With broad institutional knowledge, strong partners, networks, and staff expertise, RDOs are well-positioned to support numerous regional development initiatives. Many coordinate regional planning efforts that strengthen local communities and improve quality of life by leveraging local assets and opportunities. Most RDOs are also federally designated Economic Development Districts that write and maintain the region’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS).
The CEDS is a locally-based, regionally-driven economic development planning process and document that identifies regional strengths and weaknesses. It also brings together a diverse set of partners to generate good jobs, diversify the economy, and spur economic growth.
Through a variety of planning efforts, RDOs also promote economic and climate resilience to better prepare regions to anticipate, withstand, and bounce back from shock, disruption, or stress. These shocks can include natural disasters, hazards, and the impacts of a changing climate. Economic disruptions such as the closure of a region’s large employer, the decline of an important industry, changes in the workforce, and population fluctuations are also possible. Finally, RDOs work to better incorporate equity and economic inclusion principles into their plans, programs, and outreach efforts to ensure that all residents have an opportunity to help shape their community’s future.
Drawing on data from the State and Local Economic Development Strategies (SLEDS) database, this brief from the University Economic Development Association examines how EDDs can better incorporate higher education institutions into their CEDS process and plans and shares examples of how EDDs use the CEDS to foster stronger partnerships with universities and colleges.
Over the past four years, New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN) has managed the Economic Partnership Alliance, training 141 organizations and supporting 24 cross-sector partnerships across the country. Insights from this initiative, funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), have been distilled into the Economic Alliance Playbook, which were shared on this webinar hosted by the NADO Research Foundation as part of the EDD Community of Practice.
This installment of the EDDs in Action video series showcases the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC), an Economic Development District (EDD) serving five counties in Virginia. In this video, you’ll see how CSPDC works alongside local partners and businesses to strengthen communities and expand economic opportunity through investments in site readiness, workforce training, business development, and placemaking.
Presentation materials and an accompanying workbook from a recent disaster preparedness workshop for EDDs are now available. These resources can help staff assess vulnerabilities, map regional networks, align planning efforts, and develop a 90-day action agenda to support regional preparedness and strengthen economic resilience.
The annual Impact Awards program honors NADO members for their creative approaches to advancing regional economic development and improving quality of life.
This webinar explores how cooperative models can help communities respond to disruption, retain jobs, and reposition key industries for growth.
At the 2026 EDD Wealth Creation Summit in Bend, Oregon, hosted in partnership with Rural Development Initiatives (RDI) and Regards to Rural, participants engaged in mobile workshops highlighting place-based wealth creation strategies. One workshop featured RootedHomes, a community land trust (CLT) operating in Central Oregon, that offered a compelling example of how housing can function as a regional wealth building strategy aligned with the wealth creation framework.
The Business of Nuclear: Communities & Industry Working Together NADO Attends 2026 Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) Forum In April 2026, Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) hosted their fifth
This resource provides tips and best practices drawn from the experiences of EDD staff who have managed fee-for-service or contract planning services in their member communities. While the EDDs featured operate in the Southeast, their lessons can apply broadly to districts across the country
A career with an EDD or RDO offers the chance to make a meaningful, lasting impact on the communities and regions you serve. In this video, you’ll hear from four experienced leaders in regional economic development as they reflect on their career paths, the impact of their work, and what it takes to succeed in the field.
This case study demonstrates how University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service (UADA Extension) partners with all eight EDA-designated Economic Development Districts in Arkansas to strengthen regional capacity, with a focus on its long-standing collaboration with the Western Arkansas Planning and Development District (WAPDD). It highlights how coordinated efforts in training, data sharing, and community facilitation have evolved into a scalable, locally rooted model for university–EDD partnerships.
In 2023, Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments (UCPCOG) in eastern North Carolina received funding to hire a dedicated staff member to establish a Community Forestry Program. The new position allowed UCPCOG to expand its regional service offerings and respond to growing member interest in urban and community forestry as a tool to support livability, resilience, and local capacity building, particularly in economically distressed communities with limited staff and resources.