- 
 ground facts, problems and potentials, and a reasonable action program with 
 priorities clearly defined. In summary form, it need not exceed 10 to 25 
 typewritten pages, plus supporting documents and maps. Length is not 
 critical; what is desired is a clear, well-explained 
 program. 
 
 Later, the provisional program can be expanded and 
 refined to meet the requirements for a more detailed 
 program. Consideration of this comprehensive plan 
 will afford the Administrator the best possible guide 
 to the community's aspirations, and will allow both the 
 community and ARA to judge progress made since 
 the first economic program was submitted. 
 
 Recent studies of an area's economy and potentials 
 may be used as special background materials for the 
 OEDP. The area of these studies, however, should co- 
 incide as closely as possible with the redevelopment 
 area, and the studies should provide sufficient data 
 upon which recommendations for an economic devel- 
 opment program can be based. When the OEDP 
 covers a broad region, of which the redevelopment area 
 is only a part, it is permissible to rely heavily on the 
 regional study. However, pertinent statistics and pro- 
 gram conclusions for the redevelopment area must also 
 be included. 
 
 13 
 
ESSENTIAL 
 ELEMENTS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 OEDP 
 
 Elements essential to an Overall Economic Development Program 
 are listed as guidelines to the local group preparing the program. 
 Under the heading for each element is a brief indication of the 
 general type of information required. 
 
 REDEVELOPMENT AREA 
 ORGANIZATION 
 
 Briefly describe the membership, legal authority, 
 record of accomplishments, and financial capabili- 
 ties of the organization officially sponsoring the 
 OEDP. 
 
 If the local organization represents a redevelop- 
 ment area of no more than one or two communities, 
 all of the following information is necessary. If 
 several communities are included, the organization 
 will have a more general function that need not 
 include authority to handle and disburse funds. 
 The redevelopment organization may then function 
 primarily as a spokesman for the area in the pro- 
 motion of its redevelopment activities. 
 
 Membership. — Interests represented, function or position in the com- 
 munity or area, principal officers, nature of the technical staff, other assist- 
 ance used in preparing the OEDP. Membership should be representative 
 of major community interests. 
 
 14 
 
Legal Authority. — Legal capability of the organization, or of cooperat- 
 ing groups, to act on financial aspects of economic development, including 
 the handling of funds for site acquisition and factory construction. If an- 
 other organization has been designated to receive and disburse funds, this 
 information should be included. 
 
 Record of Accomplishments. — Length of time the organization has 
 been active; brief description of economic development activities for which 
 the organization, or cooperating groups, have been responsible. 
 
 Financial Capabilities. — Organization's ability to raise local equity 
 capital or lgan funds for commercial and industrial projects. As these may 
 at times necessitate backing by municipal, county, and State entities, as well 
 as by the organization's own capital and resources, data should be provided 
 on help that the program will be expected to get from such other sources. 
 
 THE REDEVELOPMENT 
 AREA AND 
 ITS ECONOMY 
 
 This section should address itself to such ques- 
 tions as: What is the geographic setting of the 
 redevelopment area? What are its resources? 
 What is the present stage of economic development? 
 
 The key point to be determined is how manpower 
 and jobs compared in the recent past, and how 
 manpower now available — and in prospect — com- 
 pare with job opportunities at present and for the 
 foreseeable future. The analysis should lead to 
 estimates of additional jobs needed over the next 
 decade. 
 
 General Description of Area. — Location; boundaries, lakes, rivers, 
 and topographic features; geography, climate; land-use patterns and owner- 
 ship; public utilities; railroads, highways, and transportation services; com- 
 munity facilities, such as schools, libraries, hospitals, playgrounds, municipal 
 buildings. Maps would be helpful. 
 
 Population and Labor Force. — Number of inhabitants and workers; 
 distribution and characteristics of work force since 1940. 
 
 15 
 
Principal Economic Activities as Measured by Employment. — 
 
 Comparative employment in manufacturing, retail and wholesale trades, 
 public and professional services, mining and forestry, farming — and the 
 role of these activities in the total economy. 
 
 Unemployment or Underemployment. — Extent of unemployment or 
 underemployment; duration in comparison with national levels ; major activi- 
 ties involved; nature and extent of seasonal work; levels of family income. 
 
