Young professionals as an accelerant Thursday, August 16, 2007 Young professionals are playing a pivotal role in redefining the economic development landscape in many communities. They are the leading edge of regeneration for many older communities. As one EDPro from Nevada notes: ""[P]eople 25 to 45 have a way of defining communities and they're connected 24/7. They're optimistic. They certainly are self-reliant and an inclusive group - and they're entrepreneurial and success-driven." Read more. Here's an example of how young professionals are changing the conversation in West Virginia. Read more. And in Youngstown, young professionals are altering the terms of local politics by making City decisions more open and accountable. Recently, they mobilized to save a critical piece of streetscape in downtown Youngstown. Read more. posted by Ed Morrison |		This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. 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. So, spread the word...Share the knowledge. Tell a friend about EDPro Weblog. 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.

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