Entire Summer 2023 Issue

The BLOCK600 Project: Making a Food Desert Bloom

by Karl R. Dorshimer, CEcD, EDFP

The city of Lansing, Michigan identified the lack of a downtown grocery store as the biggest barrier to attracting more residents downtown. The Lansing Economic Development Corporation partnered with its city, regional, state and private sector partners to create a unique and creative solution. The resulting BLOCK600 Project earned IEDC Gold awards for both Real Estate Redevelopment & Reuse and Public-Private Partnerships.

The Entrepreneurial Revolution in Economic Development: The 35-Year History of Economic Gardening and Related Programs

by Christian Gibbons

The creation of Economic Gardening and related entrepreneurial programs in the late 1980s added a major new strategic tool in the economic developer’s toolkit. Many of the professionals who were there at the creation are now passing from the scene and there is no formal documentation of those early years. This is their story.

Need Help Achieving Equity in Workforce Development? You May Not Need to Look Outside Your Community

by Alison Schmitt

While many workforce and economic development practitioners recognize the value of a diverse workforce, they often face challenges in successfully designing and executing equitable strategies to accomplish this goal. To address these challenges, organizations can partner with community-based organizations that deeply understand the needs of workers that may be underrepresented in a given industry.

Building a Vibrant Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: Best Practices for Economic Developers

by Clif Harald

Entrepreneurs and the ecosystems that support them are increasingly vital to the diversification and prosperity of local and state economies. Economic developers are uniquely well-positioned to help build vibrant, resource-rich ecosystems supporting entrepreneurship. This article highlights three broad roles that economic developers play as mentors, connectors, and advocates to support local startups and their entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Thriving in Middle America: Five Community Development Trends for Small Cities in the 21st Century

by Nicholas Brake, Ph.D.

This article focuses on the results of a study that analyzes data using a cross case methodology from 51 small cities in middle America, examining the approaches and characteristics of economic and community development in places that have thrived compared to those that have experienced distress. The communities that are thriving have implemented a more holistic and sustainable approach to community development rather than the traditional strategy of recruiting large companies.