 Factors Contributing to Economic Decline or Stagnation. — De- 
 pleted natural resources; technological changes; unsatisfactory transporta- 
 tion; competition with other areas; lack of adequate financing; limited 
 skills of labor force; unsatisfactory sewer, water or other facilities; shifting 
 or changing markets; inadequate size of farms. 
 
 Anticipated Need for New Jobs. — Population growth or decline; net 
 in- or out-migration; availability of vocational training to help workers 
 meet new skill requirements and job opportunities; technological changes. 
 
 Past Efforts To Solve Problem. 
 
 reasons for success or failure. 
 
 -Programs tried; evaluation of 
 
 Every area has some natural and human resources 
 that are either only partially developed or not uti- 
 lized at all. This section should review the overall 
 picture of resources, markets, and skills available 
 in the area's fight to regain a new economic footing. 
 It should attempt to answer such questions as: 
 
 Could these resources be the basis for the growth of new industries 
 of a permanent nature that might be established in the area, or for the 
 expansion of existing industries? 
 
 What opportunities are there for developing or enlarging the tourist 
 business — one of the fastest growing industries in America? 
 
 What costs can be anticipated in developing these resources? 
 
 How many new jobs might this expansion create? 
 
 16 
 
Some of the broad areas worthy of community exploration in assessing 
 resources and skills include the following: 
 
 Mining and Quarrying. — Location; accessibility; reserves; cost of 
 development; basis for new industry; potential employment based on fuller 
 use of these resources. 
 
 Forest and Agricultural Products. — Nature of resources; present 
 utilization; employment based on utilization of these resources; specific 
 expansion opportunities, especially for building small plants. In regard to 
 the foregoing it would be helpful to have land-use maps, showing access roads 
 or railroads. These should be supported with details of land ownership, 
 including private, county, State, and Federal holdings. An up-to-date inven- 
 tory of timber is needed with details of species, density, ownership, quan- 
 tities of sawtimber, poletimber, forestation or afforestation, actual and 
 potential drain, present market. Similarly, statistics concerning crop pro- 
 duction, irrigated and dry-land farm practices, value of crops, where sold, 
 potential market, economic feasibility of processing, canning, or freezing. 
 Survey should cover livestock, dairy and poultry production, and whether 
 packinghouses, tanneries, or food-processing plants could be supported. 
 
 Tourism. — Nature, location, and accessibility of specific tourist attrac- 
 tions; facilities and improvements needed to realize full potentials. Statistics 
 and explanations should cover past tourist volume, existing accommodations, 
 percent occupancy heretofore, estimated need and cost of lodges, marinas, 
 boats, cabins, ski-lifts, swimming facilities, camp site developments, sanitary 
 installations. Where do tourists now come from and what is being done to 
 attract more? Are such efforts being coordinated with neighboring areas? 
 
 Industrial and Commercial Buildings. — Type, size, and condition of 
 existing structures; adaptability to different industrial operations; extent and 
 cost of necessary remodeling; suggested uses for existing or remodeled build- 
 ings; new employment opportunities which might be generated. Who owns 
 buildings now? On what terms are they available for rental or sale? What 
 is their tax assessed value and what is the tax rate applicable? 
 
 Industrial and Commercial Sites. — Location; acreage; topography 
 and drainage; depth of bedrock; improvements — water, sewer, roads; avail- 
 able transportation facilities — rail, highway, water, air. 
 
 Human Resources. — Approximate number of unemployed or under- 
 employed workers and characteristics; nature of skills and occupational 
 potential of the unemployed ; kinds of retraining needed to provide available 
 workers with marketable skills; facilities available in the area for retraining 
 purposes. 
 
 Other Area Resources. — Markets; transportation facilities; water; 
 fuel; power; schools; hospitals; parks. 
 
 17 
 
and needed adjustments 
 
 Some of the obstacles that should be removed in 
 order to aid area economic growth, and thus put 
 people to work, are listed here. There may be other 
 problems, peculiar to particular redevelopment 
 areas, but these are fairly typical. 
 
 Lack of Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship. — Failure to capi- 
 talize on local industrial, recreational possibilities; hazards of small business; 
 expensive money. 
 
 Unsatisfactory Industrial Sites. — Rough terrain; poor drainage; 
 limited choice of sites; absence of large tracts; poor or nonexistent rail, 
 highway or other transportation facilities. 
 
