Saturday, July 19, 2003
Eco-industrial parks are a relatively new concept, and if you are unfamiliar with it, read on.
More popular in Asian than the U.S. right now, eco-industrial parks are part of a broader trend to balance development with environmental concerns. Other components of this trend include Smart Growth to limit sprawl and "restorative development" to restore our natural and man-made environments.
An eco-industrial park represents a community of manufacturing and service businesses located together on a common property. Businesses in the park work together to minimize their environmental impacts by combining a series of environmetally friendly tactics to development. These tactics include reducing pollution, managing waste streams, using renewable energy sources in building design, and promoting energy efficiency.
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.
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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.
Dayton group evaluates an eco-industrial park
