Communities: Now is the Time to Plan

It has been said that “people who fail to plan plan to fail”. This adage has never applied more to American communities than it does right now.

American communities that believe that they can improve their economic condition simply by riding the wave of a forecasted improvement in the US economy may have a rude awaking in 2010 according to economic development expert Brian Cole.

While America’s economic rebound is not forecasted to be a “jobless recovery”, it only will be the communities that are strategic about their economic development efforts that will actually realize results.

Fortunately, mayors, city councilors, county commissioners, and other civic leaders have a new guide to assist with their planning.

Author and economic development practitioner Brian Cole outlines a new approach for American communities to envision and enact their future in his upcoming book, Building Communities: 25 Strategies to Advance America.

According to national polls, the #1 issue in America is still the economy. Even amidst all of the debate about health care, Americans are more concerned about maintaining and creating jobs than anything else.

Civic leaders, desiring to be responsive to their citizenry, no longer can conduct business as usual with respect to planning for their future.

Fortunately, the Building Communities methodology provides an expeditious, objective, and comprehensive approach for communities to define their future.

With local and state budgets as tight as ever, it is critical that governing bodies are very efficient about identifying and implementing economic development strategies. Building Communities accomplishes just that.