Date post: | 13-Jan-2015 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | della-rucker |
View: | 316 times |
Download: | 2 times |
Ten Tools for Sustainable Economic Development
Della G. Rucker, AICP, CEcD JACOBS | Advance Planning Group Ohio Planning Conference
September 25, 2009
Ohio City/County Management AssociationFebruary 25, 2009
What is sustainable economic development?
Ohio City/County Management AssociationFebruary 25, 2009
What does Sustainable Economic Development look like?
Well-paying, satisfying jobsStrong tax base Diverse, resilient economy Anticipate and get ahead of changeKeep young people/knowledge workers/creatives.
Others?
Ohio City/County Management AssociationFebruary 25, 2009
What are the barriers to sustainable economic development?
Hanging on to hope for obsolete industriesUnwilling to make investments/take risksLooking for one-shot solutionsThere’s no obvious solution paralysis.Chasing after anything that comes along, whether it fits or notWho’s gonna do it?
Ohio City/County Management AssociationFebruary 25, 2009
Ten Key Tools:
1. Know thyself.2. Focus on your assets.3. Make a plan.4. Retain your healthy businesses,
especially small ones.5. Recruit and grow small
businesses in healthy segments.
Ohio City/County Management AssociationFebruary 25, 2009
Ten Simple Steps:
6. Prune your retail.7. Brand and use it consistently. 8. Use your hidden resources.9. Keep your focus.10.Be in it for the long haul.
Ohio City/County Management AssociationFebruary 25, 2009
1. Know thyself.
What does your community need?−Jobs for residents?−Income/earnings taxes?
What parts of town need attention?What needs to happen? −Growth −Change in quality
−Property taxes?−Improved reputation/
appearance?
−Improved appearance−New jobs
Ohio City/County Management AssociationFebruary 25, 2009
2. Focus on your assets.
What are these? Provide/do/support better than others.Unique to your community.
How do you find them?Analysis - high growth/high share sectors.Examine successful, similar places.Ask your business owners, leaders, residents.
Ohio City/County Management AssociationFebruary 25, 2009
3. Make a Plan to Get What You Want
Ambitious … visionary … impossible? Identify a small number of prime sectors to target (and the businesses that support them).
Build buy-in.Put it in writing.Remember:−Not all economic development is good economic development.−Not all short-term gains are worth the long-termcosts.−Sometimes it’s best to let it go.
Ohio City/County Management AssociationFebruary 25, 2009
4. Retain your healthy businesses (especially the smaller ones)
Who is healthy?− Growing --sales, employment, site− Fits target sectors (or has synergy with them)− Benefits the community (double/triple net)
What’s so great about small businesses?− Biggest source of job growth− More likely to be locally owned (and stay when
they get bigger)− Often better able to adapt to economic changes− Your target industry sectors may be dominated by
small businesses.
Ohio City/County Management AssociationFebruary 25, 2009
4. Retain your healthy businesses, Part 2
How do you retain them?
− Talk frequently and honestly.− Take their concerns seriously − Fix them if you can.− Help them find other things they
need (e.g, loans).− Make sure they know that you
value them.− Encourage them to participate in
the community.− Thank them.
Ohio City/County Management AssociationFebruary 25, 2009
5. Recruit and Grow Small Businesses
How do we find them?−Word of mouth −Next door−Potential entrepreneurs −Business incubator tenants
How do we help them grow?−Talk to them−Listen to them−Know where to find help−Help them talk to each other
Ohio City/County Management AssociationFebruary 25, 2009
6. Prune Your Retail
Why? − Most markets have too much − New retail vacant old retail− Obsolete retail depresses market
demand & values− Much obsolete retail has a better
potential use− Use your zoning to move that way
Ohio City/County Management AssociationFebruary 25, 2009
7. Brand, but do something with it.
Brands are valuable.A cool brand won’t do the job alone.What else can you do with it?−Traditional−Internet−Relationships/loyaltyStick to the story.
Ohio City/County Management AssociationFebruary 25, 2009
8. Use your hidden resources
Non profit organizationsCharities and Foundations Service GroupsSchools What can they do? −Community Improvements−Wisdom/Expertise−Entrepreneurs−Ambassadors
Ohio City/County Management AssociationFebruary 25, 2009
9. Keep your focusHard decisions are a fact of life.A wobble may cost you the ability to use the planCommunicate to everyone (and refer to the plan)Remember:− You can’t change the past.− Not all economic development is good
economic development.− Not all short-term gains are worth the long-
term costs.− Sometimes it’s best to let go.
Ohio City/County Management AssociationFebruary 25, 2009
10. Be in it for the long haul
Quick solutions usually don’t work, or not for longCelebrate every small success Communicate the Vision Stay the course!
Ohio City/County Management AssociationFebruary 25, 2009
Questions? Insights? Good ideas?
Ohio City/County Management AssociationFebruary 25, 2009
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race”
- Calvin Coolidge.
Parting thought
Ohio City/County Management AssociationFebruary 25, 2009
Thank you!
Della G. Rucker, AICP, CEcD
JACOBS | Advance Planning Group
1880 Waycross RoadCincinnati, OH 45240
Phone: 513-288-6613