Monday, March 12, 2007
An emerging strategy in economic development involves figuring out new ways to "link and leverage" your community's or region's assets. This approach is not new, though.
The Asset-Based Community Development Institute (ABCD), established in 1995 by the Community Development Program at Northwestern University's Institute for Policy Research, has pioneered this approach in community development. Learn more.
Increasingly, we are seeing this approach in economic development among communities interested in developing a more entrepreneurial strategy. Here is a good quote from a recent conference in Virginia.
"There are no wrong answers. Think about the assets you have and what you would have to do to support, sustain, improve or replace them."
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.
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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.
Asset-based economic development strategies
