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Transforming Urban Economy with ‘Eds and Meds’: Inspirations from the Texas Medical Center (TMC)

Received: 1 November 2019    Accepted:     Published: 3 December 2019
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Abstract

Globalization has transformed urban economy from production of materials to production of knowledge. The knowledge economy in the cities in return demands an increasingly skilled and educated workforce. Understanding that cities are and will continue to be the foundation for economic growth, one immediate challenge is to look for economic engines that help this transformation in cities. At the same time, cities in the US offered a unique perspective through ‘Eds and Meds’. Due to breakthroughs in medical research and the growing density of cities, hospital campuses are demanded to expand in size and diversity of programs. The resulting campus as an urban typology integrates medical care, medical schools and research institutes. Anchoring upon service-industry, this typology promotes urban development through increased level of economic activities related to healthcare industry. Examples of such strategy can be widely found across the US geography. This paper identifies the Texas Medical Center (TMC) in Houston as the case study to further examine the underlying mechanisms of such typology. The case study dives into the history of the development of the TMC, then, drawing upon statistics, theorizes the critical foundations for the success of TMC through the principles of agglomeration effects. Based on these findings from the Texas Medical Center, this paper also outlines recommendations on key elements essential for adopting ‘Eds and Meds’ for urban development.

Published in Urban and Regional Planning (Volume 4, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.urp.20190404.12
Page(s) 136-143
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Urban Economy, Hospital, Eds and Meds, Economic Development, Agglomeration Effects

References
[1] Ehlenz, Megan M, Birch, Eugénie L and Agness, Brian. (2014). The Power of Eds& Meds: Urban Universities Investing in Neighborhood Revitalization & Innovation Districts. Philadelphia: Penn Institute for Urban Research.
[2] Bartlik, Timothy J and Erickceck, George. (2008). The Local Economic Impact of 'Meds and Eds': How Policies to Expand Universities and Hospitals Affect Metropolitan Economies. Brookings: Metropolitan Policy Programs.
[3] Harkavy, Ira, and Zuckerman, Harmon. (1999). Eds and Meds: Cities Hidden Assets. Washington: Brookings Institution Reports.
[4] Florida, Richard. "Where 'Eds and Meds' Industries Could Become a Liability." CITYLAB. Updated November 26, 2013. https://www.citylab.com/life/2013/11/where-reliance-eds-and-meds-industries-could-become-liability/7661/.
[5] Adams, Carolyn. (2003). The Meds and Eds in Urban Economic Development, The Journal of Urban Affairs,25(5), 571-588.
[6] Wainerdi, Richard E., and Newcomen Society of the United States. Texas Medical Center. Newcomen Publication ; No. 1395. New York: Newcomen Society of the United States, 1993.
[7] Handbook of Texas Online, Mary Jane Schier, "UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS M. D. ANDERSON CANCER CENTER," accessed October 30, 2019, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/kcu26.
[8] Orlando, Alex. "Building a City of Medicine: The History of the Texas Medical Center." TMC NEWS. Updated August 19, 2014. https://www.tmc.edu/news/2014/08/building-a-city-of-medicine-the-history-of-the-texas-medical-center/.
[9] Kellar, William Henry, Barbara Bush, and Charles A. Lemaistre. Richard E. Wainerdi and the Texas Medical Center. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2017.
[10] TMC. “Facts & Figures”. Medical Statistics. Updated 26th April, 2019. https://www.tmc.edu/about-tmc/facts-and-figures/
[11] Surging Ahead: Lower Manhattan’s Economic Revival and What It Means for New York. “Economic Growth and Opportunity: Building New York City’s Future in Lower Manhattan.” DowntownNY. November 25, 2015. https://www.downtownny.com/reports/surging-ahead-lower-manhattan%E2%80%99s-economic-revival-and-what-it-means-for-new-york
[12] Jacobs, Jane. The Economy of Cities. Random House, 1969.
[13] Yin, Jun-xiang. "Regional Development of Economy and Society Investigation of Development Experiences of Texas Medical Center." Global Science, Technology and Economy Outlook 30, no. 07 (2015): 43-47.
[14] Siegfried, John, and Andrew Zimbalist. "The Economics of Sports Facilities and Their Communities." Journal of Economic Perspectives 14, no. 3 (2000): 95-114.
[15] Bureau of Labor Statistics (Houston Area Employment — July 2019; accessed October 31, 2019) https://www.bls.gov/regions/southwest/news-release/areaemployment_houston.htm
[16] Saxenian, AnnaLee. Regional Advantage: Culture and Competition in Silicon Valley and Route 128. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1994.
[17] TMC. “The History of Texas Medical Center”. History of Innovative Medical Research. Updated 26th April, 2019. https://www.tmc.edu/about-tmc/history/
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  • APA Style

