Through the CEDS Spotlight case studies series, the NADO Research Foundation is highlighting best practices and innovative elements of CEDS planning, development, and implementation from EDDs and other regional development organizations across the country.  Explore the case studies below which feature a variety of CEDS that are embracing change and new approaches for improving their regional economic development efforts.  Looking to access your peers' CEDS from across the country?  StatsAmerica has launched the CEDS Resource Library which allows users to search for every CEDS via a map or through a database.  Click here to learn more.  

We want to hear from you!  Do you have a best practice or innovative approach to developing, designing, and implementing the CEDS?  Contact NADO RF Associate Director Brett Schwartz at  [email protected].      

​(Banner photo :  Eastern Upper Peninsula Regional Planning & Development Commission, MI)   

NEW: Online / Digital CEDS Examples 

Many organizations are exploring ways to make their CEDS more visually engaging, interactive, and impactful. Over the past few years, we have seen new examples of online or interactive CEDS that utilize Story Maps, data dashboards, CEDS websites, and much more that are moving beyond simply posting a PDF of the plan online.  We are tracking these examples in a spreadsheet, available here, that provides links to the online CEDS as well as other resources. If your organization has an online CEDS or CEDS website, please contact Brett Schwartz at [email protected] as we want to maintain an updated list that can provide examples and best practices for other organizations looking to develop their own versions.  Click here to access the spreadsheet.  

CEDS Spotlight 

Merrimack Valley Planning Commission (MA)

The Merrimack Valley Planning Commission (MVPC)  led a CEDS planning process that took 12 months, involved many meetings (including those held in unconventional locations), and forged a conversation around equity and resilience that hadn’t taken place before at such a regional scale.  Rather than conduct a SWOT, the planning team instead carried out a SOAR analysis that explored the region’s Strengths, Aspirations, Opportunities, and Risks with four established working groups and the CEDS committee.  The SOAR analysis allowed participants to look at key themes facing the region and ask how economic resilience and equity considerations could best be incorporated to address these issues.  Meeting location was also a key part of MVPC’s outreach and engagement strategy.  Instead of convening in standard conference rooms and offices, meetings were held in unique settings across the region, such as on the floors of manufacturing facilities, in vacant storefronts, at coworking spaces, and in business incubators.

MVPC's approach has led to the creation of a motivated cohort of individuals ready to take ownership of the plan and see it through to implementation.  Because of the deep relationships forged and trust built during the process, the stakeholders who participated in the working groups are well-positioned to support with implementation efforts.

Click here to read the case study and access the CEDS.  

River Valley Regional Commission (Columbus, GA)
Inspired by the possibilities offered in EDA’s CEDS Content Guidelines, staff at the River Valley Regional Commission (RVRC) sought to develop a CEDS that would be visual, engaging, and tell the story of their diverse region in West Central Georgia.  Staff utilized Esri's Story Map software,  a template-based online platform.  Readers of RVRC’s Story Map-enhanced CEDS are able to scroll seamlessly through multiple sections, which are well-organized and supplemented with maps, images, and videos.  The site is economical with the amount of text and data provided; those wanting additional information about regional economic and social data, SWOT analysis entries, survey responses, action plans, and more can clink on hyperlinks that provide PDF documents with more detail.  

River Valley’s experience can serve as inspiration for other economic development districts that are serious about exploring new, interactive platforms for their CEDS but may feel they don’t have the in-house expertise to do so.  Simply put: Don’t let a lack of staff design expertise or the belief that it takes a lot of money to make a visual, interactive CEDS get in the way of pursuing something new and innovative for your region’s CEDS.

Click here to read the case study and access the CEDS.  
Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region (Groton, CT)
As the region’s Economic Development District, the Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region (seCTer) is tasked with guiding economic development and consensus-building across 22 cities and towns.  The flexible and nimble nature of its CEDS proved extremely valuable during the last rewrite process, as the region’s fortunes shifted following a slow recovery from the recession.  Its 2017 CEDS broke with previous iterations and moved beyond a standard list of projects towards one that identifies the region’s assets and opportunities.   

​The CEDS clearly notes this new approach: “Previous CEDS focused heavily on municipal and business ‘tactical’ projects without fully articulating any regional strategy that they contributed to.  This CEDS presents a regional strategic plan that reflects the collective input, desire, and recognition of the need to nurture and create a diverse, inclusive economy for Southeastern Connecticut.”

Click here to read the case study and access the CEDS.  
Southeast Conference (Juneau, AK) 
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Southeast Alaska is a region of stunning natural beauty and strong, self-reliant residents who have faced a boom and bust economy over many decades.  It is no surprise then that the region’s current CEDS “Southeast Alaska 2020” is one of the best examples in the country of infusing resilience into the CEDS planning process and final document.  Developed by Southeast Conference, the region’s Economic Development District, Southeast Alaska 2020 is a case study in effective CEDS planning, public engagement, and design.  

