In 2023, Carlise/Wortman Associates (CWA) assisted the City of Ann Arbor with conducting an Economic Development Assessment.

CWA worked side by side with Urban Innovations to evaluate both internal and external parties who are involved in the economic development that influences the City. The report provided a framework for examining the economic development goals of the City including:

1. Background research on familiar economic development tools and organizations. 

2. Opportunities to enhance those tools and organizations.

3. New organizations to partner with and a final recommendation to attain the City’s economic goals. 

After the research was completed, it was clear that there were significant economic activities occuring within the City but it was done with the economic development strategy formulated by the City. The report includes recommendations that the City should create a Plan that bases its economic development decisions with existing organizations including the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Washtenaw County, SPARK, the Economic Development Department (EDD), the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), University of Michigan, and new organizations including Environmental Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), other businesses within the City, and by selling City owned land for new development. The City can achieve this by creating an Economic Development Plan.