Derek Neighbors

The more I learn, the less I know.

Arizona Brian Cole on Economic Development Strategies

By Derek Neighbors, Published on July 28, 2011

Notes from Arizona’s 96th Town Hall on Building Arizona’s Future: Jobs, Innovation & Competitiveness talk on Economic Development Strategies from Brian Cole.

Calculating your top economic development strategies.

Statewide policy. Community focused strategic plans.

  • Where are we?
  • Where do we want to go?
  • How we gonna get there?

Traditional Approach

Vision statement SWOT analysis Demographic analysis What have we been doing What do most influential people want brainstorm action steps consultant collects data

What should you do?

Business Development

  • Business retention and expansion
  • Business recruitment
  • Business cultivation (import substitution/industry clustering)
  • entrepreneurial development
  • transportation distribution center
  • energy development
  • environmental restoration
  • telecommunications business
  • value add agriculture
  • value add forest products
  • value add fisheries
  • value add mining
  • destination tourism
  • cultural tourism
  • regional/local tourism
  • pass through visitor service

Community development

  • downtown development
  • education development
  • healthcare
  • bedroom community

Other strategies

  • infrastructure development
  • attracting retirees
  • attracting lone eagles
  • attracting government jobs
  • attracting government funding

Determine what you want to do. Define what you can do.