Copyright 2006 Whittaker Associates, Inc All rights Reserved Choosing a Future Presented by Dean Whittaker
Copyright 2006 Whittaker Associates, Inc All rights Reserved
Choosing a Future
Presented by Dean Whittaker
Copyright 2006 Whittaker Associates, Inc All rights Reserved
Linear Thinking in a Cyclical World
Reality Gap
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The Future = Choices Made in the Present
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Two Kinds of Choices
Conscious choices Unconscious choices
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The Role of Government
Government determines what takes place where and for whose benefit
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Economic Development
What is it? Why should I care? What’s in it for me?
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Economic Development – Creating Wealth by Making the Pie Bigger
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What is the Purpose of a City?
Remove the spaces between people and between businesses
Foster a sense of community Shared services Protection
Physical Economic
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Work moves – workers, jobs and facilities stay put!
Electrolux – Greenville, Michigan
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Call Center Under Construction – (one of fourteen) in Mumbai, India
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The Changing Nature of Work
Work moves, workers stay put. Work becomes disassociated from
place. Work is done collaboratively and
globally.
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What Determines Where Work Gets Sourced? Fungible vs non-fungible Talent Pools Time Factor Scalable Access to Resources Cost
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Attracting and Keeping Talent
“The Rise of the Creative Class” by Richard Florida Talent Technology Tolerance - diversity
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Economic Development in a Post Industrial Age New Factors of Production
Knowledge Communication Networking
Old Factors of Production Land Labor Capital
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Who’s doing the work?
Microbes as factory works The Goat chemical factory Lights-out third shift factories Labor as a variable cost
Shifting risk to worker Shifting career management to
worker
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Grand Haven Surprises
Locked Rest Rooms Large number of small manufacturers Poor condition of streets Lack of Moderate Income Housing Large number of high end housing
under construction, mostly condos
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Ferrysburg Surprised
Significant higher income level than GH Lack of a core downtown Fragmented nature – split by Rt. 31 Preservation of dunes and lakeshore
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Spring Lake Surprised
Emphasis on history Active commercial development Re-development of Industrial Property Attractive Library – Library Police Sign
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What does it take to be a player in a global market? Knowledge/skills/talent Ability to connect/communicate Ability to create/innovate new ideas,
products and services
Copyright 2006 Whittaker Associates, Inc All rights Reserved
On Choosing a Future…
If not you, who? If not now, when?