NOTES: 10:00-11:45 Applications 3: Sustainable Business Development

10:00-11:45 Applications 3: Sustainable Business Development

Assistant passes out participant folders

Moderator provides small group introductory comments and orientation - 10 minutes

10:10 Group Discussion begins
11:35 Assistants begin Question summary
11:50 Questions to Question Sorter

Sustainable Business Development [1]

Comments from this session - Overview - post your comments below

<>Very diverse and interesting group - scant notes as we were very interactive - no time for typing. Will try to compile from other groups and sources.
<> <>Group included Director of art department at Kent State - said she should be in the creative group but moderater (from Mandell School) said it is good to be in other networks

Also in group: Michael Kinsley, Economic Renewal Research & Consulting from Rocky Mountain Institute, working in Cleveant Area for Cuyahoga Valley Initiative; Peter Holmes; ED Dir. from N. Royalton; TeamNEO rep; REI contactÂ

Discussed how difficult it is to communicate good ideas and opportunities - that NEO should be a world class leader in sustainable development, energy, conservation, etc. - someone suggested we nee better mdia coverage - features on Green initiatives - someone else disagreed that the mainstream media will be useful - need to reley upon new channels of communications - PD is irrelevant - need new tools that bypass - use Internet for virtual community. Peter Holmes brought up REALNEO and we discussed its value in this cluster - have wind power site - view sustainable development as an important COIL.

Suggested OneCleveland needs content - possible fit with REALNEO

Michael Kinsley from Colorado suggests use low tech approaches/solutions to sustainability - energy conservation - local sourcing - local ownership - "Steel Commons" wrong model - has 20-some opportunities like these and if you can quantify economic benefits, dollars talk... people will listen - some experts in quantifying include Civic Economics of Chicago and Austin and AMIBA

We talked about structural poverty - how little most people in the suburbs seem to care about ecology, sustainability - SUV mentality - N Royalton ED says crux of the matter is mindset here is socially out of tune - industrial age thinking

Kent Art director - students aren't interested in seeing the world - they have fear - not in tune - not getting out of their comfort zone

TeamNEO rep talks to folks around region who do not embrace regionalism - want to stay in their boxes and not work beyond

Michael Kinsley says our problems are more typical (of other regions) than we think - but he has heard our politics are worse than NY - in other words, bad

Peter raises discussion of REALNEO and that only limit is the individual value we each bring to the network

Talk of knitting together thinking at various schools - general systems theory approach

Problem - folks have become very isolated in their sub-communities and do not share and communicate so they are very shortsighted - not a good platform to pursue regionalism

Michael Kinsley points out undamental flaw in our economy is subsidizing fossil fuel

We all conclude Just do it! Pick an activity and pursue that activity

One area offering local involvement - Cuyahoga Valley is doing globally unique world-class effort to maximize value of the waste output of ajoining industrial facilities to generate new wealth - see Cuyahoga Planning Commission website - like Mel Chin Recovery Field project... could do that here

Need good, innovative, strategic leadership - N. Royalton just passed a charter amendment to complete a master plan rezoning 2,500 acres, with 260+ acres for mixed use and new town center - good leadership and effective communications can accomplish major objectives.