 Lack of Satisfactory Rental Space for Small New Industries. — 
 Inadequacy of existing structures; insufficient parking areas; need for long- 
 term lease at low rate. 
 
 Retraining Problems and Needs. — Potential skills of local unem- 
 ployed related to job opportunities anticipated under redevelopment plan; 
 facilities and personnel needed for training or retraining. 
 
 Inadequate Public Utility Services. — Unsewered industrial and com- 
 mercial sites; sewage disposal problem; inadequate water supply; water 
 pollution problems. Has the area investigated possible assistance available 
 from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and the Housing 
 and Home Finance Agency? 
 
 Physical Deterioration of Area. — General lack of upkeep; vacant 
 structures; neglected community facilities; absence of new construction; 
 difficulty of road maintenance and extension. And other factors inhibiting 
 new economic activity. 
 
 Local Government Financing Capabilities. — Erosion of tax base; 
 unrealistic assessment rate; reduced capability for improving schools and 
 other public facilities; high public debt per capita; lack of confidence in 
 area as a factor in cost of borrowing. 
 
 18 
 
AREA GOALS 
 AND PROGRAM 
 
 Every redevelopment area should establish goals 
 and a program to guide its planning and action. 
 Every move by local groups, every investment in 
 new buildings, every commitment for public fa- 
 cilities should be programed in order to lead the 
 community along the path of strengthening the 
 economy and developing employment opportunities 
 of a permanent nature. 
 
 The broad economic goals of a redevelopment 
 area might be articulated this way: 
 
 To improve the economy of the area by de- 
 veloping new businesses and expanding exist- 
 ing enterprises in order to diversify the eco- 
 nomic base and provide, within reasonable 
 limits, high employment on a permanent basis. 
 
 To improve the physical conditions of the area 
 through land use and transportation planning, 
 urban renewal projects, open spaces projects 
 and development of necessary public facilities 
 that will make the area generally attractive to 
 new enterprises, and make it a pleasant place in 
 which to live and work. 
 
 Once the program for these objectives is specifi- 
 cally developed, it should be used as a continuing 
 yardstick for measuring accomplishments. 
 
 The area goals, and the program for achieving 
 these goals, should take into consideration the con- 
 tribution that the community, the State and the Fed- 
 eral Government can make in this new partnership. 
 
 19 
 
LOCAL ACTIONS 
 
 There are a number of things a community, itself, can do to help 
 put its economy on a sound footing to make it capable of keeping 
 pace with national economic growth. 
 
 A careful review is in order before the community puts its action 
 program into final shape. Not all the following courses of action 
 may be appropriate to any one community — the situation will be 
 affected by the problems, potential and needs of the area. 
 
 20 
 
• Identify good industrial sites and prepare land 
 for industrial uses by installing needed public utili- 
 ties and access roads. 
 
 • Evaluate demand for new industrial and com- 
 mercial buildings that may be needed for expansion 
 of existing enterprises or to accommodate new indus- 
 try; explore ways of financing needed construction. 
 
 • Enlarge or remodel existing industrial and 
 commercial structures to satisfy changing needs. 
 
 • Develop small new industries — "home-grown 
 industries" based on local markets and resources, 
 seeking help, if needed, from outside sources in the 
 form of technical assistance. 
 
 • Assist existing industries to develop new prod- 
 ucts and expand markets through new technological 
 and market information. 
 
 • Determine moves that should be made to in- 
 crease tourist business. 
 
 • Investigate the feasibility of wholesaling, re- 
 gional distribution and administration. 
 
 • Begin vocational training and retraining pro- 
 gram for local force to equip workers for jobs in 
 new industry locating in the area, or to fill short- 
 supply occupations either in the community or 
 within commuting distance. ^<r^ 
 
 f®#Jt£3f»4*- 
 
 • Begin immediate preparation of a compre- 
 hensive study to provide a better basis for land-use 
 planning as an integral part of economic growth. 
 
 • Develop a comprehensive highway plan to serve 
 as a guide for intelligent development of the area. 
 
 • Begin an urban and rural renewal program 
 that will upgrade the physical attractiveness of the 
 community. 
 
 • List research projects that may be needed to 
 help unlock developmental opportunities, such as a 
 study of the quantity and quality of a natural re- 
 source in which a prospective manufacturer may be 
 interested. 
 
 21 
 
STATE ACTIONS 
 
 Once the area has listed the actions it can undertake on its own, 
 consideration should be given to the types of assistance that may 
 be available from State sources. 
 
