Iowa launches a community vitality center Thursday, September 19, 2002 Now here's a new idea. Iowa State University Extension and 20 leaders from across the state have launched a new statewide initiative called the Community Vitality Center. The Center is partially funded with a $268,600 grant from the federal government. The Board of the Center hopes that the organization will become a catalyst for innovative initiatives to build community vitality across the state. This sounds a little flaky until you dig deeper. Their first project is "Enhancing Entrepreneurship to Improve Iowa's Community Vitality". That's an important topic, and they are drilling into the tough issues by examining examine different approaches that communities may take in supporting and assisting entrepreneurs and start-up businesses. They won't stop there. Next, they'll select three communities and work with them to implement a development program to encourage entrepreneurship. Finally, they'll take the perspective of entrepreneurs and see if they can build more supportive networks. And that's only one topic. There are two others: "Integrating Rural Iowa into Iowa's Industry Cluster Strategy for Economic Development" and a project to identify best practices among fast growing, non-metro regions. This all sounds promising. Some practical people are driving the bus. Learn more. Go posted by Ed Morrison |		This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. links Some Background on EDPro Weblog The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it. One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information. So, spread the word...Share the knowledge. Tell a friend about EDPro Weblog. If you are using a news reader, here is the link to syndicate this site: Here's the link if you are a bloglines subscriber: Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking. Background on Ed Morrison Download some background information on me here.

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