Economic/Tourism Development
Economic development is the driving force behind municipal and community health. Attracting investment to your community is increasingly competitive. In this environment it is important to focus on the community’s strengths and how these strengths can attract and retain investors and employers which will benefit the community and its residents. The economic development strategy that works well for one community cannot be transferred to another. It takes creativity and a willingness to take the time to listen to past experience and the aspirations of the key stakeholders to identify realistic objectives and approaches. The result should be an economic strategy that individuals, businesses and municipal staff can use to make ensure the message is effective and consistent. It is equally important that the experience of the new investor or the current business reflects the message being delivered. Our economic development work includes downtown revitalization, industrial land development and tourism related studies. This range of experience gives us a well rounded approach to preparing and evaluating economic and tourism development strategies. We have particular experience in the provision of estimates of the economic impact of tourism development and in the evaluation and design of trails as an important component for community and economic development.