 • Assistance in preparing the comprehensive 
 OEDP — on which work should be initiated as early 
 as possible. 
 
 • Gathering data and offering technical advice in 
 studying resources and in determining the practi- 
 cability of projects. 
 
 • Assistance in planning programs and other 
 community improvement activities. 
 
 • Participation in financing needed industrial 
 and commercial projects, or public facilities 
 projects. 
 
 Assistance in formulating an effective program 
 aimed at developing industry and in advertising the 
 area's potential as a site for establishment of branch 
 plants of national concerns. 
 
 • Development of appropriate highway and pub- 
 lic works programs. 
 
 • Establishment of necessary worker retraining 
 programs, including facilities, to carry out this im- 
 portant phase of redevelopment activities. 
 
 22 
 
FEDERAL ACTIONS 
 
 The Federal Government can aid redevelopment areas in many 
 ways, for one of the great strengths of this new partnership pro- 
 gram is the fact that the resources of many Federal agencies have 
 been mobilized in the fight on area unemployment and underem- 
 ployment. 
 
 The assistance that the Area Redevelopment Administration can 
 provide is described in the pamphlet Your Community and the Area 
 Redevelopment Act, available on request from ARA or the Depart- 
 ment of Commerce Field Offices. 
 
 In addition, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of 
 the Interior, the Department of Labor, the Department of Health, 
 Education, and Welfare, the Housing and Home Finance Agency, 
 and the Small Business Administration — all these are major sources 
 of assistance to redevelopment areas. 
 
 The kind of Federal assistance provided is outlined in Handbook 
 of Federal Aids to Communities, which can be obtained from the 
 Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, 
 Washington 25, D.C., at a cost of 45 cents per copy. Examples of 
 Federal aid include: 
 
 • Aid either from the Area Redevelopment Ad- 
 ministration or from the Small Business Adminis- 
 tration in financing new industrial and commercial 
 construction. 
 
 • Assistance in organizing and financing a pro- 
 gram to retrain local labor, including recruitment 
 of trainees and subsistence allowances for workers 
 learning new skills. 
 
 • Reference to information services and publica- 
 tions including product studies and services aimed 
 at developing new products and new markets for 
 existing industries. 
 
 • Technical assistance and guidance in develop- 
 ing recreational resources and tourist potential. 
 
 • Advice and assistance on public works plan- 
 ning and development. 
 
 • Financial assistance on local urban renewal 
 program. 
 
 • Financial assistance in developing urban, re- 
 gional, and State planning programs. 
 
 • Services related to mineral exploration and 
 evaluation. 
 
 • Technical assistance on economic problems of 
 local agriculture and guidance on programs for im- 
 proving rural economy. 
 
 oev* 
 
 % ST * N 
 
 23 
 
ACTIONS OF OTHER 
 PRIVATE AND PUBLIC 
 ORGANIZATIONS 
 
 In addition there are many types of organizations which can serve as 
 invaluable sources of information helpful to local organizations in preparing 
 their OEDP. 
 
 Public utilities, railroads, banks, colleges and universities, chambers of 
 commerce, professional societies, specialized research organizations and 
 foundations, trade unions (particularly with reference to available skilled 
 workers) — all these and similar groups can make a significant contribution 
 to the area program, particularly if they gather and maintain data not avail- 
 able from State and Federal agencies. 
 
 ATTACHMENTS 
 
 Many redevelopment areas have already prepared economic re- 
 ports, studies and fact sheets which will contribute to the general 
 assessment of the area economic problems. A listing of these re- 
 ports — citing title, date, authorship and publishing or issuing 
 source — should be attached to the OEDP. 
 
 Studies that have a direct bearing on the redevelopment area 
 and its program, and pertinent maps, should be forwarded with the 
 Overall Economic Development Program, if copies are available. 
 
 24 
 
IN SUMMARY 
 
 This publication is a guide — not a rigid 
 prescription — for preparing an Overall Eco- 
 nomic Development Program, for in the last 
 analysis the community knows best what its 
 problems are, and is in the most advanta- 
 geous position to ascertain the road which 
 must be followed to economic rehabilitation 
 and full employment. 
 
