The Brookings Institution recently released a report with guidelines to prioritize growth, prosperity, and inclusion in economic development efforts.
The goal of economic development, should be to “put a regional economy on a trajectory of higher growth that increases the productivity of firms and workers and raises standards of living for all, thus achieving growth that is robust, shared, and enduring,” according to the report. Economic development should prioritize building strong business ecosystems for core industries, improving the productivity of firms and people, and facilitating trade. These are the market foundations from which growth, prosperity, and inclusion emerge. The report recommends five action principles:
1. Set the right goals,
2. Grow from within,
3. Boost trade,
4. Invest in people and skills, and
5. Connect place.
The report has already received coverage from outlets with broad distribution, like CityLab, which said that the report calls for a paradigm shift in economic development thinking, away from competitiveness and growth for growth’s sake, and toward a more inclusive prosperity. Such coverage is important for the ideas and approaches to spread and be adopted more widely.
At RSG, we have long focused on making growth equitable for all community members: residents and businesses. Our economic development analyses incorporate Brookings’s action principles. Contact us to discuss how your city can achieve inclusive growth and prosperity.
Written by Dima Galkin, an Associate at RSG