DePaul University’s Egan Urban Center has announced the completion of an 18-month research project that examines the economic development efforts of eight major U.S. cities. The findings of the study will be presented at a summit inspired by the late Chicago Mayor Harold Washington’s agenda for balanced growth. “Harold Washington and Municipal-Led Job-Centered Development in the 1990s” will be held May 23-24 at the DePaul Center, 1 East Jackson Blvd., 8th Floor.

The case studies document and analyze municipally led strategies aimed at creating better connections between low-income residents and neighborhoods, and economic development. The case studies examine; Cleveland, Philadelphia; Seattle; Austin, Texas Oakland, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; Rochester, N.Y.; and Savannah, Ga.

More than 100 economic development practitioners, academicians, urban planners and policy makers are expected to convene for two days of panel discussions. Eugene “Gus” Newport, former mayor of Berkley and creator of the award-winning Dudley Street Economic Project of Boston, will give the keynote address at noon May 23.

According to Michael Bennett, executive director of the Egan Urban Center, the center thought it fitting to release these findings during the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Washington’s history-making mayoral election. “By bringing together people who share Washington’s principles and continue to pursue the equity agenda his administration promoted, we hope to create an opportunity to share experience and ideas that will be helpful in leading initiatives to benefit low-income and hard-to-reach populations here in Chicago,” Bennett stated.

The case studies’ research was funded through a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and directed by Robert Giloth, senior program officer of the foundation. The summit is co-sponsored by the Harold Washington Foundation. The Egan Urban Center, named for the late social justice activist and former DePaul community affairs officer, Msgr. John J. Egan, was established to assist the university and the greater Chicago community in finding ways to address critical urban problems through teaching, service and scholarship.

For more information about the Egan Urban Center, the upcoming summit or the Municipal-Led Development Strategies Case Studies, contact Sarah Korhonen at 312/362-8990 or skorhone@depaul.edu.