25 Things Economic Developers Need to Know This Week
The stories Dane thinks you need to see. October 16, 2025 edition.
Welcome to this week's issue of What Economic Developers Need to Know This Week, where we explore the evolving dynamics of our economy.
This week we have 25 tools, stories, graphics, charts and videos that I think you'll find informative, useful, inspiring, and perhaps even humorous. Some are economic development related directly, and some only indirectly. 🤔
If you're wondering what to do with the info in this newsletter, send something to your board members. It will make you look good!
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1) Economic Development and Developers in the News # 217 - Econ dev news from 54 economic development executives and organizations in 23 states.
2) Podcast 194: Tackling Systemic Vacancy and Building Equity with Kat Guillaume-Delemar - Turning Empty Lots into Full Lives
3) 21 New Economic Development Jobs This Week - $50,000 – $187,543
4) 21 Things Economic Developers Need to Know This Week - The stories Dane thinks you need to see. October 9, 2025 edition.
5) Tom Wengler: People may not open your emails. But, they will open packages. And when you send something like a coaster from Huron County Economic Development for $2, you will be remembered.
6) From Australia: Paul Cranch: Is Al telling the wrong story about your region? 10 actions you can take now to fix it.
7) The Pew Research Center published a survey assessing how parents in the US with children under 12 manage their kids' screen time, which revealed that 61% of respondents reported that their child ever uses or interacts with smartphones -- including 38% of those with children under 2 years old.
8) How Sitehunt Complements (Not Replaces) Your ED Stack - “From display to delivery: Sitehunt turns scattered data into a finished, shippable RFI.”
9) Sales of electric vehicles shattered previous records in the third quarter of this year, as consumers raced to take advantage of EV tax credits before they ended on Sept. 30:
10) Andy Portera: In most rural communities, the biggest workforce challenge isn't high-tech, it's high-effort:
- Show up every day, on time, ready to go.
- Bring a good attitude -- be coachable and dependable.
- Work hard.
- Solve problems, rather than creating them.
- Be a good teammate.
11) How old are Americans when they get married?
12) There are a surprising number of pizzas. Which pizza do you like best?
13) Via Jamie Beasley: "Complexity increases because adding is easy and removing is dangerous.""
14) New paper: Using data from Uber, scientists were able to estimate the roughness of every road in America and precisely estimate the value people place on it, and so much more.
15) The demographic cliff is here. There are more 18 year olds in the US today than there will be tomorrow. And the day after that. What does this mean for your workforce?
16) Who's devouring your data:
17) Technological waves over time:
18) Nine fun ways to increase your agency (happening to life, rather than letting life happen) with zero grinding required.
My favorite:
If in doubt, use the luck razor - If stuck with two equal options, pick the one that feels like it will produce the most luck later down the line.
19) What Americans die from, and the causes of death the US media reports on:
20) Mapped: The number of farms in each U.S. state.
21) Wheat vs rice, worldwide:
22) Paul O'Brien:
Most communities approach their startup community as though they would typical economic development, workforce development, or community building. They build a new incubator, host demo days, and hand out innovation awards, hoping venture capital will take notice since local entrepreneurs say they're struggling most with funding. It looks great in press releases but does almost nothing for the founders who are actually taking the risks because investors showing up with their hand raised in support doesn't make up for the lack of what an ecosystem requires to develop entrepreneurs and opportunity.
What most are doing we'd call startup theater; a well-meaning show that distracts from the real work of ecosystem development: building trust, density, collaboration, and continuity.
Real startup development takes patience, data, and an understanding of what makes founders thrive.
23) They're lying to you about nuclear energy:
In 1969, the U.S. was flipping the switch on three new nuclear reactors a year--fast, efficient, and powering millions of homes. Then, almost overnight, the industry collapsed, not because of accidents like Three Mile Island, but because of a single rule that changed everything. This video uncovers the little-known story of how fear, regulation, and economics killed America's nuclear momentum. And why small modular reactors might finally bring it back.
24) What Hamburger Helper knows and the GDP misses: Individual behavior -- like millions of decisions about what to have for dinner -- is often a better economic indicator than fancy government reports.
25) How do small towns grow? Where is small-town growth happening, or not happening? Why? Richmond Fed President, Tom Barkin, considers what it takes for small towns to prosper, and why it matters for families and communities. He also discusses how policymakers and civic leaders can address concerns about the downsides of economic development.
