A new article in Place asks a practical question: what helps communities attract skilled workers and make it possible for them to stay? Natasha D’Souza, Ryan Gibson, and Wayne Caldwell show that a job offer is only part of the answer. Workers and their families also need suitable housing, healthcare, schools, childcare, and opportunities to feel at home.

Drawing on Bruce County’s growing energy sector, the publication explores how major employers can bring investment and new opportunities while putting pressure on housing and local services. They argue that planners, municipalities, employers, and community organizations need to work together to prepare for growth. That planning must serve the whole community, including residents who do not work in the expanding industry.

Read “Planning for Highly Skilled Talent: How Specialized Economies are Reshaping Planning Practice” in the Fall/Winter 2026 issue of Place to learn why retaining talent depends on building communities where people and families can thrive.