Friday, June 25, 2004
With Big Box retail, you could be in Austin or Albany, Nashville or Jacksonville. The strips all look the same: Home Depot, Sam's Club, Lowe's, Wal-Mart, Barnes & Noble, Red Lobster, Olive Garden. (It's like the movie, Ground Hog Day, except that you drive somewhere and end up in the same place.)
In reaction, some communities are starting to develop physical plans that restore their local character. Read about what planners are doing in Michigan to create unique experiences. Go.
posted by Ed Morrison |
links
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.
Reacting to the boring big boxes
