Regional Economic Development

In 2002, the downtown-focused Association for Portland Progress and the Portland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce merged to form the Portland Business Alliance.
"They are considered a model merger, and they are being carefully monitored" by other groups as well, Peterson said.

The main outcome of the first phase of PAXIS is a body of proven good practice in supporting innovative start-ups, according to an evaluation report of the pilot phase. " In a knowledge-driven society, any…

"With fewer people than Washington, D.C., Wyoming is the least populous state in the country. Montana is ranked 44th. What both states lack in people, they make up for in natural resources, and for now, the gas, oil, coal and timber industries are keeping them economically buoyant and relatively insulated from troubles affecting other regions.

How long that continues is a function of efforts in Montana and Wyoming to diversify their economies. Growth may hinge on whether state leaders can attract a wider array of companies offering higher paying jobs to keep more high school and college graduates in state jobs and wean the states off a dependency on revenues from oil."

Overcrowded cities on the coasts. Dying rural communities in the interior. The way to save both may be to create a post-agrarian heartland by Michael Lind The Atlantic Monthly ************************** (Many thanks to Al Jones…

"Now, with Internet companies and telecommuters, working from home has become an ideal. And with America’s shift from an industrial economy to a service-based economy, it’s important to encourage entrepreneurship of all kinds, Lewis says.

"You have to allow them to do that, or you will kill your community," Lewis said. "Where are you going to get your entrepreneurs? Are you going to import them? The new world says you’ve got to grow your own."

Canada may open a consulate general in Denver this year to promote trade with Colorado, already worth $2 billion a year. Denver is in the "top tier" of cities being considered for a new consulate…

"It’s one of our most effective recruitment tools, especially in a down economy," Gov. Dirk Kempthorne said Wednesday. "Training new workers can be a major up-front cost to companies. If we can help them with that, it’s a real savings."

On Tuesday, Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa informed Secretary of State Bob Brown that the State of Idaho has agreed to end the practice of excluding Montana businesses from bidding on Idaho timber sales….

“I definitely see myself coming back, but the opportunities will be the most important factor,” he said. “My heart is definitely in North Dakota.”

"The widespread budget dilemma for many states, combined with a popular brain drain notion that much of the investment in educating young people ultimately hits the freeway for a job elsewhere, is creating a lot of pressure to rein in higher education spending.
That would be penny-wise and pound-foolish, according to Gottlieb. States should not “ratchet down” higher education spending or capacity “simply because you discover that you are educating other states’ technology workers … [that] would be a huge mistake. The role of university capacity in creating high-tech agglomerations is simply too important.”