1. Ten Tools for
Sustainable
Economic
Development
Della G. Rucker, AICP, CEcD
JACOBS | Advance Planning
Group Ohio Planning Conference
September 25, 2009

2. What is sustainable economic development?
Ohio City/County Management Association
February 25, 2009

3. What does Sustainable Economic Development look
like?
Well-paying, satisfying jobs
Strong tax base
Diverse, resilient economy
Anticipate and get ahead of change
Keep young people/knowledge
workers/creatives.
Others?
Ohio City/County Management Association
February 25, 2009

4. What are the barriers to 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?
Ohio City/County Management Association
February 25, 2009

5. Ten Key Tools:
1. Know thyself.
2. Focus on your assets.
3. Make a plan.
4. Retain your healthy businesses,
especially small ones.
5. Recruit and grow small
businesses in healthy segments.
Ohio City/County Management Association
February 25, 2009

6. Ten Simple Steps:
6. Prune your retail.
7. Brand and use it consistently.
8. Use your hidden resources.
9. Keep your focus.
10.Be in it for the long haul.
Ohio City/County Management Association
February 25, 2009

7. 1. Know thyself.
What does your community need?
−Jobs for residents? − Property taxes?
−Income/earnings taxes? − Improved reputation/
appearance?
What parts of town need attention?
What needs to happen?
−Growth −Improved appearance
−Change in quality −New jobs
Ohio City/County Management Association
February 25, 2009

8. 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.
Ohio City/County Management Association
February 25, 2009

9. 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.
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.
Ohio City/County Management Association
February 25, 2009

10. 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)
What’s so great about small
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.
Ohio City/County Management Association
February 25, 2009

11. 4. Retain your healthy businesses, Part 2
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 that you
value them.
− Encourage them to participate in
the community.
− Thank them.
Ohio City/County Management Association
February 25, 2009

12. 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
Ohio City/County Management Association
February 25, 2009

13. 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
Ohio City/County Management Association
February 25, 2009

14. 7. Brand, but do something with it.
Brands are valuable.
A cool brand won’t do the job alone.
What else can you do with it?
−Traditional
−Internet
−Relationships/loyalty
Stick to the story.
Ohio City/County Management Association
February 25, 2009

15. 8. Use your hidden resources
Non profit organizations
Charities and Foundations
Service Groups
Schools
What can they do?
−Community Improvements
−Wisdom/Expertise
−Entrepreneurs
−Ambassadors
Ohio City/County Management Association
February 25, 2009

16. 9. Keep your focus
Hard decisions are a fact of life.
A wobble may cost you the ability to
use the plan
Communicate to everyone (and
refer to the plan)
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.
Ohio City/County Management Association
February 25, 2009

17. 10. 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!
Ohio City/County Management Association
February 25, 2009

18. Questions? Insights? Good ideas?
Ohio City/County Management Association
February 25, 2009

19. 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.
Ohio City/County Management Association
February 25, 2009

20. Thank you!
Della G. Rucker, AICP, CEcD
JACOBS | Advance Planning
Group
1880 Waycross Road
Cincinnati, OH 45240
Phone: 513-288-6613
Della.Rucker@Jacobs.com
Ohio City/County Management Association
February 25, 2009