Daily Quote

"Now there is one outstandingly important fact regarding Spaceship Earth, and that is that no instruction book came with it."

--Buckminster Fuller

Birmingham, England Economic Strategy

For an idea on how British cities are approaching economic development, take a look at Birmingham’s new economic strategy.

Birmingham's Economic Strategy 2004-2015 has been published recently. The strategy identifies economic regeneration priorities for Birmingham. It has been developed through the Birmingham Economic Development Partnership, whose members are the Birmingham City Council, Birmingham and Solihull Learning and Skills Council and Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The draft strategy can still be viewed on the Birmingham City Council website at www.birmingham.gov.uk/nes

U.K. Approach to Evaluating ED Partnerships

As many of you know, I have been assessing new ways EDO’s can partner nationally and globally. In March 2004, we conducted a survey of how EDO’s in the US and abroad are approaching partnerships.

In this vein, you might find a new report by the UK Institution of Local Economic Development that describes how to evaluate ED partnerships of various types. It’s a good read. Download it here: http://www.ied.co.uk/partnership toolkit.pdf

U.K. ED Association

The Institution of Economic Development is the leading United Kingdom organization for economic development practitioners.

It is committed to demonstrating the value of economic developmentwork for local and regional communities, to the pursuit of best practice in economic development and to the attainment of the highest standards of professional training and competence. If you would like more information, email the organization at admin@ied.co.uk

More here.

Daily Quote

"We all have big changes in our lives that are more or less a second chance."

--Harrison Ford

Kansas State Partners with Rural Communities

Looking for ideas on how universities can help economic and community development along in rural communities? Check this out.

The Kansas Center for Rural Initiatives was established in 1986 to facilitate networking among Kansas State University faculty and staff with interests in rural issues. Since that time, KCRI has developed from an informal weekly luncheon group to a formal organization that was approved by the Kansas Board of Regents in 1987.

KCRI partners with rural communities to strengthen their capacity to respond to increasing economic, social, and environmental pressures. Opportunities for faculty to provide direct service and technical expertise to communities are available through several programs at KCRI. These partnerships are mutually beneficial providing University faculty and staff with opportunities to learn from communities as well.

KCRI works with other institutions, promoting communication and cooperation among numerous statewide, regional, and local rural development programs. Through these collaborations, KCRI provides leadership in bringing together significant players in rural development to cooperate and coordinate activities.

More here.

Kansas City Cornerstone Program

Here is one to look at.

The Cornerstone Awards program was initiated over 25 years ago to recognize investments by companies in Kansas City, Missouri. Originally, a theme of “commitment to Kansas City” prevailed at the awards program, and generally only new business construction and renovation projects received awards.

As time has progressed, the selection committee has expanded the awards to include neighborhood projects, technological investments, promotion of international trade and film production projects, as well as housing, community and educational projects.

The selection committee, made up of EDC Board members, now selects winning projects based not only on investment and new jobs, but on the project’s effect on issues like education, quality of life, and the project’s impact on the community and surrounding neighborhoods.

More here.

Happy Thanksgiving to All

I wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving Holiday Season. This is indeed a time for all of us to give thanks.

Best,

Don Iannone
Publisher

Daily Quote

"Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius."

--Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

High School Student Readiness for College

Want to know how well prepared high school students across America are to attend college? Measuring Up 2004 is a must read for you. Click here to learn more.

Business Closings List

Maybe for some reason you need to identify recent business closings. If so, click here to view the Bizsites.com database of closed plants.

New Irish ED Blog

A friend of mine, Nick Rogers, in Ireland has just started a new ED blog.

Take a look here.

Good luck, Nick!

Daily Quote

"I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen."

--Frank Lloyd Wright

Ideas on Rural Leadership

If you are interested in rural leadership issues, you may find the the Rural Deevelopment Leadership Network to be a useful resource. Click here to learn more. The network holds its programs at UC, Davis.

New Leadership in Rural Areas

Rural areas need stronger leadership for economic development. More and more rural leaders agree that new opportunities are on the horizon for rural America. The question many rural regions now face is this: How to claim the new opportunities? At root, this question is all about governance—how regions make economic decisions quickly and effectively.

Simply put, regional governance is about how public and private leaders work together to build new economic engines that can compete in globalizing markets.

More here.

Beyond Cows and Corn

Click here to download an interesting article on how rural economies have diversified beyond what many outside observers believe. This is actually an useful read for many rural leaders who are sometimes not aware of how much their economic base has changed.

The U.S. Dollar

What's happening to the dollar? It's falling.

Take a look at this article in the most recent issue of the Economist to gain a perspective of how the rest of the world sees this trend--at least in the short term.

Click here.

Average Guy Philanthropy

We are conditioned to think that it is the "big donors" that make the greatest difference in charitable giving. It is true these individuals play a key role. It is also true that the little guy makes a big difference. That is the message in a recent Business Week article on this topic. Maybe EDO's should be paying more attention to smaller contributions to build their funds. This strategy is not a substitite for your founder's funds, but they can make a difference.

Click here to read more.

Certified Communities Programs

The concept of a certifying communities as "economic development ready" is a good one.

Many states and some regions operate programs of this type. The process generally focuses on equipping a community (or a county) with the basics in supporting economic development. These programs offer a good beginning point in getting ready for economic development.

Truthfully, the process of getting ready is a continuous one, requiring the community to assess its readiness to tackle a wide array of challenges and opportunities. I like to think of this as a continuous improvement process and one that focuses on "performance."

There are many examples of certified communities programs out there. Click here to see how New Mexico operates its program.

Toledo Officials Upset Over Latest Milken Institute Ratings

For years, Youngstown has finished dead last in various economic ratings of Ohio metro areas. The latest Milken Institute rates Toledo below Youngstown and Toledo ED officials are not happy.

Go here to read more.

China and Mexico Talk on Economic Cooperation

This is a smart move for both China and Mexico, but especially Mexico, which has been losing business to China in recent years.

What does this mean for the U.S. and its competitive position vis-a-vis the two nations?

Click here to read more.

Denver's Convention Industry

Denver is stepping up efforts to grow its travel and tourism industry. Get the latest here.

Daily Quote

"The art of progress is to preserve order amid change and to preserve change amid order."

--Alfred North Whitehead

Daily Quote

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."

--Helen Keller

Site Selectors and Economic Developers Talk

Business Facilities Editor in Chief Karim Khan moderated the closing session of the International Economic Development Council's (IEDC) annual conference, held in St. Louis, MO.

During the hour-and-a-half long session, a panel of site consultants answered questions from the audience of economic developers.

It provides some useful insights into what site selectors are looking for. Some things, like workforce needs, never seem to change.

Click here to get the whole story.