Learning from Others - Part I

Some communities do economic development really well while others struggle to understand what they can accomplish. No matter how well economic development is done in your community we can always learn new ideas and strategies. Here are a few examples of what some economic development organizations are doing in their communities.

City of Santa Rosa

In 2007, the City of Santa Rosa refined their economic sustainability strategy by focusing on new employment opportunities and ways to increase the spending by visitors to their downtown retail stores. The revised plan targets firms that they have identified as desirable for their community. They are building a brand image to support Santa Rosa’s shop local campaign and have developed events such as Small Business Week, Getting Diners to the Door, the Retail Academy, the Amgen Tour, Scooter Rosa, along with specific holiday events and First Friday’s for the arts.

Using the service LoopNet, the city is taking inventory of vacant retail space so the planning department can assess site decision data. A business visitation process has been initiative that interviews 30 to 40 firms annually to learn about challenges facing local firms and how the city can facilitate change.

Various federal/state loan programs are being utilized to upgrade properties and aid in remediation. Parking signage is being improved to enhance the use of public spaces, and five city redevelopment projects have been identified.

The Environment, Equity and Economics are the three E’s of their local strategy.