ED Now

Everyone loves a good podcast—whether it’s true crime, self-improvement, or professional development. New shows are always popping up, and the economic development field is no exception. In the last couple of years, we’ve seen several informative economic development podcasts burst onto the scene that are worth your time if you’d like to squeeze in more professional development while commuting, making dinner, or working out. Here are five economic development podcasts that regularly publish new content to keep you informed, help you mine new ideas, and stay up to date in the field. Develop This!: Economic & Community Development Develop This! explores all things related to transformational community ...

We are emerging from a period where there has been a notable increase in support and recognition of the vital role small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play in the global economy. However, as we move forward, it is crucial for policymakers, the media, and the corporate community to maintain their focus on SMEs and remember the significant impact these enterprises have on our economies and the world at large.

IEDC’s 2022 Annual Conference will be held next month in Oklahoma City. A few of our local conference speakers shared some exciting economic development projects happening around the state.

Despite the ubiquity of grocery and meal delivery apps, broadband, digital literacy, and high cost remain barriers to food access for many communities. Widespread food insecurity continues to plague communities across the United States. In 2020, 38.3 million people lacked sufficient access to healthy food, a disproportionate number of whom identify as people of color, fall below the poverty line, and/or live in rural areas. During the same time, the pandemic and e-commerce transformed the food landscape with a proliferation of web- and app-based delivery services that redefine the meaning of food access. Since one can now purchase fresh produce, prepared meals, and other essentials without visiting a brick-and-mortar grocery store, ...

Aaron N. Gruen, principal of the urban-economics, market-research, land-use policy, and pre-development services firm Gruen Gruen + Associates, shares his thoughts on how to combat skyrocketing gas and housing costs.

Regional Economic Models, Inc. (REMI) recently hosted a webinar with Sondra Collins, PhD, on the fiscal and economic impacts Medicaid expansion would have in Mississippi. With her team, Dr. Collins, senior economist at University Research Center in Mississippi, conducted an analysis of Medicaid expansion from 2022 to 2027. Before digging into the results of the study, it’s important to ask: why is this important? Healthcare spending in the United States comprised roughly 16.8 percent of GDP in 2019, and that number continues to trend upward. Medicaid alone comprises 28.7 percent of state budgets on average, so understanding the economic and fiscal impacts of any sort of change to Medicaid is important for understanding state ...

Have you executed a unique and impactful Economic Development Week campaign? Outstanding examples of Economic Development Week observance are honored as part of IEDC’s Excellence in Economic Development Awards with a special submission deadline of May 27. The Arizona Association for Economic Development won Gold in 2021: Collaborative Arizona Communities The Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED)'s Economic Development Week campaign, Arizona Collaborative Communities, highlighted the ways Arizona communities stayed strong during the pandemic through collaboration. The campaign was unique because AAED provided a packaged social media marketing campaign that was adaptable across the state by public and private partners. ...

Leaders with teams of all sizes are being looked upon to provide guidance, vision, and a steady hand through very tumultuous times. Most of us are just figuring out what to do as we go along—what else do you do during a global pandemic, severe climate events, and social and political upheaval? Sometimes leaning on our past experience and the collective wisdom of others is the best we can do.