Sunday, April 23, 2006
Some interesting things appear to be happening in Milwaukee. Among a string of older industrial cities -- Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit -- Milwaukee has had a tougn time adjusting to the new dynamics of the network economy.
But there are some encougaging signs of a shift underway. Two articles caught my eye last week. First, a new regional effort is focused on understanding the challenges of doing business in the region.
In economic development, you need to deal with the facts as you find them. One of the first steps any effort needs to take involves a clear-eyed assessment of where you stand. The region's new effort at collaboration, "Milwaukee 7" is taking this step. Read more.
A second article points to a surprising finding. Milwaukee's saw a rise of nearly 12% last year in the assessed values for all residential, commercial and industrial property. The increase was greater than outlying suburbs. Read more.
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.
Some promising developments in Milwaukee
