New Economic Development Book Soon to Be Released

Economic development veteran Brian Cole has written a book presenting a new methodology for American communities to successfully envision and enact their future.

Building Communities: 25 Strategies to Advance America is a huge departure from the traditional economic development planning approach. Instead of starting with a generic vision statement and broad study of demographics, Building Communities offers 25 viable economic development strategies for consideration by all American communities.

Economic development specialists, community leaders, and civic volunteers consider 85 key success factors that either “rule in” or “rule out” the viability of each of the strategies for varying communities.

The bottom line: communities only advance strategies that they can succeed with.

Based upon over 20 years of experience, Cole not only offers the 25 viable strategies and the 85 key success factors, but he also presents the action steps that are necessary for the successful implementation of every viable strategy.

“This process eliminates the needless time spent studying statistics and creating generic vision statements,” said Cole. “Instead, Building Communities allows cities and counties to get right down to business developing action plans in a matter of weeks—not months or years”.

Building Communities is ideally timed for the rebounding of the U.S. economy. With leading economic indicators forecasting economic growth, many American communities will be experiencing job growth in late 2010 and throughout 2011.

“It is the communities that are strategic about their direction that will capitalize during the economic recovery,” said Cole. “Building Communities ensures the targeting of the right strategies—and the advancement of the right activities—to create jobs and enhance the quality of life for cities, counties, and regions.”