Fresno, California

FRESNO, CAL I FORNI A No one could have anticipated COVID-19, which sent cities across the country reeling from its economic impact. To help save local businesses, Fresno’s economic development teams are going into overdrive, identifying which businesses must close and when they can reopen, helping owners secure federal loans through the Payment Protection Program, obtaining personal protective equipment on behalf of businesses, tapping into federal funding available to city governments, spearheading recovery task forces and relief programs, and lifting up traumatized small business communities. For a scrappy but burdened city like Fresno, access to federal funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the CARES Act can be the lifeline it has needed to give the city a leg up. Beyond the funding, Fresno now also enjoys a seat at the table, integrating with teams from the state and federal government in new ways. The initiatives in place are collaborative, rooted in cross-sector partnerships, and cognizant of its history. Fresno innovates because its future depends on it. cities our size, most of whom are hemmed in by multiple rings of other suburban municipalities. We have a lot of control of the rural edge of our metropolitan area, as well as the central part of our city, so we have a lot of room to not only infill but to grow outward, too. Whether it’s for single-family housing development or job-rich development such as industrial and distribution centers, there’s definitely room on our periphery that is available for us to annex and develop. We have a 50-50 plan: half inward growth and half perimeter growth, and whether it’s mixed- use infill or greenfield residential development, we’re ready for business.”