Saturday, May 19, 2007
Collaborating in economic development just makes sense. Efficiency is one good reason. But there are others. Wealth is now created through networks, so regional prosperity is increasingly being driven by the density of regional networks.
When it comes to collaboration, it's not important where you start, but it is very important that you start. Often, it begins simply by changing the way you choose to look at things.
These thoughts crossed my mind, as I was reading this article from Iowa. Read more.
Notice how perceptions shifted in these two counties. In the past, the river created a natural boundary. Now, people are seeing the same river as a shared experience.
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:
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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.
The mindset to collaborate
