Sunday, August 07, 2005
Cleveland's civic leadership often trips over an old industrial mindset that emphasizes command and control behavior over innovation.
Here's a case in point. A local councilman does not want a new business in his district. He doesn't like the idea of worm composting (also called vermiculture), despite the fact that this business is growing segment of sustainable agriculture. (To illustrate that the idea can make sense in urban settings, here's a web site from city council in Christ Church, New Zealand. Read more.)
Apparently doing a little research on the Internet does not interest this particular Cleveland City Councilman. And his opposition is likely to squash this new business idea. According to the unwritten rules of Cleveland economic development, members of city council have a virtual veto power over business development in their districts. Read more.
That level of political interference is a surefire way to stifle innovation.
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.
The challenge of innovating in Cleveland
