Sunday, August 07, 2005
Figuring out what to do in downtown Detroit is tough. Now there's a new partnership set to tackle the challenge. The new Downtown Detroit Partnership is really the merger of two other groups, the Greater Downtown Partnership and Detroit Downtown Inc.
As such, the move by civic leaders in Detroit follows a pattern from other cities. Civic leaders are recognizing that the proliferation of civic groups engaged in economic development undercuts the ability to focus resources. At the same time, consolidation alone is not enough.
The real challenge comes in changing the way in which economic development takes place. We need to move away from project-based, top-down strategies and toward initiatives that promote open innovation networks. This transition calls for a new model of civic leadership.
Read more about what is happening in Detroit.
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.
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.
Focusing development efforts in Detroit
