Economic development is vital for most communities. But what kind of development and where it best fits are often challenging questions.These articles & postings consider various aspects of planning for local economic development.
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Della Rucker continues her focus on the issue of talent and local economic development, and then considers what young job seekers are looking for in deciding where to live and work.
Today, Della Rucker looks at the challenges communities face in dealing with talent, and the importance of uniqueness.
Della Rucker take a look at the role unintended consequences play, and then asks why we don’t do a better job of evaluating our actions and policies.
Today: a lesson in bad math. Why communities make a mistake in using linear extrapolations to plan for their future.
When it comes to managing and governing our communities, we allow circumstances to make decisions for us more often than any of us want to admit.
Della Rucker starts this section by asking why we still view economic development as a contest. She then takes a look at “magic bullet” thinking, and wraps up by discussing “those pesky unintended consequences.”
Do we in local government question our assumptions? And, what does it mean that we now have lots of 50 and 100 pound gorillas — instead of just a few big 800 pound ones — leading our communities?
We need to recognize that economic vitality depends on the health of a community, and that a community is not a set of separate, unrelated systems — a business district, a school system, a park system, a street system — but an ecosystem.
The first lesson of sailing is: if the wind is coming straight from the direction you want to go, you can wish all you want, but you can’t go directly there. Are there lessons in this for how we manage our communities?
In part 2, Kitsinger continues with consideration of: targeted incentive tools; the need of a group to shepherd through the downtown plan; and the importance of gaining regional support.
In Part 1, Andy Kitsinger focuses on four ingredients to building a healthy downtown: strong leadership; effective community engagement; a shared vision & implementation plan; and policy alignment & appropriate regulation.
The City of Sartell takes steps towards redevelopment of the badly damaged paper mill property, while requiring compliance with an interim use permit and state environmental review.
Could your community or local businesses benefit from passionate, smart, and well-educated workers who are willing to work long hours? A look at ways in which communities have helped connect young adults to jobs.
