Blog Posts
Insight: What’s Going to Happen to Fertility?
By: Emily Harris Why are people having less children? Are small families here to stay? Will declines in fertility continue or reverse? What does a lower fertility rate mean for our future? Can our economy handle a smaller workforce? Should we try to convince people to start having more children again? How has COVID-19 affected fertility? […]
Insight: New proposed criteria for Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas and Urban Areas
By: Mallory Bateman Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. The decennial census is not the only once-a-decade opportunity for the public to potentially impact data that shapes our communities. Although less well known, several programs revisit their criteria once every ten years. The public gets the chance to comment when the criteria are shared in the Federal Register. […]
Insight: Economic Development Needs Better Questions
By: Max Backlund Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. When you read economic development strategies for fun you are rarely asked to dinner parties. I have been reading strategies for years now and can count on one finger the number of dinner parties I’ve been invited to. My years of reading strategic plans started at the Economic Development Corporation of Utah, where I worked[...]
Insight: Pandemic-Driven Travel: How COVID-19 Influenced 2020 Tourism Trends
By: Jennifer Leaver Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. Exactly one year ago, my teenage daughter and I were anxiously awaiting our summer humanitarian trip to Thailand—something that we had been planning for over six months. One week later, everything changed. […]
Insight: Utah’s Resilient Economic Recovery
By: Phil Dean Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. Utah’s economy has proven to be incredibly resilient over the past year. While some sectors face continuing challenges, on the whole the state’s economy has dramatically recovered from the pandemic-induced decline that began in March 2020. Utah is poised for further growth as the virus’ spread moves toward further containment. Although economic risks remain, as[...]
Guest Insight: Utah Needs a Federal Child Allowance
By: Louise Knauer and Susan Olson Note: The opinions expressed represent the views of the Utah Citizens’ Counsel and its Social Support Systems Committee. The views do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. The Utah Citizens’ Counsel (UCC) is an independent, non-partisan group of senior community advocates dedicated to improving Utah public policy on a range of issues. We issued our latest report in November 2020. We sometimes think of ourselves as the voice of well-informed grandparents,[...]
Insight: A Contemporary History of Utah Households
By: Mallory Bateman Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. When people think of Utah, they think of big households and lots of children. While Utah does have the largest household size in the nation, you have perhaps noticed that the average household has gotten smaller. In our latest release, Shifting Foundations: A Contemporary History of Utah Households, we provide a historical perspective on how[...]
Insight: The Impact of COVID-19 on Utah’s Health Care and Social Assistance Industry
By: Laura Summers Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. In addition to ensuring rapid and effective distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, one of our state’s top priorities for 2021 is economic advancement. For example, the One Utah Roadmap outlines plans for promoting talent development, infrastructure investment, sustainable growth, innovation and entrepreneurship, fiscal responsibility, and strategic industry advancement by building on Utah’s industrial strengths. One established,[...]
Insight: 2020 Census Geographic Support Products Available
By: Mallory Bateman & Natalie Young Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. Today the Census Bureau released the 2020 census redistricting geographic support products for Utah. The decennial census is known for producing demographic insights into communities across the nation by tallying both population and housing. Geography is a fundamental aspect of this once-a-decade operation. Your address determined how your household was invited to[...]
Insight: Big Oil and the Future of Energy
By: Thomas Holst Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. The global pandemic has challenged all sectors of the economy. Pandemic-induced shocks to the energy sector buffeted U.S. oil & gas companies once considered the bedrock of the economy. […]