The document proposes a new approach to metropolitan business planning that is grounded in economics and develops comprehensive and actionable strategies. It involves identifying regional assets and opportunities, developing customized strategies, implementing concrete actions, and building institutional capacity. The goal is to take an integrated, cross-sectoral approach to enhancing regional concentrations, deploying human capital, developing innovation infrastructure, increasing efficiency, and creating effective public institutions to promote sustainable and inclusive prosperity. Key elements include developing a regional investment prospectus, coordinating federal programs through cross-agency teams, and establishing pooled and flexible funding to support regional goals.

1. Robert Weissbourd, RW Ventures, LLC
Regions Charting
New Directions:
Metropolitan Business Planning
April 11, 2011

2. Metropolitan Business Planning:
A New Way of Doing Business
Grounded in Economics and Business
Comprehensive, Actionable
Strategies
An Ongoing Enterprise
Enables “New Federalism”

3. Economic
Geography
Institutional
Economics
What is it About Place that Affects
Economic Performance?
New
Growth
Theory

4. Economic
Geography
Institutiona
l EconomicsNew
Growth
Theory
Act Comprehensively – The Whole is
Greater than the Sum of the Parts.
Develop Institutional Capacity and
Intentionality.
Customize.
Keys to Influencing Economic Performance

5. Leverage
Points
for Sustainable
and Inclusive
Prosperity

6. Leverage
Points
for Sustainable
and Inclusive
Prosperity
Enhance
Regional
Concentrations

7. Leverage
Points
for Sustainable
and Inclusive
Prosperity
Enhance
Regional
Concentrations Deploy
Human Capital
Aligned with
Job Pools

8. Leverage
Points
for Sustainable
and Inclusive
Prosperity
Enhance
Regional
Concentrations Deploy
Human Capital
Aligned with
Job Pools
Develop
Innovation-
Enabling
Infrastructure

9. Leverage
Points
for Sustainable
and Inclusive
Prosperity
Enhance
Regional
Concentrations Deploy
Human Capital
Aligned with
Job Pools
Develop
Innovation-
Enabling
Infrastructure
Increase
Spatial
Efficiency

10. Leverage
Points
for Sustainable
and Inclusive
Prosperity
Enhance
Regional
Concentrations Deploy
Human Capital
Aligned with
Job Pools
Develop
Innovation-
Enabling
Infrastructure
Increase
Spatial
Efficiency
Create Effective
Public & Civic
Culture &
Institutions

11. Global, Knowledge Economy
Specialization and
Dynamism
Build from Unique Assets
Cross-Sectoral, Adaptive,
Open, Information-Rich,
Entrepreneurial
Comprehensive, Integrated
Strategies which Compete
on Value-Added
Intentionality

12. Business Planning: A Proven Discipline for
Comprehensive, Effective Action
 Identify regional
assets/opportunities
 Develop customized
strategies
 Turn strategies into
concrete actions
 Build institutional
capacity
 Execute
Metropolitan Business Planning
Regional Economy Mission and Vision
Market Analysis
Identify Strategies and Goals
Specify Products, Services and Policies
Operational Planning
Financial Planning
Performance Monitoring

13. Metro Business Plan Components
Lead Initiative
Products/Services Operations Financials Performance
Strategic Overview
Mission/Vision Market Analysis Goals Strategies

14. Metro Business Plan Components
Metropolitan Investment Prospectus
Investment Opportunities and “Asks” Projected Returns
Lead Initiative
Products/Services Operations Financials Performance
Strategic Overview
Mission/Vision Market Analysis Goals Strategies

15. Affordable
Housing
Workforce
Training
Small
Business
Assistance
Upgrading
Roads and
Rail
Export
Strategy
A New Economic Federalism
HUD
Section 8
Dept. of
Labor
Workforce
Inv. Act
Dept of
Commerce
Int’l. Trade
Admin.
Dept. of
Transpo.
SAFETEA-LU
Programs
Small
Business
Admin.
Loans

16. A New Economic Federalism
Develop
Innovation-
Enabling
Infrastructure
Create Effective
Public & Civic
Culture &
Institutions
Deploy
Human Capital
Aligned with
Job Pools
Enhance
Regional
Concentrations
Increase
Spatial
Efficiency
Comprehensive Metropolitan Strategy
HUD
Section 8
Dept. of
Labor
Workforce
Inv. Act
Dept of
Commerce
Int’l. Trade
Admin.
Dept. of
Transpo.
SAFETEA-LU
Programs
Small
Business
Admin.
Loans

17. Develop
Innovation-
Enabling
Infrastructure
Create Effective
Public & Civic
Culture &
Institutions
Deploy
Human Capital
Aligned with
Job Pools
Enhance
Regional
Concentrations
Increase
Spatial
Efficiency
Comprehensive Metropolitan Strategy
Integrated Investment by Federal Government, States and Others
White House
Office of Urban
Affairs
HUD Section 8
Department of Labor
Workforce
Investment Act
Small Business
Administration Loans
Department of
Transportation
SAFETEA-LU
Programs
Department of
Commerce
International Trade
Administration

18.  Cross-Agency Regional Teams
 Pooled and Flexible Funding
 Support for Regional Capacity Building
 “New Federalism” Partnership
Develop
Innovation-
Enabling
Infrastructure
Create Effective
Public & Civic
Culture &
Institutions
Deploy
Human Capital
Aligned with
Job Pools
Enhance
Regional
Concentrations
Increase
Spatial
Efficiency
Comprehensive Metropolitan Strategy
Integrated Investment by Federal Government, States and Others
White House
Office of Urban
Affairs
HUD Section 8
Department of Labor
Workforce Investment Act
Small Business
Administration Loans
Department of
Transportation SAFETEA-
LU Programs
Department of Commerce
International Trade
Administration

19. April 11, 2011
DISCUSSION
Regions Charting
New Directions:
Metropolitan Business Planning
Robert Weissbourd