Prince William County leaders may need to re-think the sort of housing developments they’re luring to the area if they truly want to grow the county’s economy, according to a leading researcher on the economics of the Washington, D.C. area.
Stephen Fuller, the director of his own economics institute at George Mason University, swung by Manassas on Nov. 3 to offer his take on Prince William’s economic health to the county’s Chamber of Commerce and several county supervisors. While Fuller feels that the county is generally well-positioned for the next decade or so, he warned that Prince William officials will need to find a way to build more high-quality, walkable communities if they want to attract talented young workers (and the companies that covet them).
“What companies want most these days is a good workforce,” Fuller said. “And that puts pressure on areas having good housing, parks, these amenities, more so than 10 or 20 years ago. Businesses don’t go somewhere and think the talent will follow. It tends to be the other way around.”