    Xuanyi Nie. (2019). Transforming Urban Economy with ‘Eds and Meds’: Inspirations from the Texas Medical Center (TMC). Urban and Regional Planning, 4(4), 136-143. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.urp.20190404.12

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    ACS Style

    Xuanyi Nie. Transforming Urban Economy with ‘Eds and Meds’: Inspirations from the Texas Medical Center (TMC). Urban Reg. Plan. 2019, 4(4), 136-143. doi: 10.11648/j.urp.20190404.12

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    AMA Style

    Xuanyi Nie. Transforming Urban Economy with ‘Eds and Meds’: Inspirations from the Texas Medical Center (TMC). Urban Reg Plan. 2019;4(4):136-143. doi: 10.11648/j.urp.20190404.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.urp.20190404.12,
      author = {Xuanyi Nie},
      title = {Transforming Urban Economy with ‘Eds and Meds’: Inspirations from the Texas Medical Center (TMC)},
      journal = {Urban and Regional Planning},
      volume = {4},
      number = {4},
      pages = {136-143},
      doi = {10.11648/j.urp.20190404.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.urp.20190404.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.urp.20190404.12},
      abstract = {Globalization has transformed urban economy from production of materials to production of knowledge. The knowledge economy in the cities in return demands an increasingly skilled and educated workforce. Understanding that cities are and will continue to be the foundation for economic growth, one immediate challenge is to look for economic engines that help this transformation in cities. At the same time, cities in the US offered a unique perspective through ‘Eds and Meds’. Due to breakthroughs in medical research and the growing density of cities, hospital campuses are demanded to expand in size and diversity of programs. The resulting campus as an urban typology integrates medical care, medical schools and research institutes. Anchoring upon service-industry, this typology promotes urban development through increased level of economic activities related to healthcare industry. Examples of such strategy can be widely found across the US geography. This paper identifies the Texas Medical Center (TMC) in Houston as the case study to further examine the underlying mechanisms of such typology. The case study dives into the history of the development of the TMC, then, drawing upon statistics, theorizes the critical foundations for the success of TMC through the principles of agglomeration effects. Based on these findings from the Texas Medical Center, this paper also outlines recommendations on key elements essential for adopting ‘Eds and Meds’ for urban development.},
     year = {2019}
    }
    

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    AB  - Globalization has transformed urban economy from production of materials to production of knowledge. The knowledge economy in the cities in return demands an increasingly skilled and educated workforce. Understanding that cities are and will continue to be the foundation for economic growth, one immediate challenge is to look for economic engines that help this transformation in cities. At the same time, cities in the US offered a unique perspective through ‘Eds and Meds’. Due to breakthroughs in medical research and the growing density of cities, hospital campuses are demanded to expand in size and diversity of programs. The resulting campus as an urban typology integrates medical care, medical schools and research institutes. Anchoring upon service-industry, this typology promotes urban development through increased level of economic activities related to healthcare industry. Examples of such strategy can be widely found across the US geography. This paper identifies the Texas Medical Center (TMC) in Houston as the case study to further examine the underlying mechanisms of such typology. The case study dives into the history of the development of the TMC, then, drawing upon statistics, theorizes the critical foundations for the success of TMC through the principles of agglomeration effects. Based on these findings from the Texas Medical Center, this paper also outlines recommendations on key elements essential for adopting ‘Eds and Meds’ for urban development.
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  • Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA

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