Skip to Main Content

BSE 2310: Foundations of Finance: Getting Started

Overview

Overview:

You will be investigating the financial backbone of an economic center, in this case, a Chicago neighborhood.  You will leverage primary and secondary research to probe and define what historically was the business footprint of your chosen neighborhood, what transition has taken place, and what is represented in that neighborhood today.

You are probing commerce as a stimulus in neighborhoods.

 

Goals:

Your goals for this project are to discuss the following questions:

  1. What were the commercial enterprises that dominated your neighborhood 50-70 years ago?
  2. Was there a stimulus in teh business environment that changed the neighborhood (positive/negative) - what was it, when did it occur, what impact did it have, what has changed (if anything)?
  3. What has been the impact on housing and rent prices in your selected neighborhood? Research over the last 20 years.
  4. What are the major commercial enterprises in your neighborhood today?  What is it know for today? Describe the business climate today?
  5. What would you forecast for this neighborhood over the next ten years?  Would you want to locate a business there?  Would you want to live there or buy property?

Where do I find the data on my community?

Finding sources for demographic and health statistics can be very challenging. Here are some general tips to keep in mind:

  • Federal, state and local governments collect data. Many federal agencies collect data at the state and even county and municipal level, so the federal government can be a great source for local statistics.
  • Some statistics are collected regularly, some only occasionally. In general, expect a lag time of at least one year before most statistics are published. Also, expect some gaps and discrepancies.
  • Statistics are not regularly collected for all areas or topics. Data on  may be difficult to locate because there is no law mandating the reporting of this information to local agencies.
  • Become familiar with some major data collection efforts such as Healthy People 2020 and American Fact Finder.
  • When browsing web sites, look for categories such as publications and reports as well as statistics and data.
  • Use a good Internet search engine, such as Google or Google Advanced Search, when you are looking for more obscure data.

Credit/Permissions

The information on this page was created by Kate McGraw at UNC Health Sciences Library. (Used with permission)