Sunday, April 23, 2006
For the past nine months or so, EDPros in Indiana, led by Purdue's Center for Regional Development, have been working on a rural economic development strategy.
Called “The Spirit and Quality of Place: A 2020 Vision for the Indiana Countryside", the report represents the best thinking of over 150 people involved in the project. This process sets the report apart. Both dynamic and transparent, the process underscores the importance of designing civic engagement that balances open participation with leadership direction.
The idea of balance is simple, but not easy to execute.
The next step involves reviewing the draft in community meetings across the state. Read more.
The strategy focuses on key components that every rural community should consider as they build strategies to strengthen their economies.
You can download a copy of the draft report here.
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.
Indiana's rural strategy
