Community and Economic Development

With economic indicators beginning to turn positive across the United States, American communities have an opportunity in 2010 and 2011 that they did not have in 2009 and late 2008: creating jobs. The questions are: How can communities target industries to create jobs? How do communities know that they have targeted viable strategies and industries? What plan should they put in place to succeed? What community and economic development planning process should be empoyed—if any—to achieve the community's goals?

A New Community and Economic Development Methodology

Building Communities is a new community and economic development strategic planning methodology that ensures that American communities will select strategies that stand the greatest likelihood of success for them.

No longer will communities have to guess about their probable path to success. No longer will communities fall into the same trap of doing the same unsuccessful strategies over and over again. No longer will the loudest voices dominate the direction of American communities—only the smartest ones will.

Building Communities offers an objective, comprehensive, and expeditious approach to envisioning and enacting the future of American communities. Based on comprehensive research, this new community and economic development planning process offers 85 key success factors that affect the development of all communities.

“Where the communities possess these key success factors, they have great opportunity to create jobs and improve their overall quality of life,” said Cole, founder of Building Communities.

Now is the Time for Community and Economic Development Strategic Planning

Cole stresses that there has never been a better time to do economic development strategic planning than right now.

“The time to plan for the future is when the economy is flat but looking to rebound,” said Cole. “The first four months of 2010 is the perfect time.”

Cole has tailored the Building Communities approach for virtually all American communities of population 5,000 or greater. For large communities and metropolitan areas, the Building Communities approach can be tailored to specific neighborhoods, urban renewal districts, or other economic sub-sections of the area.