Thursday, January 22, 2004
Smaller towns face difficulty in maintaining a retail base in their downtowns. There's no simple solution, but branding represents a core strategic concept. In a recent presentation in Millis, MA, consultants made this point.
To develop retail, Millis needs to create a sense of destination, a unique experience anchored by attractions and good design, and then promote itself. Read more.
Here is an example of how developers are using this strategy to revitalize East Ohio Street in Pittsburgh. Read more.
posted by Ed Morrison |
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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.
Branding a key to retail development
