Sunday, September 05, 2004
Here are a couple of good perspectives on how rural areas can think more regionally.
The first article comes from Garden City, Kansas. Garden City has a population of 28,000 and is located in western Kansas.
Joseph Alstrup, a political science professor from the University of Kansas, outlined how regionalism in rural areas requires cooperation, not competition. Read more.
The second perspective comes from Sturgis, MI, a city of 11,000 on the border with Indiana.
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.
Thinking regionally from a rural perspective
