The document discusses sustainable economic development, emphasizing the need for communities to understand their unique assets and create targeted plans for growth. It outlines steps to cultivate a strong economy, including retaining small businesses, focusing on community strengths, and avoiding one-shot solutions. The importance of long-term strategies and persistence in overcoming challenges is highlighted.

1. Sustainable
Economic
Development
Della G. Rucker, AICP, CEcD
JACOBS | Urban Design +
Planning Michigan Downtown Conference
September 13, 2010

2. What is our conventional approach to
economic development?
American Planning Association National Conference
April 11, 2010

3. What are the assumptions?
If you build it they will come
Shoot what flies and claim what falls
Bigger is better
Success is one size fits all
Basic requirements aside, most communities are
interchangeable
The key driver of economic development = low
site costs. The lower the costs, the more
business
American Planning Association National Conference
April 11, 2010

4. What is sustainable economic development?
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5. What is this?
Constantly looks for new and unexpected opportunities
Embrace differentiators and values assets
Focus on cultivating its native species, rather than
investing everything it has in transplants.
Cultivate consciously and according to a plan.
Bewares one-shot solutions and magic pills.
Maintains bravery in the face of setbacks.
Fertilizes the soil.
Maintains a healthy environment.
Understands the unique role that it can play in that world.
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April 11, 2010

6. What keeps us from doing sustainable economic
development?
Hanging on to hope for obsolete industries
Unwilling to make investments/take risks
Looking for one-shot solutions
There’s no obvious solution paralysis.
Chasing after anything that comes along,
whether it fits or not
Who’s gonna do it?
American Planning Association National Conference
April 11, 2010

7. How to grow a sustainable
economy:
1. Know thyself.
2. Focus on your assets.
3. Make a plan.
4. Retain your healthy businesses,
especially small ones.
American Planning Association National Conference
April 11, 2010

8. How to grow a sustainable
economy:
5. Recruit and grow small
businesses in healthy segments.
6. Prune your retail.
7. Keep your focus.
8. Be in it for the long haul.
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April 11, 2010

9. 1. Know thyself.
What does your community need?
−Jobs for residents?
−Property taxes?
−Improved reputation/ appearance?
−Income/earnings taxes?
What parts of town need attention?
What needs to happen?
−Growth
−Change in quality
−Improved appearance
−New jobs
American Planning Association National Conference
April 11, 2010

10. An Example
Our community will offer a variety of opportunities for
employment, education, shopping, dining and culture.
Wapakoneta’s residents will expect and support high standards
for the appearance and efficiency of our business sites.
Our major corridors, public areas and key entry points will
demonstrate that Wapakoneta is a place people want to be.
Wapakoneta will cooperate with surrounding communities to
attract businesses and industries strategically and responsibly,
enhancing the community’s total quality of life.
American Planning Association National Conference
April 11, 2010

11. 2. Focus on your assets.
What are these?
Provide/do/support better than others.
Unique to your community.
How do you find them?
Analysis - high growth/high share
sectors.
Examine successful, similar places.
Ask your business owners, leaders,
residents.
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April 11, 2010

12. What are assets?
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13. American Planning Association National Conference
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14. 3. Make a Plan to Get What You Want
Ambitious … visionary …
impossible?
Identify a small number of prime
sectors to target (and the
businesses that support them).
Build buy-in.
Put it in writing.
American Planning Association National Conference
April 11, 2010

15. Remember:
− Not all economic
development is good
economic development.
− Not all short-term gains
are worth the long-term
costs.
− Sometimes it’s best to let it
go.
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April 11, 2010

16. 4. Retain your healthy businesses (especially
the smaller ones)
Who is healthy?
−Growing --sales, employment,
site
−Fits target sectors (or has
synergy with them)
−Benefits the community
(double/triple net)
American Planning Association National Conference
April 11, 2010

17. What’s so great about small businesses?
− Small and young businesses
= biggest source of job
growth
− More likely to be locally
owned (and stay when they
get bigger)
− Often better able to adapt to
economic changes
− Your target industry sectors
may be dominated by small
businesses.
American Planning Association National Conference
April 11, 2010

18. 4. Retain your healthy businesses
How do you retain them?
− Talk frequently and honestly.
− Take their concerns seriously
− Fix them if you can.
− Help them find other things they
need (e.g, loans).
− Make sure they know you value
them.
− Encourage them to participate.
− Thank them.
American Planning Association National Conference
April 11, 2010

19. 5. Recruit and Grow Small Businesses
How do we find them?
−Word of mouth
−Next door
−Potential entrepreneurs
−Business incubator tenants
How do we help them grow?
−Talk to them
−Listen to them
−Know where to find help
−Help them talk to each other
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April 11, 2010

20. 6. Prune Your Retail
Why?
Most markets have too much
New retail vacant old retail
Obsolete retail depresses market
demand & values
Much obsolete retail has a better
potential use
Use your zoning to move that way
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April 11, 2010

21. 7. Keep your focus
Hard decisions are a fact of
life.
Hold the course!
Communicate to everyone
(and refer to the plan)
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April 11, 2010

22. Again….
Remember:
− You can’t change the past.
− Not all economic development is
good economic development.
− Not all short-term gains are worth
the long-term costs.
− Sometimes it’s best to let go.
American Planning Association National Conference
April 11, 2010

23. 8. Be in it for the long haul
Quick solutions usually don’t
work, or not for long
Celebrate every small success
Communicate the Vision
Stay the course!
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April 11, 2010

24. Where does the garden metaphor break
down?
This garden is too big for any one gardener – we
can’t do it alone.
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April 11, 2010

25. Questions? Insights? Good ideas?
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26. Parting thought
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than
unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not;
unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will
not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
The slogan "press on" has solved and always will
solve the problems of the human race”
- Calvin Coolidge.
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April 11, 2010

27. Thank you!
Della G. Rucker, AICP, CEcD
JACOBS | Urban Design +
Planning
1880 Waycross Road
Cincinnati, OH 45240
Phone: 513-288-6613
Della.Rucker@Jacobs.com
www.dellarucker.wordpress.com
Twitter: @dellarucker
American Planning Association National Conference
April 11, 2010