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Key Concepts in Regional Plans Regional Strategic |
Regional Plans
San Diego Partnership for the Global Economy - Research Report
Rural Clusters of Innovation: Berkshires Strategy Project The Berkshires Strategy Project is the result of a public-private collaborative planning effort in 2005-2006 between the U.S. Department of Commerce, local and regional political leaders, the Berkshire county business community, academics and institutes, and citizens. Berkshire County has been the headquarters of large manufacturing firms, but beginning in the 1980's employment in manufacturing firms declined considerably. Currently, the Berkshires economy is developing service oriented sectors of its economy. The Berkshires Project Strategy examines the local economy to identify areas of strength for future growth. The report focuses on clusters, or geographically proximate groups of interconnected companies and associated institutions. The hospitality & tourism and plastics clusters are examined in detail, representative of the "Berkshires story." The hospitality and tourism industry demonstrates how natural and cultural resources can drive economic growth, and the plastics industry shows how niche, high-value manufacturing can sustain strong wage growth even in a highly-competitive global market. The authors conclude that the region needs to focus on workforce quality and training, differentiation and innovation in the development of manufacturing and services, transportation and communication infrastructure development, and the creation of strong regional market connections.
Enough Talk: An Action Plan for the Toronto Region The Toronto City Summit Alliance represents a coalition of 40 civic leaders from the private, labour, voluntary, and public sector of the Toronto region. They drafted the Enough Talk plan in 2003. The plan focuses on a limited number of issue areas where there is a clear consensus for action and where "progress can be made quickly." The Toronto region generates one-fifth of Canada's GDP, has one of the most educated work forces in the world, and has a diverse industrial base; the plan identifies the top economic clusters in the Toronto region as financial services, automotive manufacturing, biomedical and biotechnology, food and beverage manufacturing, and aerospace. In order to support these clusters and ensure the long-term economic viability of the region, the City Summit Alliance recommends a series of short and long-term public policies that include local tax relief, federal and provincial support for infrastructure, local control over taxes and levies, and strategic planning for the Toronto waterfront area. In addition, the plan recommends a series of investments in public education, infrastructure, research facilities, affordable housing, and the arts and culture sector.
A Regional Economic Strategy for the Central Puget Sound Region The Prosperity Partnership, a four-county consortium of government, non-profit, business, labor, and community leaders, developed the Puget Sound Plan in 2004-2005. The goal of the plan is long-term economic prosperity and an additional 100,000 jobs beyond what is forecast for the region by 2010. The plan recognizes that, despite a century of economic prosperity and adaptation to shifts in the national economy, continued growth is not guaranteed and that the national economy is undergoing dramatic changes. The planning process began with a region-wide economic analysis, followed by a summit of more than 1,000 business, labor, and government leaders and a pilot study of five industry clusters (aerospace, clean technology, information technology, life sciences, and logistics & international trade). This year-long process led to a regional economic strategy based on the following principles or economic vision for the region:
Northeast Wisconsin Economic Opportunity Study The Northeast Wisconsin study rejects the "race to the bottom" strategy and proposes an alternate "abundance" model for growth and competition. The list of 98 "action steps" is broken into categories, each introduced by research data.
What Works in Regional Economic Development: Learning from International Best Practice This report, produced by The Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies and GHK Consulting, develops eight international "best practice" case studies of regional economic development, regions with better than average performance on one or more international indicators for economic performance. The case studies include Cork, Ireland; Vastra Gotaland, Sweden; Navarre, Spain; Ontario, Canada; Piedmont, Italy; Styria, Austria and Tampere, Finland.
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