Advantages of Urban Manufacturing

The recent Brookings Institution report on small, urban manufacturers has such an unbelievable wealth of information that presenting it will take up many blog posts here. One of the sections discusses the advantages and challenges of urban manufacturing.

Among the advantages posted by Joan Byron and Nisha Mistry is that cities "provide unparalleled access to workers of every level and variety of skill." They cite the ability of transit in cities to deliver workers to central locations and the availability of a variety of educational programs for training. In larger cities, competition promotes innovation in management practices and the tremendous diversity of national origin in cities promotes global perspectives.

It's true that transit helps to deliver workers to central locations, and in many cities the proximity of manufacturing sites to residential neighborhoods permits connected manufacturers to source labor from around the corner. Manufacturing in these environments means employees that can walk to work, receiving the benefits of a healthy, car-independent lifestyle which accrue to the manufacturer. It's probable that absenteeism rates decline in shops that have an urban presence, as winter weather is less of a factor in the employee's ability to get to work.

Cities like Allentown, PA not only have a wealth of academic resources available in the heart of the downtown, but also benefit from a concentration of workforce development programs in urban environments. Manufacturers can easily take advantage of both resources, keeping their employees well trained.

Historically, cities grew with immigrant populations that helped to define the character of the place where they landed. Immigration is still one of the major drivers of population growth in the United States, and is helping cities to maintain population. Integration of immigrant populations into urban manufacturing helps those companies innovate as different perspectives come along. They also provide insight into competing in global markets.

Cities provide an overwhelming advantage to urban manufacturers. Learn more at urban-made.org.