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Municipal Economic Development Tool Kit

The project aims at dissemination of the best practice in urban economic development among local government officials, extension specialists, economic developers, and researchers nationally and internationally. To achieve this goal, the project collects, publishes and promotes a set of basic economic development tools used by practitioners and extension specialists around the globe. The volume provides a description of development tools including practical and user-friendly advice about how to address common critical issues of municipal economic development. Each tool is contributed by an independent author (or a group). Then they were carefully reviewed and edited by experts from GUSP, LED, KEI and KSE. However, the content and the opinions presented in each tool are those of the authors and may not reflect the views of editors, founders or sponsors of the project.

Municipal Economic Development Tool Kit


Metropolitan Michigan Knowledge Economy Indicators
June 2005

The transformation from an industrial to a knowledge-based economy at the close of the twentieth century has been well documented by scholars of planning and economics. Cities and their metropolitan areas are critical to this transition to an economy based on knowledge. A knowledge-based economy is strongly linked to the creation of highly-skilled, well-paying jobs. The knowledge economy affects existing enterprises, while also offering opportunities for new and emerging enterprises to offer new products and services.

Principal Authors:
Rex L. LaMore, Jimish Gandhi, John Melcher, Faron Supanich-Goldner, Kyle Wilkes, Contributors: Kenneth E. Corey, Mark Wilson

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The Dollars and Sense of Cultural Economic Development: Summary Report of Michigan's Cultural Capacity
June 2005

As the economic landscape is transformed from a manufacturing to knowledge economy, Michigan communities are also changing their understanding of the role that arts and culture play in the globally competitive environment. Creative and cultural assets in local communities are seen as both a source of jobs and an important factor in increasing community competitiveness. The convergence of creativity and technology are critical to inventing our way to prosperity.

Prepared by: Laleah Fernandez, Naren Garg, Rex L. LaMore

Download this report (21 pages) or Download Appendices (14 pages)
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