The final CEDS document – at only 44 pages – is an indispensable resource for the region.  It is full of useful information, presented in a very readable, engaging format that includes infographics and images that showcase the beauty of Southeast Alaska.   Industry leaders, elected officials, non-profit organizations, and other key stakeholders have fully embraced the newly designed CEDS.  Communities have been able to use the material in the CEDS when writing grant proposals, taking language about the region directly from the CEDS and including them in their own applications.   

Click here to read the case study and access the CEDS.  
Land of Sky Regional Council (Asheville, NC) 
As Western North Carolina begins to face major population growth in the upcoming decades, the Land of Sky Regional Council saw an opportunity to develop a new framework when designing its 2015 CEDS that would speak to the issues facing the region in the metro area and surrounding rural communities.  It is anticipated that by 2040, the regional population will grow by over 40% many of whom are 65 and older and are buying second homes or retiring in the area. 

This CEDS embraces many elements of the updated EDA CEDS Content Guidelines and is highly readable and visual and contains county-level facts sheets, case studies of projects underway, and concise implementation strategies and goals.  It addresses the topic of economic resilience and how sector diversification can help protect and strengthen the regional economy by placing a focus on areas such as tourism, advanced manufacturing, education, and health care. 

Click here to read the case study and access this CEDS.  
Southeastern Montana Development Corporation (Colstrip, MT) 
In the fall of 2015, staff at the Southeastern Montana Development Corporation (SEMDC) received a challenge from their constituents in the City of Colstrip:  help create an economic diversification plan to address the difficulties the region was facing as a result of the decline in the local coal industry.  Like many other coal-reliant communities throughout the country, Colstrip was feeling the economic effects reverberating from a mix of regulations, market forces, and the availability of cheap natural gas.

The “Colstrip Economic Diversification Strategy” was released in May 2017 and identifies six goals with 17 strategies to support economic diversification and improved quality of life in Colstrip and the surrounding region.  It been incorporated into the region’s 2016-2020 CEDS and will be tracked in future updates.  The six focus areas are:  coal, energy, and renewable technology; high tech industry and entrepreneurship; manufacturing; high skilled labor with trades; agriculture and outdoor recreation/tourism; and quality of life. 

Click here to read the case study and access the CEDS.  
Eastern Upper Peninsula Regional Planning & Development Commission (Sault Ste. Marie, MI)
Eastern Upper Peninsula Regional Planning & Development Commission (EUPRPDC)  has created a unified plan that meets the requirements of both the CEDS and Michigan's statewide planning program, the Regional Prosperity Initiative (RPI)   The completed plan, called Elevating the Eastern Upper Peninsula, was met with great enthusiasm from EUPRPDC’s board, EDA, and the state of Michigan.  The forward-thinking, comprehensive approach of this integrated plan has led to increased funding opportunities from the state, as well as access to EDA’s grant portfolio. 

Elevating the Eastern Upper Peninsula can serve as a strong model to other districts that are looking to integrate other planning processes with the CEDS.  This approach requires the right mix of timing, inclusive stakeholder engagement, and open communication with EDA and other funders.  Overall, the combined planning process led to a stronger and more thorough planning process and final plan than if these efforts had been conducted individually.

Click here to read the case study and access the CEDS.  
Mid-Region New Mexico Council of Governments (Albuquerque, NM)   
A slow recovery from the recession, its relative isolation, and heavy reliance on federal funding led leaders in the Albuquerque region in 2013 to pivot towards an entrepreneurship-focused economic development approach that would grow from within. Despite the obstacles facing the  region, it has many local assets and resources in its institutions, leaders, and business community that are helping to grow its entrepreneurial ecosystem.

This entrepreneurship approach to economic development became the central focus of the Mid-Region New Mexico Council of Governments' 2015 CEDS that brought together diverse stakeholders from both urban and rural communities in the region.  This efforts have led to partnerships and projects like InnovateABQ (a seven-acre innovation campus), the growth of accelerators and incubators, and business development in the region’s urban core as well as in the rural counties, including drone research and development that was conducted in Torrance County.

​Click here to read the case study and access the CEDS.   
Southern Alleghenies Planning & Development Commission (Altoona, PA) 
Visitors to the Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission (SAP&DC) online CEDS are able to explore all the key components of the CEDS through easy-to-use navigation tools and drop-down menus.  Useful maps, infographics, charts, and tables help users better understand key data and information. 

​ The four key regional goals identified through the CEDS process – diversifying the economy, maintaining and modernizing infrastructure, making communities more attractive to younger families, and growing local agriculture-related businesses – all have their own dedicated pages with key information and objectives.  Contact boxes on the pages allow users to quickly get in touch with SAP&DC staff to share ideas, offer suggestions, and ask questions about planned or potential initiatives.  

Click here to read the case study and access the CEDS.