{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/33011"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/33011","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"The urban economic development impacts of ethnic entrepreneurship : a case study of Dominican entrepreneurs in Lawrence, Massachusetts","abstract":"This thesis examines the process through which ethnic entrepreneurship impacts urban economic development. In many urban places across the United States, demographic change has led to the rise of ethnic communities and the rise of ethnic entrepreneurs. In cities with sustained economic decline, the rise of ethnic entrepreneurship has been viewed with two perspectives: they are seen as symbols of continued economic decline or they are perceived as the new source of economic opportunity. Economic development practice has generally assumed the former, and in this thesis I focus on how ethnic entrepreneurship represents the latter. The thesis thus provides a strong criticism of contemporary economic development practice, and presents the case that economic development practice must embrace the role that ethnic entrepreneurship and the process of ethnic community formation plays in urban economic development. I present my arguments by first establishing a series of conceptual frameworks that show the ways in which ethnic entrepreneurship and the process of ethnic community formation influence economic activity and lead to urban economic development. I then apply the conceptual framework to a case study of Dominican entrepreneurs in the city of Lawrence, Massachusetts, a low-income city whose population is 61% Latino and 24% Dominican. Based on the findings and analysis from the case study showing the urban economic development impacts of Dominican entrepreneurship in Lawrence, I present a series of recommendations for economic development practice in the city that highlights the opportunities present in ethnic entrepreneurship in Lawrence.","abstract_html":"This thesis examines the process through which ethnic entrepreneurship impacts urban economic development. In many urban places across the United States, demographic change has led to the rise of ethnic communities and the rise of ethnic entrepreneurs. In cities with sustained economic decline, the rise of ethnic entrepreneurship has been viewed with two perspectives: they are seen as symbols of continued economic decline or they are perceived as the new source of economic opportunity. Economic development practice has generally assumed the former, and in this thesis I focus on how ethnic entrepreneurship represents the latter. The thesis thus provides a strong criticism of contemporary economic development practice, and presents the case that economic development practice must embrace the role that ethnic entrepreneurship and the process of ethnic community formation plays in urban economic development. I present my arguments by first establishing a series of conceptual frameworks that show the ways in which ethnic entrepreneurship and the process of ethnic community formation influence economic activity and lead to urban economic development. I then apply the conceptual framework to a case study of Dominican entrepreneurs in the city of Lawrence, Massachusetts, a low-income city whose population is 61% Latino and 24% Dominican. Based on the findings and analysis from the case study showing the urban economic development impacts of Dominican entrepreneurship in Lawrence, I present a series of recommendations for economic development practice in the city that highlights the opportunities present in ethnic entrepreneurship in Lawrence.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Cheigh, Brian Chaneung"],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning.","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Karl F. Seidman."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2005,"date_issued":"2005","date_published":"2005","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:45Z","subjects":["Urban Studies and Planning."],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."],"rights_urls":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33011","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Karl F. Seidman."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.other","label":"Dc Contributor Other","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 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In many urban places across the United States, demographic change has led to the rise of ethnic communities and the rise of ethnic entrepreneurs. In cities with sustained economic decline, the rise of ethnic entrepreneurship has been viewed with two perspectives: they are seen as symbols of continued economic decline or they are perceived as the new source of economic opportunity. Economic development practice has generally assumed the former, and in this thesis I focus on how ethnic entrepreneurship represents the latter. The thesis thus provides a strong criticism of contemporary economic development practice, and presents the case that economic development practice must embrace the role that ethnic entrepreneurship and the process of ethnic community formation plays in urban economic development. I present my arguments by first establishing a series of conceptual frameworks that show the ways in which ethnic entrepreneurship and the process of ethnic community formation influence economic activity and lead to urban economic development. I then apply the conceptual framework to a case study of Dominican entrepreneurs in the city of Lawrence, Massachusetts, a low-income city whose population is 61% Latino and 24% Dominican. Based on the findings and analysis from the case study showing the urban economic development impacts of Dominican entrepreneurship in Lawrence, I present a series of recommendations for economic development practice in the city that highlights the opportunities present in ethnic entrepreneurship in Lawrence."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["M.C.P."]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The urban economic development impacts of ethnic entrepreneurship : a case study of Dominican entrepreneurs in Lawrence, Massachusetts"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Karl F. Seidman."],"dc:contributor.department":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning."],"dc:contributor.other":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 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Economic development practice has generally assumed the former, and in this thesis I focus on how ethnic entrepreneurship represents the latter. The thesis thus provides a strong criticism of contemporary economic development practice, and presents the case that economic development practice must embrace the role that ethnic entrepreneurship and the process of ethnic community formation plays in urban economic development. I present my arguments by first establishing a series of conceptual frameworks that show the ways in which ethnic entrepreneurship and the process of ethnic community formation influence economic activity and lead to urban economic development. I then apply the conceptual framework to a case study of Dominican entrepreneurs in the city of Lawrence, Massachusetts, a low-income city whose population is 61% Latino and 24% Dominican. Based on the findings and analysis from the case study showing the urban economic development impacts of Dominican entrepreneurship in Lawrence, I present a series of recommendations for economic development practice in the city that highlights the opportunities present in ethnic entrepreneurship in Lawrence."],"dc:description.degree":["M.C.P."],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33011"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"],"dc:rights":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. 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