30 Things Economic Developers Need to Know This Week
The stories Dane thinks you need to see. February 13, 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 30 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) Raw land is just dirt until you know its story: Land is Potential, Information is Value:
2) Economic Development and Developers in the News # 182 - Econ dev news from 43 economic development executives and organizations in 26 states.
3) Podcast 160: From Cowtown to Boomtown with Robert Sturns - Team-driven economic development success in Fort Worth Texas with Robert Sturns
4) 29 New Econ Dev Jobs This Week - 29 jobs in 14 states
5) Sitehunt, the innovative AI buildings and sites database, RFI, and marketing platform, announced the launch of its new marketing website. The website serves as a comprehensive resource for economic development organizations to evaluate how Sitehunt can transform their site selection and marketing processes.
6) Brooks Williams: Every city manager has heard it, some version of "we don't want to be like those big cities" or "we need to protect our small-town feel." It's usually said by people who resist growth, fight change, and cling to an image of the past that no longer exists. That mindset is killing cities.
7) How long does it take the to install a gigawatt of solar power capacity?
8) Matt Watkins: Federal funding isn't disappearing -- it's evolving. While the language around climate, equity, and sustainability may shift, the economic imperatives of strengthening domestic industries, lowering costs for businesses and consumers, and increasing American competitiveness remain central to both parties. Successful grant applications will emphasize market-driven solutions, economic opportunity, and national security benefits.
9) What’s inside a manhole?
10) Using data compiled by the federal government's Bureau of Labor Statistics, the True Rate of Unemployment, from the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity, tracks the percentage of the U.S. labor force that does not have a full-time job (35+ hours a week) but wants one, has no job, or does not earn a living wage, conservatively pegged at $25,000 annually before taxes.
