University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

Published: September 7, 2006

By RACHEL M. TEAMAN
Reporter Contributor

The inaugural issues of a new Institute Policy Brief series, prepared by UB's Institute for Local Governance and Regional Growth, contain key findings on two important regional issues—youth demographics and the binational economy.

Initiated last month as an ongoing series, Institute Policy Briefs are two-page synopses of key data and analysis intended to frame issues, inform decisions and guide policy action.

"The policy brief series is a practical information tool for regional stakeholders, designed not only to present the latest data, but to distill the implications of evolving regional issues," said Kathryn A. Foster, director of the institute.

The first two policy briefs, "The Young and the Restless" and "Region's Edge," both of which can be accessed at < strong>http://www.regional-institute.buffalo.edu/prog/policybrief.html, challenge the conventional wisdom in this region on two timely issues.

"The Young and the Restless" affirms a continuation of Buffalo Niagara's population decline and slow growth in much of upstate New York. A closer look, however, reveals that Buffalo Niagara's "brain drain" is not as severe as popularly believed. In reality, the decline in the population of young adults 25-34 has been driven more by the loss of non-college graduates. Between 1990 and 2000, the educated young adult cohort in the Buffalo metro area (Erie and Niagara counties) fell 5 percent, whereas the overall drop in young adults was 26.5 percent. This suggests that the region has been more successful retaining or attracting youth with college degrees compared to retaining or attracting non-college educated young adults.

Nonetheless, the declining youth population overall in this region, as in other update New York metro areas, greatly exceeds the national average. According to this data, metro Buffalo would have 22,000 more young adults today if its population changes kept pace with national trends, Foster said.

"Obviously our population decline and loss of youth is a concern, but these data focus the attention on the specific demographic loss—youth without college degrees," added Foster. "This could help the region refine its strategies to retain the younger population."

In "Region's Edge," the Institute for Local Governance and Regional Growth explores the economic significance of New York's border with Canada. Focusing north to Canada could foster new strategies linking enhanced cross-border collaboration to economic growth in upstate New York—strategies that have met with success in other cross-border regions, such as the Pacific Northwest Economic Region. Buffalo Niagara is positioned within the radius of one of North America's strongest economic engines—the Greater Golden Horseshoe—which stretches from Toronto along the Southern Ontario peninsula through Buffalo Niagara and eastward to Rochester.

"Formal and informal political, economic and social networks and linkages have existed across the border for decades. The institute is collecting and analyzing data across all these sectors to document the extent to which the binational economies are integrated," said Kathryn Bryk Friedman, institute deputy director.

"The policy implications of this research are profound and impact everything from a proposed North American security perimeter to strategically linking upstate economic growth to the Toronto economy," she continued.

The Institute for Local Governance and Regional Growth plays a vital role in addressing key governance and quality-of-life issues in the Buffalo Niagara region. A major research and public service unit of UB aligned with the UB Law School, the institute leverages the resources of the university and binational community to pursue a wide range of scholarship, projects and initiatives that inform regional challenges.