Greater Lansing Next a PLAN for REGIONAL PROSPERITY
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Greater Lansing Next A PLAN FOR REGIONAL PROSPERITY November 2009 2 A Vision for Our Region 4 Regional Assets 6 The Work Before Us 9 Action Strategies 10 Expanding Business Development 12 Making Great Places to Live and Work 15 Strengthening Our Pillars of Prosperity 17 Planning and Working Regionally 18 What’s Next? A VISION FOR OUR REGION. A CHALLENGE TO ALL OF US. For the past year, hundreds of people in the Greater Lansing Region have been talking together – about what’s next. We live and work in the middle of Michigan, which is itself in the middle of cathartic change as we all move from the industrial models of the Old Economy to the global imperatives of the New Economy. Yet amid financial difficulty and doomsayers, there is great hope. Last month our region was ranked as the Number 2 region in the state for GDP growth. There’s good reason for this. In our midst, businesses are growing, entrepreneurs are launching start-ups, ideas are flowing from our colleges and universities, and people are beginning to envision what could be next. We love this region, this place we call home. We have been innovators and dreamers and fighters. We still are. And we all want the same future: business growth, strong and vibrant communities, more and better jobs, a healthy and diverse region. But the new economic realities will require a different way of thinking and a different level of cooperation. If a more prosperous future is our goal, here is one path to get us there. We call it Greater Lansing Next. The Partners and Members of the Lansing Economic Area Partnership November 2009 1 FROM ALL OF US FOR ALL OF US A roadmap to prosperity for the Greater Lansing Region. The Greater Lansing Region is a part of Michigan’s future, the state must great place to live and a great place diversify its economy and build on to do business. We have the makings emerging New Economy opportunities. of prosperity all around us: diverse This is equally true for the Greater and vibrant neighborhoods, strong Lansing Region. businesses, emerging entrepreneurial sectors, a lively cultural scene, dynamic What will 2020 look colleges and universities, strong like? It’s up to us. institutions, and the rivers, trails, Every crisis presents opportunities for festivals, and attractions that simply those who are visionary enough to make this a great place to be. As a recognize them. Together, as a region, region, we possess the assets that will we must identify our opportunities allow us to create rising employment and actively seize them. Business and rising incomes over the next decade. organizations, local governments, The vision of Greater Lansing Next nonprofits, and nongovernmental focuses on developing a future economy organizations, working in partnership, in the region that is driven by creativity, have the potential to lead the science, technology, and an innovative transformation of the regional mindset. It embraces places within the economy to one that is globally region that are unique, attractive, and competitive and profitable. The diverse. It is also built on transportation benefits of this work will be broad – options, linked green infrastructure, and benefiting every city, every township, a wide range of housing. We have a solid every neighborhood, and every person foundation for our work. in the Greater Lansing Region. We also have challenges. Greater Lansing Next is a regional plan The international economic malaise, for strategic growth that lays out the national recession, and state depression priorities for action that are necessary provide the backdrop for this plan. to achieve improved quality of life. Michigan is the poster child for the The impetus for this report was provided challenges created by transitioning by the Greater Lansing business from the Old Economy, with its largely community, through the collective export-based manufacturing focus, voice of the Lansing Economic Area and the global, knowledge-based New Partnership (Leap), a coalition of the Economy. Businesses, government, and region’s public and private sector leaders individuals are all severely challenged as well as many other organizations and by these new economic realities. While partners. The core purpose of Leap is the manufacturing will remain an important unification of the region toward strategic 2 growth priorities. This regional plan is a How we got to Next. cornerstone in Leap’s effort to achieve its Leap worked with partners throughout primary mission. the region and with Michigan State Greater Lansing Next presents Seven University’s Land Policy Institute to Priority Strategies for Action necessary develop this plan. We reached out to for regional prosperity. These strategies diverse groups, in many ways, listening were synthesized from nearly 200 to our individual and collective hopes, alternative strategies presented in a series frustrations, and ideas. What we found of reports during the past year. Each is that there is broad community support strategy has multiple components, with for transforming our region into a short- and longer-term elements. These leading area for opportunity, talent, strategies are rooted in four foundational and jobs. This work resulted in a elements that, over time, are essential to specific set of goals and strategies that sustaining economic prosperity in our will involve hundreds of groups and region: individuals in our region, united for 1. Develop business opportunities a common purpose. 2. Focus on making great places to Our work began with research – live and work gathering and analyzing economic trends from across the nation. We 3. Enhance our core assets conducted a comprehensive asset 4. Strengthen our ability to plan assessment and analysis of our region, and work regionally comparing it to more than 50 other It will take considerable effort on regions. And we listened, interviewing the part of many organizations to dozens of area business, governmental, bring the Seven Priority Strategies and institutional leaders. We conducted to fruition. There is much more that an analysis of many economic clusters, also needs to be done. But these seven looking for existing strengths and strategies are where a brighter future opportunities. This work was then for our region begins. With broad reviewed in focus groups with area support, and with united effort, they business and economic experts. The are achievable. plan went through multiple drafts. At each step we sought input from the business community, government, regional organizations, and individuals. The final regional plan that was adopted by the Leap Board in October 2009 was truly a collaborative effort. 3 REGIONAL ASSETS Building on strengths. Recognizing success. Why Regions Matter Of course, all of this work rests upon assets – the building blocks that we must recognize and begin with as we imagine If we look across the country at metropolitan areas that have what’s next. weathered the downturn, diversified their economy, attracted business, increased jobs, and become attractors for talent of And indeed, our region has many Quality Place Assets: all persuasions, one common element emerges – they have • Good geographic location and name recognition. We planned and worked together. include Michigan’s capital city. We are centrally located and Businesses do not seek out townships or cities to call home, accessible. but rather thriving regions to join. Entrepreneurs are not • Strong higher education, including Michigan State mindful of addresses, but rather vibrant areas from which to University, Lansing Community College, and Thomas M. launch ideas. Talent is not mindful of jurisdictions, but is Cooley School of Law. drawn to attractive and inviting places. However, political realities and divergent priorities that exist across our many • Strong infrastructure, including our natural infrastructure political jurisdictions often get in the way of both cooperative of rivers, parks, trails, and open space; our physical thinking and cooperative action. We believe that with a infrastructure of transportation and other public services; common vision, we can transform our region for the better. and our business development infrastructure of many organizations focused on building a stronger region. Successful metropolitan regions share several common threads. They: • Good quality of life with comparatively low cost of living, diverse communities and neighborhoods, and many cultural • Find opportunities for effective regional decision-making amenities (festivals, arts, theater, museums). • Embrace innovation and pay attention to place • High workforce skill and competitive wage structure. • Build talent on a regional scale • Broad employment base that includes state government, • Make sure that prosperity is shared many institutions of higher education, many insurance and financial services firms, a strong and growing IT sector, GM and related manufacturing, health care and hospitals, emerging life sciences companies, and many strong nonprofits and associations. 4 If regions commit to work together, organize for success, and focus sharply on the key issues that build stronger economies and communities, then jobs and prosperity will follow. The Greater Lansing Region is on the move – with the right ideas and the right plans in place to build a successful region. Pittsburgh’s amazing renewal as a globally competitive region was a result of building on the best practices in regional marketing, advocacy, and public policy. Building on existing assets, Pittsburgh became a center