Economic Development Districts (EDDs) can provide municipal and county governments with a broad portfolio of economic and community development programs and services. Through the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) and other regional planning initiatives, EDDs empower member communities to set a regional vision and roadmap for economic success. In many cases, EDDs also use this planning expertise to offer member communities an expanded, localized set of planning services that help them to address specific needs. These include, but are not limited to, neighborhood master planning, economic asset studies, cluster analyses, comprehensive plans, organizational studies, market studies, and local economic development planning.
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 these EDDs operate in the Southeast, their lessons can apply broadly to districts across the country.
This resource is offered through the Economic Development District Community of Practice (EDD CoP), managed by the NADO Research Foundation to build the capacity of the national network of EDDs. To learn more, visit: www.nado.org/EDDCoP. The EDD CoP is made possible through an award from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce (ED22HDQ3070106). The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations in this resource are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.