Web Watch: TVA's new site for sites Saturday, July 17, 2004 Write about Web Watch here. Last May, TVA launched a new GIS-based web site for site selectors. TVA Sites is an interactive site that allows users to find available industrial properties, office buildings and land throughout TVA’s seven-state region. Site selectors can retrieve business planning, economic, geographic and site-specific demographic and labor force data. They can also create and print maps with a web-based mapping tool. For years, TVA has been investing in GIS-based site selection tools. Many of the early versions did not work well. In addition, they have to integrate their efforts with their affiliated organization the Tennessee Valley Industrial Development Association (TVIDA). They've come up with a simple solution. If you access the TVA site through one of the regional assocaitions, say, West Tennessee Industrial Development Association, the TVA site comes up branded with the WTIA logo. See a sample page. This TVA solution provides a good model for others to follow. How do you market a region, but at the same time maintain the identity and branding of your constituent organizations? TVA has found the answer. posted by Ed Morrison |		This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. 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. So, spread the word...Share the knowledge. Tell a friend about EDPro Weblog. 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.

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