Helping Communities Shine

Whether researching and implementing ways to shape a community's economic development plan or partnering to create ways to put people to work, CREC connects researchers and policymakers with:

• Data training
• Custom portfolios that aid regional competitiveness

Project Profile

Kankakee-Iroquois Regional Planning Commission Economic Resilience Strategy

Kankakee-Iroquois Regional Planning Commission
Start Date: May 2021 — End Date: Jan 2022

CREC is assisting Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. in developing an Economic Resilience Strategy for the Kankakee-Iroquois Regional Planning Commission (K-IRPC) that builds regional capacity to respond to economic shocks. CREC supports the project by providing experience throughout the planning process, development of survey instruments, focus group facilitation, and identification of implementation strategies that align with regional priorities and threats to economic resilience. CREC conducted research into existing regional assets, strategies, support programs, and outreach efforts to identify threats to economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, gaps in support programming, and opportunities for regional collaboration. These activities resulted in a COVID-19 Recovery plan that uses a step-by-step guide and objective performance measures to build cohesion and advance progress towards a stronger and more resilient Kankakee-Iroquois region.

About the Client

Kankakee-Iroquois Regional Planning Commission

The Kankakee-Iroquois Regional Planning Commission (KIRPC), was founded as a multi-county governmental service agency on July 3, 1973, under Indiana Code 36-7-7, for the purpose of assisting local units of government in their efforts to improve and strengthen community and economic conditions and opportunities. KIRPC presently serves the eight rural counties of Benton, Carroll, Jasper, […]