Public Policy
The Gardner Institute provides data-driven, context-specific insights about public policy in Utah. We prepare in-depth quantitative and qualitative studies on key Utah issues in partnership with private-sector stakeholders and state and local government. Our research provides vital information decision-makers and the public use to help Utah prosper.
Insight: Centennial Year Inspires National Park Visitation in 2016
By: Jennifer Leaver, M.A. A few months ago, I had the privilege to attend an event called “Your Park After Dark,” held at Salt Lake’s Clark Planetarium. This event, co-hosted by the National Park Service and the Utah Office of Tourism, included mouth-watering food, sweet local tunes, and a premier screening of the new IMAX 3D film, “National Parks Adventure.” […]
Economic Impact of Utah’s Family Choice Behavioral Healthcare Interventions Industry
Utah is home to 72 Family Choice and Behavioral Healthcare Interventions Industry programs. These programs provide varying levels of residential treatment for teens and young adults and are primarily funded by families “out-of-pocket,” i.e. the industry is not health insurance-driven. The industry generates an economic impact in Utah by bringing in revenue from out-of-state clients, over 90 percent of industry revenue comes from outside of Utah, and through the travel expenditures of clients’ families.
Insight: State of Utah’s Travel and Tourism Industry
By: Juliette Tennert, M.A. Our annual State of Utah’s Travel and Tourism Industry report is now available. The report details the important role that this industry plays in Utah’s economy. […]
Insight: Strong First Quarter Results for Utah’s Construction Sector
By: James Wood The latest data show strong first quarter results for Utah’s construction sector. The value of construction in Utah in the first quarter of 2016 was $1.87 billion, only two percent below the all-time high of $1.91 billion (inflation adjusted dollars) in 2007 (See Table 1). The full report for the first quarter of 2016 can be viewed here. […]
Insight: The Gateway Re-Imagined- A new owner promises to restore vibrancy to the drooping property
By: Natalie Gochnour Originally published in Utah Business When my daughter got her driver’s license, I remember asking her if she could find her way around town. She turned to me with a confident smile and said, “I know how to get to The Gateway.” Her answer spoke volumes. A 16-year-old, newly minted driver who lived in the suburbs of Salt Lake City knew the directions to a downtown shopping destination eight miles away. The Gateway was THE place to go, and she had found it. […]
Insight: Engagement is the right path for US-Cuba relations
By: Natalie Gochnour Originally published in the Deseret News This week, a Carnival cruise ship left Miami, crossed the Florida Straits and docked in Havana, Cuba. Over 700 passengers stepped off the ship into a socialist country that has endured a half century of Cold War hostility. If these visitors are anything like me, they left with a love for the Cuban people and a renewed commitment to strengthen ties with this extraordinary place. […]