SWOT Analysis for the Urban Zone

Strengths | Weaknesses | Opportunities | Threats | Suggested Projects

* Denotes Top Priorities

Strengths

1. Location: Proximity to lakeshore and Chicago*
2. Higher education*
3. Transportation infrastructure
4. Good housing stock
5. Strong Union
6. State tax (residential) is competitive with other states
7. Labor pool
8. Industries: Gaming, health care, trucking, construction, retail
9. Motivation to cooperate
10. Infrastructure capacity: Sewage, water, utilities

Weaknesses

1. Government inefficiencies*
2. Public relations of Northwest Indiana*
3. Blight: Lack of land planning assembly
4. Race relations
5. Perceived high cost of doing business in region
6. Lack of corporate headquarters
7. Northwest region disconnect with State
8. Lack of media coverage
9. E-commerce limited due to broadband capacity

Opportunities

1. Development of distribution centers: High-tech manufacturing, targeted industry clusters*
2. Small business development*
3. Intermodal transportation: Airport, commuter rail (Business zone increasing world trading)
4. Minority business development
5. Cultural: Arts and entertainment industry

Threats

1. Tax Structure: Increases competition among city's governmental units*
2. Race*
3. Perception of lack of opportunity*
4. Job piracy
5. Brain drain
6. Reputation of Northwest Indiana: External view
7. Loss of businesses

Suggested Projects

1. Intermodal transportation system: South Shore, Airport, Port
2. Legislative: Funding of RTA: One-Cent Food and Beverage Authority and College debt relief
3. Purdue Tech Center and Incubator
4. IUN Local Government Academy
5. Region-wide marketing: External and internal
6. Land use planning/assembly