This Just In is a complimentary Development Counsellors International (DCI) service for leaders in economic development and tourism marketing that alerts subscribers to pertinent and prominent news within their related fields. Relevant stories from media such as Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and The New York Times are emailed directly to subscribers on the day they appear. Recent articles shared in This Just In, along with responses from readers, are catalogued below. To sign up for your own complimentary subscription to This Just In, simply click on the RSS feeds link below.
A new trend has emerged among rural communities: luring electronic data facilities. Today’s The Wall Street Journal reports that the Northwest’s climate (low humidity and cool nights) and attractive tax incentives make the area ideal for operating large data centers. Prineville, OR is the latest community to win a facility. Facebook promised to spend $175 million to build
If you attended the IEDC Leadership Summit last month, you may recall urban scholar Joel Kotkin’s keynote speech promoting his new book “The Next Hundred Million: America in 2050.” The book predicts that as the U.S.’s population passes the 400 million mark, the shift in diversity and demographics will move the country to become “the one truly transcendent
While many believe the U.S.’s economic performance has taken the shape of an “L,” economists Brian S. Wesbury and Robert Stein say recovery will look more like a “V.” The reasons for their optimism are two-fold: the forecast for real GDP growth has been lifted from 2 to 3 percent, and the cause for worry over the economy keeps
If you’ve recently been a part of a round-table discussion about rethinking your country, region, state or city brand, you’re not alone. As USA Today notes, "Destination branding… is back in vogue as cities and states pursue image makeovers designed to help them stand out in the weak global economy.” "The branding bug is definitely on the ascent," notes Ted Levine,
What do the top economic bloggers think about the U.S. economy? The outlook is grim. The Kauffman Foundation asked 200 of the top economic bloggers to participate in a survey that measured their views on the economy, entrepreneurship and innovation in the U.S. Results showed that 48 percent of the survey respondents believe that the economy is “worse
Thomas Friedman has a message for President Barack Obama: make this the year of innovation, the year of “Start-Up America.” In yesterday’s The New York Times, Friedman says that the President needs to reignite the youth movement he mobilized to get elected and provide them with the support needed to drive innovation. Reinspiring this group to create start-up
When they needed to outsource work, U.S. companies looked to India for labor supply. Now, the reverse is taking place. On December 30, BusinessWeek reported on a growing trend among regions to recruit Indian companies that promise to create jobs. While critics say the new investments do little to boost employment rates, cities including Dallas, Atlanta and
Could packaged travel be the ray of hope for the tourism industry in 2010? According to the Wall Street Journal, at least one segment of the industry is banking on it...tour operators! Considered the Costco of the tourism industry, tour operators are often able to offer travelers great value by selling an experience in large quantities. In 2010, this could lead vacation
Let the international green race begin. CNN reports that many believe in China’s potential to be the leader of green technology and policies, providing heavy competition for the U.S. and E.U. Influencers such as Thomas Friedman argue that the country’s rapid industrial development has polluted its environment so much that it leaves its leaders with little choice but
Here’s an interesting “Smart Cities” piece posted on Forbes’ website on December 3. Aaron Renn, an urban success strategist, discusses how cities’ mayors must have the CEO perspective in order to sustain a healthy metro region. A CEO-mayor understands his/her region’s “brand DNA,” and can answer the question, “why here?” The answer has nothing to do with efficiency or
