During the National Regional Transportation Conference, Justin Fazzari shared the Economic Development Administration's approach to aligning economic development plans with transportation or other regional planning efforts to ensure consistency.

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National Regional Transportation Conference
Aligning Transportation and Economic Development
Plans and Measuring Progress
June 28-30, 2017
Justin Dean Fazzari, Ph.D.
Division of Economic Development Integration
Economic Development Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce

2. 1.EDA Overview
2.Integration Efforts
3.Investment Examples
4.Strategic Planning – EDA’s CEDS
Discussion Items

3. Mission and Priorities
EDA’s mission – to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting
innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions for growth and success in the
worldwide economy.
The only federal agency with economic development as its exclusive mission, EDA drives
collaborative regional economic development initiatives that lead to job creation.
Investment Priorities
1. Collaborative Regional Innovation
2. Public/Private Partnerships
3. National Strategic Priorities (refer to current FFO)
4. Global Competitiveness
5. Environmentally-Sustainable Development
6. Economically Distressed and Underserved Communities
Eligible Applicants: States, units of local government, universities, tribes and tribal
organizations, and non-profits; based on economic distress for PW and EAA

4. EDA is Designated as the Lead Integrator of Federal Economic Development Investments
• Role is to facilitate planning, collaboration and coordination among participating Federal agencies.
• Federal resources are invested in support of locally-identified strategies for projects designed to
produce transformational economic diversification and workforce development outcomes.
EDI Mission Statement
• To establish a collaborative platform for the development of knowledge, tools and complementary
resources that support locally-identified priorities for increased regional economic diversification,
growth and prosperity.
EDA’s Vision for Economic Development Integration
• Improve the Federal government’s ability to serve as a constructive partner to local and regional
economic development stakeholders. The core components of this vision include:
• Silo-Busting: Removal of the bureaucratic and administrative barriers, and facilitating direct,
ongoing communication and collaboration across Federal agencies and program offices.
• Enhanced, Responsive Service Delivery: Responsive to locally-identified economic
development needs and objectives, and providing the necessary level of project support and
related guidance.
• Strategic, Integrated Investments: Investing a combination of resources from multiple
agency programs in support of high-impact economic development strategies and projects.
Economic Development Integration

5. University Centers
Public Works
Planning
Local Technical Assistance
Research & National Technical Assistance
Economic Adjustment
Trade Adjustment
Assistance for Firms
PROGRAMS
EDA Investment Programs

6. Public Works
The Public Works Program provides resources to help applicants revitalize, expand, and upgrade their
physical infrastructure to attract new industry or encourage business expansion which will generate
or retain long-term, private sector jobs and investment and support economic diversification.
• Water and Sewer System Improvements
• Transportation (road, rail, ports)
• Industrial Parks & Science and Research Parks
• High-Tech Shipping and Logistics Facilities
• Workforce Training Centers
• Incubators & Accelerators
• Technology-Based Facilities & Wet Labs
• Telecommunications Infrastructure

7. Economic Adjustment
The Economic Adjustment Assistance program provides resources to help communities experiencing
severe economic dislocation that may occur suddenly or over time. Such a dislocation may have
occurred or may be pending.
• Construction or Improvements to Public Assets
• Design and Engineering
• Technical Assistance
• Economic Recovery Strategies
• Capitalization or Recapitalization of Revolving
Loan Funds

8. Project Examples
Provo City Corporation, Utah
FY 2014 Public Works
Construction of Public Ramp at the Provo Municipal Airport
EDA Amount = $3,515,400 (50%)
Total Project Amount = $7,030,800

9. Project Examples
Primary Beneficiary: Duncan Aviation
Created 300 jobs and P.I. = $50 Million

10. Project Examples
City of Pueblo, Colorado
FY2016 Public Work Project
Jobs Created– 46 and Private Investment - $46.1 M
Type: Infrastructure Improvements for the ExpoHall Expansion
EDA Amount = $1,031,960 (32%) Total Project Amount = $3,224,874

11. Project Examples
City of Pueblo, Colorado
FY2006 Public Work Project
Type: Construction of Channel/Walkway
EDA Amount = $1,000,000 (32.46%) Total Project Amount = $3,080,568

