Press Release–Immediate SRDC Kicks Off Broadband Project in Southwest Minnesota Slayton, MN—The Southwest Regional Development Commission (SRDC) has been named as a partner in the Blandin Foundation’s Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities (MIRC) project, which will facilitate broadband deployment and use in rural areas of the state. The $6.4 million, ARRA-funded project will support promotion and […]
An Intelligent Community Framework
Improved productivity and growth can basically come from two sources: 1. You make more stuff, or 2. You make stuff better. The first option falls into the commodity trap. To overly simplify, there’s probably somebody somewhere on this big wide world that can make what you make, and do it cheaper. The second option is […]
Broadband Use Growing in Greater Minnesota
For Immediate Release For information contact: John Shepard, AICP; jshepard@swrdc.org 507.836.1633 Broadband Use Growing in Greater Minnesota Slayton, MN—Three quarters of Greater Minnesota residents now have computers in their homes and two-thirds have broadband internet access, according to a survey by Minnesota’s Center for Rural Policy and Development. Broadband adoption in Greater Minnesota has grown […]
Shrinking Cities: Moving Beyond the Growth Obsession
Global Map Animation from 1kilo on Vimeo. Minnesota’s Chapter of the American Planning Association kicked off the Upper Midwest Planning Conference for 2010 this week in Mankato, MN. The keynotes feature Jim Charlier from Boulder, and Tom Stinson (Minnesota State Economist) and Tom Gillaspy (Minnesota State Demographer). My highlight for the first day (other than […]
What part of "do not build in the floodplain" do people not understand?
One impetus for the All-Hazards approach to mitigation has been our experience with sometimes conflicting local-state-federal efforts on the public’s behalf. Often it’s one local effort conflicting with another local effort. The perfect example is one agency promoting development in a floodplain, which by definition one might think is inappropriate. What part of “do not […]
SoMe for the Practical E.D. Pro
Not an authorized advertisement! Social Media for the Practical Economic Development Professional August 31, 2010 from 2 PM to 3:30 PM EST. Join Mark James, CEcD, ED Solutions Inc. and Sara Dunnigan, SVP, Existing Business Services, Richmond Partnership (VA) for a very practical approach to how economic development organizations and Chambers of Commerce can take […]
Seth's 15 Foundation Elements for Modern Biz
Seth Godin owns the web-o-sphere space between lengthy business/entrepreneur blogs (i.e. >200 words) and twitter (<140 characters). Like the entry-a-day inspirational calendars, each business day a pithy point to ponder appears @thisissethsblog with periodic books published to satiate your self-help appetite. It’s good stuff to provoke a “yeah, why didn’t I think of that” or a “No […]
Rural Broadband: Jobs and Services
Written Remarks for Presentation to Murray County (MN) Farm Bureau, 27 July 2010 Just five years ago, most Americans accessed the internet on dial-up modems. Today, about 2/3 of the nation uses broadband service—high speed internet that lets you download and upload photos and video and use specialized applications as well as surfing the web. […]
More on '08 Income Growth
Short note: The Daily Yonder today (“2008 Incomes Surged in Farm Counties“) picks up on the BEA personal income figures I wrote about 2 weeks ago (“PCI UP IN SW MN“) when they were released. Of the fastest growing 400 counties, 364 were rural. As you can see in the map above, most of the counties with […]
Wants and Needs
I am really excited to be able to participate in the Blandin Foundation’s new Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities (MIRC) project. Southwest Regional Development Commission, along with other Minnesota Regional Development Organizations, has been asked to be a partner in the state-wide BTOP initiative. Say what I will personally about the wisdom and efficacy of the […]