The regional economic impact of a large-scale, non-profit institution

• Main Author: De Grace, Margaret E.
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/21591

Regional planners are often faced with having to estimate the various impacts of a new or existing project on the regional economy and to place these estimates in a regional planning context. Their concern is not only with impacts directly attributable to the project itself, but also with the multiplier effect which occurs as a result of successive rounds of respending in the local economy as a result of the project. There are theoretical and practical problems connected with the derivation of the multiplier values. Much of the research in regional economic impact analysis has focused on ways to correct for potential errors in the analysis and on the use of appropriate models for analysis. In this thesis three models are examined: economic base, income expenditure and input-output. Theoretical weaknesses and practical problems associated with each particular model or common to the three models are identified. The relative strengths and weaknesses of the models are evaluated to determine appropriate uses for each. Research has also focused on the particular impacts generated by unique types of projects and on particular regional economies. A growing awareness that there are significant impacts from large, non-profit institutions on regional economies has stimulated an interest in identifying and quantifying these impacts. In this thesis a number of empirical studies utilizing each of the three models to analyse the impact of a large, non-profit institution on a regional economy is reviewed. In the context of this review, the specific advantages and disadvantages of the different models are discussed. The thesis, then, develops a viable methodology through the appropriate use of an existing model to indicate the extent of economic impact of a complex institution on a regional economy. A case study is presented of the regional economic impact of the Pacific National Exhibition complex - a large, non-profit institution in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. The study demonstrates the economic impact of the PNE Complex by isolating income, employment and expenditure impacts generated in the regional economy by the Complex for the base year 1977. The thesis concludes by considering the role of regional economic impact analysis in the context of regional planning and policy formulation. === Applied Science, Faculty of === Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of === Unknown