12. Infrastructure
Bottineau Entrepreneurial Center for
Horticulture, Bottineau, SD
Regional Energy Park
Infrastructure, Minot,
ND
Waste Water Treatment Plan
Upgrades, Windsor, CO
Northeastern Renewable Energy Park
Infrastructure, Brighton, CO
Ogden Business Exchange
Site Water Line, Ogden, UT
Discovery Drive Reconstruction,
Troy, MO

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CEDS CONTENT GUIDELINES
What are the new EDA content recommendations?
1. Linking the sections to improve CEDS focus and measurable impact
2. Emphasizing strategies rather than a stand-alone list of projects
3. Infusing economic resiliency into the CEDS document
Content Requirements:
• Summary Background: A summary background of the economic conditions of the region;
• SWOT Analysis: An in-depth analysis of economic and community strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and
threats (commonly known as a “SWOT” analysis);
• Strategic Direction/Action Plan: Strategic direction/approaches and an action plan (flowing from the SWOT
analysis), which should be consistent with other relevant state/regional/local plans. The action plan should
also identify the stakeholder(s) responsible for implementation;
• Evaluation Framework: Performance measures used to evaluate the organization’s successful development
and implementation of the CEDS.

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CEDS CONTENT GUIDELINES
What are the formatting recommendations?
1. Keep your audience in mind
• Target page length
• Executive summary
• Use appendices
2. Communicate creatively
• Appealing look-and-feel
• Alternate formats
3. Think beyond the document
• Consider stakeholder engagement
CEDS vintage 2001 (left) and 2013 (right)

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STRATEGIC PLANNING
• Development of CEDS should be done with advisory panel of public and private
entities from across the region
• Opportunity to include diverse array of regional partners, including workforce,
industry, private and public, and young leaders
• CEDS should reflect broad needs and opportunities of the region, not only
projects that align with EDA funding
• Follow requirements in new regulations and new CEDS Content Guidelines
• EDDs that are regionally-focused and engaged have unique understanding on activities
underway and interrelationship between them
• This provides opportunity to try to help connect groups and facilitate coordination
among similarly focused efforts so limited resources can go further
• Regional focus of EDD allows it to articulate costs and benefits of projects in way no
other local entity often can, and can be a powerful voice for moving forward with
regional plans as articulated in CEDS

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OUTREACH
• Changing nature of economic development necessitates on-going and sometimes
creative outreach strategies
– Consider all key stakeholders who need information and how they may be most likely to receive it.
• Amid focus on social media and websites, do not overlook value of human connection
and engaging people
• Outreach has to be frequent enough to ensure folks can provide “reasonable” response
to questions on what it is and why it matters
• Message needs to be clear and concise (elevator pitch)
• Outreach needs to be not just on what CEDS is, but on EDA’s grant programs and
priorities

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FACILITATE CONNECTIONS
• EDDs that are regionally-focused and engaged have understanding on activities
underway and interrelationship between them
• This provides opportunity to try to help connect groups and facilitate coordination
among similarly focused efforts so limited resources can go further
• Regional focus of EDD allows it to articulate costs and benefits of projects in way no
other local entity often can, and can be a powerful voice for moving forward with
regional plans as articulated in CEDS

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COMMUNICATE SUCCESS
A key part of being an effective EDD – and helping build the positive brand of the
Planning Program (and that of the COGs) – is communicating success back to wide array
of stakeholders, including:
• CEDS Committee
• All regional economic developers
• County Managers
• County Commissioners
• Other groups working on economic development in your region
• EDA!!!!

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EFFECTIVE CEDS
An Effective CEDS
• Identifies a region’s competitive advantages
• Demonstrates an EDD’s grasp of key trends
• Promotes cross-sector collaboration
• Commits to measurable success
• Tells a compelling story about the future
• Motivates action
Wasatch Front Regional Council’s 3 Key Strategies for Integrating Economic
Development, Transportation, and Land Use Planning
• Coordinate transportation investments with economic cluster locational and
service needs
• Coordinate transportation investments to improve access to opportunity
• Ensure fiscal sustainability through efficient growth and infrastructure investments