Former Austin, Texas, Mayor Kirk Watson to advise Spokane on how some cities can pull off impressive economic growth without sacrificing high quality of life.

The former mayor of Austin, Texas, will visit Spokane next week to explain how some cities can pull off impressive economic growth without sacrificing high quality of life.

Tom Sowa
Staff writer

Kirk Watson, who served as Austin’s mayor from 1997 to 2001, comes to town next Thursday as keynote speaker for the fifth LaunchPad event.

LaunchPad, which started two years ago as an informal celebration of technology companies, has evolved into a series of workshops and presentations focused on boosting the region’s economy.

Watson’s primary message is that economic development now revolves around factors other than luck and geographic good fortune.

"In older days, areas and regions succeeded because they were ports. Today, regions are succeeding for other reasons, including accenting quality of life, creativity and good ideas," Watson said in a Wednesday interview.

The 45-year-old Watson said several factors led Fortune and Forbes magazines to select Austin as one of the best cities in the country to run a business. Forbes, in its 2003 listing, named Austin as the No. 1 city.

In large part, the Austin area benefited from having the University of Texas to generate highly skilled people and innovative technology. But the area quickly saw the importance of linking creative, artistic talent with technological skills, he said.

"When you look at Austin today, you see it as an area recognized for creative technology growth. But Austin was the capital of live music before the technology took hold," he said.

"It’s the same creative energy working together. And what we did in Austin was build on those assets."

Another advantage for Austin was healthy public and private partnerships, Watson said. When the city needed a new airport, it acquired an aging U.S. Air Force base that had been closed in recent years.

The older, smaller city-owned airport then became a magnet for a burgeoning Austin-based film industry. The city helped convert old airport hangars into sound studios.

The result has been a steady parade of feature films made in the Austin area, including "Spy Kids," "The Rookie" and "Miss Congeniality."

Watson left the mayor’s office to run for Texas attorney general. He lost to a Republican opponent in November 2001. He’s since joined forces with the Richard Florida Creative Group, working as a consultant on economic development issues.

One of his favorite themes, he said, is the new era of "regional transformation."

As a different type of economy evolves worldwide, Watson is convinced regions will play a stronger role than ever before.

"If you look around, you now see regions becoming the basis for the strength of state economies," he said.

Without knowing Spokane, Watson is reluctant to start offering prescriptions and guidelines for change.

"I’m excited about visiting regions that are looking to evaluate new approaches and search new ideas. That’s a sign of a vibrant community," he said.

Watson will speak at 1 p.m. next Thursday at the Fox Theater in downtown Spokane, followed by discussions on ways to improve the area’s economic health.

He will also talk from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. that evening on "How to Take Action." All LaunchPad events are free and open to the public.

The event concludes with a reception from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. As with past LaunchPad events, free beverages and food will be served, said organizer Bill Kalivas of the Inland Northwest Technology Education Center (INTEC), the event’s host.

For details on Launchpad, log on to http://www.intec-center.org (look for a link to LaunchPad).

•Business writer Tom Sowa can be reached at (509)459-492 or at [email protected]

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