Case Study Development Training
This course is designed to provide transportation practitioners and planners with the necessary skills to accurately assess the observed economic impacts of transportation projects. The course provides step-by-step guidance for analyzing and integrating a range of information sources in order to add new cases to the EconWorks Case Studies database. Additional case studies will help expand the breadth and depth of the case study database.
The EconWorks Case Studies tool is populated with 105 case studies representing ten types of transportation projects, such as bypasses, bridges, highway widenings, transit projects, and intermodal projects. This database can be used to obtain estimates of a potential transportation project’s economic impact based on parameters defined by users. The tool is designed for use in earlier stages of the project planning and prioritization process as a screening tool, particularly when economic development impacts are an important motivation for a transportation investment.
The course consists of 13 modules. These trainings range from 10-20 minutes in length each.
Training Modules
Module 1 introduces the training and the case studies component of EconWorks.
Module 2 - Economic Development Concepts
Module 2 summarizes the generative and redistributive economic impacts and their application to the EconWorks Case Studies tool.
Module 3 - Overview of EconWorks
Modules 3 and 4 provide a tool description as well as define the basic components of each case study: data needs, search criteria, project characteristics, project results and impacts, examples of project types, and project setting—regions, economic distress, motivation, case study research components.
Modules 3 and 4 provide a tool description as well as define the basic components of each case study: data needs, search criteria, project characteristics, project results and impacts, examples of project types, and project setting—regions, economic distress, motivation, case study research components.
Module 5 - Case Study Data Needs And Sources
Data and the data collection sources and methods needed to support a case study are presented in Module 5.
Module 6 explores how to conduct case-specific web-based research.
Module 7 - Using Aerial Photographs For Economic Impact Assessment
Module 7 uses numerous examples to explain how to use aerial photographs to help identify the economic and land use impacts of transportation investments.
Module 8 - Conducting Case Study Inteviews
Conducting case study interviews to identify key economic impacts and supporting non-transportation factors of a given transportation project is the focus of Module 8.
Module 9 - Using Site Visits To Clarify Project Impacts
Module 9 discusses how to use site visits to clarify project impacts.
Module 10 - Estimating Impacts And Costs For Case Study Entry
Module 10 provides instructions how to synthesize all the information collected through the case study investigation to estimate the economic development impacts of a case study project.
Module 11 - Developing A Case Study Narrative
Module 11 describes how to develop the case study narrative, with a focus on the types of information that are critical to developing an informative narrative.
Module 12 - Challenges In Conducting Case Studies
Potential challenges in conducting case studies, and some possible solutions to these challenges are discussed in Module 12.
Module 13 - Case Submission & Course Conclusion
Module 13 describes the process of submitting of case studies on the website and other final conclusions.
