Wednesday, September 17, 2003
In economic development, we face the same pressures that are pulling apart business organizations. "Chain of command" organizations are giving way to inclusive webs. That means that top-down strategies don't work as well.
To foster more civic innovation, the Cleveland Foundation has launched the Civic Innovation Lab. This initiative is designed to identify new voices in economic development and connect them with the resources they need to implement their ideas. In particular, each individual will be matched with a mentor or group of mentors to develop their ideas.
The Cleveland Foundation also supports REI@Weatherhead, where I now work. REI@Weatherhead is the Center for Regional Economic Issues at the Weatherhead School of Management. The Center started out twenty years ago as part of the Federal Reserve Bank. With funding from the Cleveland and Gund foundations, the Center has developed a strong capability to support reginal economic development.
Our Center will be supporting the regional initiatives in Northeast Ohio, including the Civic Innovation Lab.
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.
Civic innovation lab launched
