With the American economy beginning to rebound, communities across the nation have only months— not years—to define their economic future in a manner that ensures that they ride the expected economic growth phase immediately ahead.

Fortunately a soon-to-be-available book, Building Communities: 25 Strategies to Advance America, presents a results-oriented approach to implementing strategies and activities to improve local economies.

Due to a variety of factors, many communities conduct an economic development strategic planning process only to develop what becomes known as the proverbial “report sitting on the shelf”.

The Building Communities methodology ensures that economic development planning results in activities guaranteed to improve the local economic condition and overall quality of life. In effect, the strategic plan becomes a living document that guides the efforts of the community in a focused, efficient way.

How is Building Communities different?

After civic leaders utilize the methodology to objectively identify economic development strategies with the greatest likelihood to succeed in their community, the Building Communities approach then offers very specific “Essential Action Steps” designed to jumpstart the implementation phase of a strategic planning process.

Essential Action Steps are prescribed activities specific to each of the 25 economic development strategies offered by Building Communities.

There are three types of Essential Action Steps: organizational, planning, and implementation.

Organizational Action Steps ensure that the right organizations are in place within a community to implement a plan. Is there a local economic development office? Does it have stable funding? Does it have trained staff? Is the organization respected by the community? All of these questions are addressed by the organizational essential action steps.

Planning Actions Steps relate to additional research that may be necessary to implement specific strategies. Does the community truly understand the basics of their chosen strategies? What research is necessary specific to these strategies? Does a marketing plan need to be put in place in order to guide the implementation of the strategy? The planning essential action steps help a community to focus on executing the implementation steps accurately.

Implementation Action Steps relate to what the community actually does to implement the strategy. Who is in charge? What exactly is going to be done? How are results going to be measured?

The Building Communities methodology, therefore, ensures that communities are organized, well planned, and ready to implement specific strategies for success.

All of this is explained in Brian Cole’s upcoming book Building Communities: 25 Strategies to Advance America. The book will not only showcase the 25 strategies and the dozens of essential action steps, but also presents success stories across America of how communities have implemented strategies very effectively.

The book will also present a series of economic development theories that help economic development practitioners understand why they are likely to succeed or fail.

“This is a whole new approach for American communities to envision and enact their futures,” said Cole. “This is not the time for business as usual. This is the time for a new, more results-oriented approach for American communities.”

Comparative Advantages of using the Building Communities Economic Development Strategic Planning Metholodogy vs. traditional planning methods

Are you ready to begin the Building Communities planning process? Building Communities is ready for you!