Saturday, November 01, 2003
Heritage tourism is an important economic development strategy for rural communities. It combines historic preservation with the real benefits of tourist development. Learn more from the National Trust for Historic Preservation Go.
Here's an example on a big scale. The Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area covers 37 counties in Northeast Iowa. It is one of 23 federally designated heritage areas. The area focuses on telling the story of the contributions that northeast Iowa has made to our agricultural history.
Several states support active heritage tourism programs. Here's an example from North Carolina. Go.
Today in our history of innovation...
In 1957, the world's longest suspension bridge, the Mackinac Straits Bridge between Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas, opened at five miles long.
I've been fascinated by this bridge since I was a child. My grandmother grew up on Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) Island, and my grandfather worked on the docks. Here's more on the history of the bridge. Go.
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.
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.
Resources: Heritage tourism