 An OEDP represents the current best judgment 
 of area representatives. It is not unalterable and 
 binding for all times. It should be modified on the 
 basis of better, up-to-date information — and it 
 should be updated as efforts taken by the com- 
 munity, State and Federal Government together re- 
 sult in improvements in the economy of the rede- 
 velopment area. 
 
 The responsibility for the success of all redevelop- 
 ment efforts rests, in the last analysis, on the com- 
 munity. There is no magic formula for building a 
 better community — what is needed is hard work, 
 initiative, investment and imagination. To this 
 must be added the proper local spirit — a spirit of 
 cooperation between all segments of the community 
 to get the job done. 
 
 Without these ingredients, there can be no lasting 
 economic improvement. If these elements are 
 present in, the community, however, the resources 
 of the State and Federal Government can be added 
 to them, and stronger local economies can be created 
 and jobs can be found for those people who want 
 meaningful employment within the framework of 
 our private enterprise system. 
 
 25 
 
APPENDIX A - SAMPLE FORM 
 
 SUBMITTAL OF OVERALL ECONOMIC 
 DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (OEDP) 
 
 By Redevelopment Area Organization 
 
 Administrator 
 
 Area Redevelopment Administration 
 U.S. Department of Commerce 
 Washington 25, D.C. 
 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 The attached Overall Economic Development Program (OEDP) for the 
 
 Redevelopment Area is hereby officially 
 
 submitted by the _. , which 
 
 (Name of Redevelopment Area Organization) 
 
 includes the following members: 
 
 Name Affiliation Community 
 
 This organization, representing all interested groups in the Redevelop- 
 ment Area, is charged with implementation and/or coordination of the 
 OEDP, prepared for the Area. 
 
 Attested this day of By 
 
 1Q/j (Signature of official authorized to repre- 
 
 sent Redevelopment Area Organization) 
 
 (Signature of Attesting Official) (Title) 
 
 (Title) 
 
 [seal] 
 
 26 
 
APPENDIX B - SAMPLE FORM 
 
 CERTIFICATION OF APPROVAL OF 
 OVERALL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (OEDP) 
 
 By State Economic Development Agency 
 
 being the State agency officially identified by the Governor of the State of 
 
 to exercise responsibilities under the Area 
 
 Redevelopment Act (Public Law 87-27) , has reviewed the Overall Economic 
 Development Program for the ~ Rede- 
 velopment Area, and certifies that: 
 
 (a) The Redevelopment Area Organization submitting the OEDP appears 
 to be representative of the Redevelopment Area and qualified to imple- 
 ment and/or coordinate the Program. 
 
 (b) The factual data included in the OEDP appear to be reliable and rea- 
 sonably interpreted. 
 
 (c) The major elements of the OEDP appear to be realistic considering the 
 Area's resources and potentials. 
 
 Attested this day of By 1 
 
 -i Qs- (Signature of Official authorized to 
 - ? iyO represent Agency) 
 
 (Signature of Attesting Official) (Title) 
 
 (Title) 
 [SEAL] 
 
 27 
 
APPENDIX C - SAMPLE FORM 
 
 GUIDELINES FOR REVIEW OF OVERALL 
 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (OEDP) 
 
 By Area Redevelopment Administration 
 
 Name of Redevelopment Area 
 
 Date Received No. Reviewed by 
 
 Date Reviewed Action Taken 
 
 1. Have both the local Redevelopment Area Organization and the official 
 State agency approved this OEDP? 
 
 2. Is the local organization submitting this OEDP representative of the 
 Redevelopment Area? 
 
 3. Does the OEDP cover the entire Redevelopment Area? 
 
 4. Are Redevelopment Area problems and goals clearly defined? 
 
 5. Have sufficient, authoritative supporting data been included? 
 
 6. To what extent have data been analyzed? 
 
 7. Does the OEDP describe past efforts to solve Redevelopment Area 
 problems and reasons for their success or failure? 
 
 8. Does the OEDP explore all reasonable approaches in seeking a solution 
 to local problems? 
 
 9. Is the overall program feasible, considering financial, labor, technical 
 and other resources of the Redevelopment Area? 
 
 10. Are the various phases of the program listed in order of priority with 
 reference to the role played in each phase by private interests, and by 
 local, State, and Federal governments? 
 
 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1962 — 637641 
 
 28 
 
PENN STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES 
 
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 U.S. OIPMITMINT Of COMMKRCE 
 
 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 
 
 AREA REDEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION