ED Now

IEDC has released its latest Economic Development Research Partners (EDRP) report titled "Leading and Managing Next-Level EDOs: Leveraging Technology," which encourages EDOs to devise intentional strategies for adopting new technology.

IEDC's Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) program recognizes organizational excellence in the areas of internal and external operations, structures, and procedures. This series profiles recently accredited AEDOs, putting some of economic development's highest-performing organizations in the spotlight. This edition: City of Miramar (Fla.) Economic Development and Housing Department.

Young Smart & Local (YSL), a groundbreaking national network dedicated to fostering diverse talent through attraction, inclusion, development, and retention, will host its third annual conference November 13–15 in New Orleans. This three-day event has become a valuable platform for leaders from various sectors to collaborate and share insights and best practices. Launched with a national conference in Philadelphia in 2019, YSL has rapidly grown to encompass more than 900 professionals in economic development, city government, higher education, and business. Co-founded and managed by Deborah Diamond, former president of Campus Philly, and Cecelia Thompson, executive director of Action Greensboro (N.C.), the network provides a ...

Has your community been named a best place to live or received a similar accolade? While this recognition is always great to see, what are you doing to maximize these accolades when marketing your area?

Kevin Crowder, CEcD, EDP, founder of BusinessFlare Economic Development Solutions, is part of the third cohort of certified Entrepreneurship Development Professionals. IEDC’s EDP credential is designed to build capacity for those supporting entrepreneurship in their communities, and demonstrates the skills and expertise to lead communities through entrepreneurship-led economic development (ELED). Why did you decide to pursue the EDP credential? In my experience, entrepreneurship has become the most important element of economic development, connecting jobs and talent to placemaking. It is also the least understood area of economic development for practitioners, and I wanted to make sure to stay relevant in this area. I also did it ...

Communities, developers, and real estate asset managers will continue to need to reimagine and reinvent shopping malls into mixed-use redevelopments. The availability of large amounts of land, building space, parking capacity, and typically superior access to roadway connections, provides the physical resources to transform malls from predominantly single-use spaces to a dramatically more varied mix of uses.

What is the connection between outdoor recreation and economic development? How can having fun outdoors help communities prosper and grow? Communities, businesses, and states across the U.S. are both asking and answering these questions central to competitiveness and quality of life.

IEDC’s 2022 Economic Future Forum will be held next month in Richardson, Texas. A few of our conference sponsors shared some exciting economic development projects happening in the North Dallas cities of Richardson, Addison, and Allen.