The best concept for regional and global government, public, private, and foundation spending for economic development in this region that I can imagine is driving for a NEO MultiDATA strategy - Multimedia, Design, Architecture, Technology and Art - which fits my understanding of the purpose of our foundations and economic development visions and would revolutionize NEO's global position in many creative class and new economy ways which are not even contemplated in any of the writing and thinking I've seen around town but which are featured in major creative class communities world-wide.

Included in MultiDATA vision is a Philip Johnson conceived School of Architecture (he proposed that for our community around 1996 - perhaps it's not too late), integrating an urban and regional planning institute, featuring an "MIT-inspired" Media Lab, and multimedia production including music, video, gaming and film, and a CIA-rooted TIIMEish graphics center, and a Case-rooted third generation technology RDT center - research, development, transfer (open-source, advanced networking, IPv6, wireless, MEMS, RFID, nanotech, etc.), each and all with the capability to support secondary, vocational/trade/craft, highest education, advanced research, and entrepreneurism - from concepts and designs to production and commercialization.

I find it absurd when people criticize the Plain Dealer for their "Quiet Crisis" series and challenge area residents to look on the sunny side of life. While REALNEO certainly features plenty of progressive developments and people in the region to celebrate, it is essential we all redouble efforts to correct our failings and support solutions, rather than hibernate in denial - things won't be any better in the Spring.

For one roadmap to a better future, in the 11/28/04 Plain Dealer Forum Section the insightful Joe Frolik offers a blueprint for significant improvement for NEO, taken from lessons learned in our regional diamond Chicago, which not inconsequentially was able to lure away one of our leaders of our sustainability movement because our community leaders were not as supportive and promising as those of the Windy City. For another roadmap, look to Boston, and just down the road to NEO's most progressive suburb, Shaker Heights.

In another new economy domain, the OneCleveland initiative has been nationally recognized at the top of the community bandwidth spectrum but, for lack of concerted comprehension of the connection between connectivity and economic development, we are lagging Philadelphia in visioning on becoming the wired city of the future. Worse, the City of Cleveland has failed to leverage information technology as a foundation for economic development and we're now recognized as the worst of 70 large city virtual communities in the Country. Worse, those who allowed us to become the worst are slamming the barn door and pledging away $30,000,000+ to out-of-state contractors to put us right.

As a more sane strategy, I suggest leaders for the future of Cleveland speak up about this crisis and take ownership to find solutions. I started speaking up on this issues in 2001, writing a "Quiet Crisis" op/ed on our failing virtual community and the digital divide, and I am working with a group of Case and Cleveland State leaders to solve those problems in East Cleveland, where city government is receptive to outside support. I reprint below my op/ed from 2001, which remains true today, and I encourage others to post their thoughts on these issues as comments here, or email me on these matters at norm [at] icearth [dot] com.

In his ED Pro Blog, Ed Morrison surfaces important issues for Northeast Ohio that we can address with effective economic development planning - we have a skills gap, where students and adults are not learning what is needed to function in the new economy - as demonstrated by lack of open source programmers in this region.

One way NEO community leaders are revolutionizing life in East Cleveland is helping bridge the digital divide. With the coordination of Case, Cleveland State and REALNEO, NEO businesses are donating used computers and volunteering assistance to insure each houshold in the area has at least one personal computer, a variety of software, and access to the Internet. Some regional businesses have already pledged hardware and the first computers will be distributed before the end of 2004.

Event: The Entrepreneurial Academy Program

Date: 11/30/2004 - 11/30/2004

Location

Friday Forum: Leo Girard

Sponsor: The City Club of Cleveland

Location

Wednesday, 01 December, 2004

Special Forum: Dr. Stephen B. Thomas, director, Center for
Minority Health, University of Pittsburgh

Location

Thursday, 02 December, 2004

CrainTech Breakfast,

Location

Facing the embarrassment of being rated the most impoverished large city in America, Cleveland community leaders became vocal looking for solutions. The following NYTimes editorial indicates we stand out in thinking about this issue at all, as 12 million American families are largely ignored in their struggles for enough to eat. Being ranked worst in poverty drove us to some higher consciousness, offering us the opportunity to address serious problems, if we expand the dialogue and act on good words. Have you thought about our chronic poverty lately? Thanksgiving is an excellent day to talk about that, so we may do more for those who are suffering before the new year.

