Friday, March 16, 2007
The Great Lakes region is facing much the same type of wrenching economic changes that the South faced with the mechanization of agriculture. Slowly, state leaders are recognizing the regional need for collaboration. A Great Lakes Manufacturing Council has formed and will be meeting soon in Toronto.
A new report from Brookings, The Vital Center, places the economic transformation in a multi-state regional context.
Broader regional analyses, like America 2050, highlight that the Great Lakes region is scheduled to gain less population over the next twenty years than the state of Florida.
So, it is encouraging that the new governor of Ohio has made overtures to Michigan to improve collaboration. Read more.
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.
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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.