Better City

Great development opportunity for a visionary developer in Northern Illinois!

🎉 Project Completed: Layton City Economic Development Plan Better City and Urban Design Associates proudly announce the completion of Layton City's Economic Development Plan! Spanning January–December 2024, this comprehensive effort included insights from 42 community stakeholders, review of 18 studies, guidance from a dedicated steering committee, and lots of research, analyses, and design from the planning team. The plan outlines strategies to harness Layton's rapid growth while enhancing economic vitality, livability, and connectivity. Key elements include market analysis, actionable strategies, and design guidelines for urban, town, and business centers. A heartfelt thank you to the Layton City team—especially Lon Crowell, AICP, Chad Wilkinson, and Weston Applonie —and all contributors for their dedication to bringing the vision of vibrant town centers to life!

🚀 Launching the Oak Harbor Economic Development Gap Analysis and Action Plan Better City is excited to partner with City of Oak Harbor, WA on the creation of its Economic Development Gap Analysis and Action Plan. This project aims to leverage the city’s strengths and proactively guide its economic development efforts. In December, the Better City team reviewed existing plans and studies, conducted a city tour, and interviewed stakeholders. Next, we will work with the steering committee to review findings and identify key areas requiring further analysis. This gap analysis will form the foundation for prioritizing strategic actions in the action plan. We look forward to delivering a roadmap that supports Oak Harbor’s prosperity!

This is a great opportunity to work with a fantastic community! Town of Leesburg, Virginia

Congratulations to the City of Green River, UT for being awarded the Rural Communities Opportunity Grant! We are excited to see the lasting impact this grant will have on the City. We'd like to recognize the efforts of Green River City Manager Edward Castro Bennett, MBA, and Better City advisor Ryan K Englund.

In September of 2023, the City of Maryland Heights Economic Development Department took a monumental step by partnering with Better City, LLC to develop its first-ever economic development strategic plan. This plan is a roadmap to guide the department’s efforts over the next ten years, addressing the community’s evolving needs and priorities. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3ZH3JYx

We are looking forward to working with the great people of City of Michigan City and at Economic Development Corporation Michigan City!

Congratulations to Synthia Laura Molina who was recently hired as City of Raton, New Mexico's Community and Economic Development Director. Synthia was selected from among a nationwide pool of highly qualified economic development professionals. She brings extensive experience in helping small businesses and non-profits scale and become more profitable and has a genuine passion for helping small communities thrive.   We are thrilled to have Synthia on the Raton team and look forward to working with her.

We were proud to organize the 2nd annual Economic Development Summit for the City of Raton, New Mexico last week! Guests and speakers from the local, regional and national level came together to collaborate on economic development solutions within Northern New Mexico. Panels were held on outdoor infrastructure, capital access, brownfields, transportation, economic development, workforce and more!   We applaud the hard work of Ann Theis, Audrey Godfrey, Eric Gibson and Raton City Manager Richard Mestas, DPA, and appreciate the contributions of all summit speakers!   Read more about the summit below!

Congratulations to Edward Castro Bennett, MBA who was recently appointed as Green River, Utah's City Manager. Throughout his career, Edward has distinguished himself as a coalition builder and developer of communities. We love working with all the great people of Green River and are looking forward to rolling up our sleeves with Edward as this new chapter opens for the City. Follow along to see what's happening in Green River on their Facebook page: https://lnkd.in/g2rCEUKF #utah