Friday, February 27, 2004
In the late 1990's, alarmed by reports of a brain drain, St. Louis leaders began looking more closely at the issue.
The publication of Richard Florida's book, The Creative Class, amplified their concerns. Florida's theory states that high growth companies will locate where there are deep pools of young, creative workers.
To draw this type of person, a city must offer a high quality of life after work, through amenities that young singles want most, such as a vibrant downtown, a dynamic nightlife and a gay-friendly culture.
Now some of the evidence in St. Louis suggests a more complex, subtle picture. As Joel Kotkin, author of one report on St. Louis, comments,
"There's an element of truth to (Florida's theory), but it's overblown."
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.
St. Louis looking closely at the brain drain/brain gain issue
