The Economic Research Initiative publications discuss topics related to Orange County's economy, and provide a detailed analysis of the business sectors that comprise the local economic structure.

Issue 1, May 2009: Introduction to the Economic Research Initiative and Orange County's Economy (PDF - 860 KB)

Issue 2, August 2009: Nursery and Floriculture Production Sector in Orange County (PDF - 2 MB)

Issue 3, September 2009: High Technology (PDF - 2 MB)

Orange County Planning participated in a national Land Market Monitoring demonstration project with the National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education at the University of Maryland.

"Land market monitoring" is the collection of parcel, land, and housing data using Geographic Information Systems software to estimate developable land supply, development trends, rate of urban service area expansion, "buildout" development scenarios, and/or housing affordability. This project helped Orange County develop and refine innovative land analysis tools for sector planning, development monitoring, and smart growth initiatives.

If you would like more information about the project, please visit the Land Market Monitoring website or contact Alissa Barber of the Planning Division at 407-836-5600 or Alissa.Torres@ocfl.net.

To further Orange County's commitment to smart growth, Orange County Planning Division participated in a national Smart Growth Leadership Institute demonstration project. The Smart Growth Leadership Institute (SGLI) was created by former Maryland Governor Parris N. Glendening to help state and local elected, civic and business leaders design and implement effective smart growth strategies.

In Orange County, the consultants conducted a "Smart Growth Audit" of the County's Comprehensive Policy Plan and several zoning districts to recommend revisions that would enhance the County's implementation of smart growth strategies. The zoning districts audited were Urban Village, Neighborhood Center, Neighborhood Activity Corridor, and the Neighborhood Residential Districts, relative to their ability to promote mixed use development, and the R-1 District to promote single family residential infill.

Overall, the SGLI consultant team determined Orange County is well-positioned to "go from good to great" in the smart growth arena. The consultants found that policies in place for Horizon West, Avalon Park, and Holden Heights offered a solid foundation of strong smart growth policy to bring smart growth to more areas of Orange County. The consultant team's many detailed recommendations, included in a summary and final report, will be implemented in coming months to achieve Orange County's smart growth goals countywide. For more information, please contact Alissa Torres of the Planning Division at 407-836-5600 or Alissa.Torres@ocfl.net.

The Orlando Regional Realtor Association has a Housing Statistics program that tracks real estate trends and figures.

Residential building permit information for Orange County can be found through the U.S. Census Bureau's CenStats Databases.

The Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation Labor Market Statistics program includes a variety of labor market, economic, and demographic data, such as Employment and Wages, Labor Force, Economic Indicators, and Population.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is the primary research agency for the Federal Government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics.

The Business Information Center at the Disney/Small Business Administration National Entrepreneur Center provides research tools to start, manage, and effectively run a small business to small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. The United States Small Business Administration has an online reference to startup basics for the entrepreneur, including marketing.

The U.S. Census provides demographic information for various geographic areas that can contribute to market research. Census data can be accessed directly from the Census Bureau through its American Fact Finder application or through Orange County Interactive Mapping.

To match a local market area in Orange County to Census geography, review Census Data through Orange County Interactive Mapping (MS Word) or Census Data through American Fact Finder (MS Word).