Sunday, August 15, 2004
Both Sacramento, CA and Arlington, TX are struggling with the Big Thing Theory of economic development. (The Big Thing Theory holds that you need Big Things to generate economic development. Nice idea, but it doesn't work.)
Sacramento could probably survive a misguided decision to subsidize a sports arena. It's economy is anchored by government employment. In Arlington, the consequences will be more severe. The city's finances are facing a serious structural deficit. Deep subsidies for a sports stadium (especially a pro football stadium with so few event days) will not help.
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.
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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.
Struggling with Big Things