Highlighting the need for a fresh perspective on childcare, Elizabeth Aldred states, "The availability and affordability of high-quality childcare is an economic development issue, an educational issue, and a human services issue. It has both immediate and long-term impacts on schools and employers, as well as on families and the communities in which they live. And if we continue to ignore its importance, we will pay the economic and educational price." Read this article, Childcare solutions require collaboration, by Elizabeth Aldred.

Last month, Missouri held a workforce summit, and they have posted some interesting presentations on the web. See the list.

Go Global Cleveland is a research, advocacy, and outreach
initiative designed to promote greater regional understanding of the importance
that internationals play in local economic development, and the need for NE
Ohio to be a welcoming destination for immigrant entrepreneurs, international technology talent, and foreign
direct investment.

According
to the National Association of International Educators, international students
to NE Ohio colleges and universities contribute over $100,000,000 to the
regional economy per year. Ohio’s nearly
19,000 international students (and their family members) made a net
contribution to the State economy of over $425,000,000 in 2002-2003. Read on to consider related opportunities - entire proposal is attached at the bottom of this posting.

Job creation, repopulation, and
rehabilitation of distressed housing stock, present the most difficult
challenges to Cleveland’s West Side neighborhoods. Entrepreneurial immigrants are an untapped
resource to help revitalize and repopulate the West Side neighborhoods. Why? Two reasons: high ratio of
entrepreneurship in immigrant communities; and population growth in U.S. cities
are predominantly driven by immigrant influx. Read the intruction to the following Pilot Program proposal below and follow the link and the bottom of this posting for the complete proposal:

The following Washington Post article puts the immigration issue and opportunity in economic development perspective, regarding NEO. From 1980-2000, foreign-born population of Cleveland sank 11 percent. Cleveland -- in earlier times known as a city of immigrants -- has joined
the ranks of cities seeking more immigrants. Civic and ethnic groups have
mounted major immigration forums over a three-month period. This region
is suffering an "entrepreneurial drought." Residents need only look
across the Great Lakes to the "bustling international metropolis of
Toronto" to see the difference. Toronto's population is 43 percent
foreign-born, Cleveland's only 5 percent. Read the entire article, posted here. 

In an increasingly global economy, highly skilled and entrepreneurial
immigrants provide the necessary bridge to the talent, business, and
capital in their homeland. The risk-taking factor in the immigrant
community, coupled with scientific accomplishment, internal networks
providing seed capital, and access to inexpensive overseas labor markets,
provide a formidable combination for local economic development. Recent
studies show that immigrants to the U.S. are much more likely to be
entrepreneurs than native-born Americans. For some immigrant groups, the
entrepreneurship rate is 2 to 3 times greater than the American-born
population. As a result, Northeast Ohio is less connected to global
opportunities (particularly in emerging markets), and remains vulnerable
to adverse consequences of globalization.

My thanks
to Ed Morrison and Betsey Merkel of REI for leading a vibrant discussion last Tuesday@REI
on the importance of international human capital (students, entrepreneurs,
knowledge workers, venture capitalists, etc.) to the future of NE Ohio. I am
pleased by their further interest in a potential collaboration between CASE/REI
and CSU/URBAN AFFAIRS COLLEGE in holding a national conference/workshop
entitled: â€œAttraction, Integration,
Retention of International Talent to Post-Industrial, Depopulating Cities.�

Regarding
this issue, Harvard Business Review and American Demographics Magazine this
month feature articles by/about Richard Florida who argues that nations and
regions that do the best job in attracting international talent (the best minds
the world has to offer, and very mobile) will prosper in the new global
market. 

The 11/16/04 Tuesday@REI session surfaced one of the most serious problems being confronting by America, our region, and Case today - the fact foreigners are not interested to visit, work, and study in America at levels seen in the past. This is in fact a reason for the most pressing and escalating outsourcing issues surfacing today, that American knowledge-based jobs and important innovations are being realized in foreign regions having greater talent than here - its not just about cheap labor.

Enlightened economic strategy appreciates diversity in population, education and workforce development, including attracting and retaining excellent international inputs through promoting immigration and visas for foreign entrepreneurs, students and workers. Because of current national and local economic, political and global conflict issues, America is facing a crisis of poor inflow of international talent - the world's best and brightest are not coming to America at previous levels, and that is of concern for USA and NEO universities, employers, and overall economic development. Addressing these issues in NEO offers opportunities and competitive advantages here. Read and post related information in this area of REALNEO.