Human Creativity, Community Catalysts, and Economic

Transformation Jerry Hembd

Associate Professor & Director

Northern Center for Community and Economic Development

University of Wisconsin-Superior/Extension

Community Development Society Annual ConferenceJuly 27, 2009

Attraction

Business and industry

Human talent and creativity

Trends in Economic Development

Retention

Expansion

You need

People

People are the MAIN driver of economic development

Strategy and Policy Implications

To Attract People a Community Needs:

• Tolerance: A supportive environment for diverse self-expression

• Technology: Accessible mechanisms for people to turn their talent into market or public goods

• Territorial assets: Quality of place

Source: Richard Florida Creativity Group, 2007.

Regional Growth and Prosperity

The 4T Approach to Economic Development

Territorial Assets

TalentTolerance

Source: Richard Florida Creativity Group, 2007.

The Creative Class consists of a series of occupations that add economic value through their own creativity and knowledge.

Super Creative Core

Includes occupations in:

• Computer and mathematical• Architecture and engineering • Life, physical, and social

science• Education, training, and

library• Arts, design, entertainment,

sports, and media

Creative Professionals

Includes occupations in:

• Management• Business and financial

operations• Legal• Healthcare practitioners and

technical• High-end sales and sales

management

The Creative Class

Knight Creative Communities Initiative

Piloted in: Tallahassee, Florida Charlotte, North Carolina The Twin Ports

Duluth, Minnesota Superior, Wisconsin

Goals

To spur greater economic opportunity in the region by:

Engaging more citizens from every part of the community in the conversation on the region’s economic future

Empowering those citizens with the knowledge they need to make sound plans, policies and decisions for their region’s growth

Goals (continued)

Building and bridging initiatives to 1) help residents self-actualize and 2) enhance the quality of place

Building a stronger regional economy that is authentic to the region, sustainable through economic ups and downs, open for every resident to participate and attractive to newcomers

Connecting the community to a national network of others working toward similar goals

The Twin Ports Players

• Community Host: Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation

• Local Coordinator: DSACF Community Initiatives Officer

• Richard Florida’s Creative Class Strategies Team

• Program Director, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

• Community Catalysts• Catalysts’ Sponsoring

Companies/Organizations• Community Members

Front-end, Pre-seminar Activities

Selection of community catalysts Online survey Host a working social Background readings State of the region memo Connecting the dots

4 T’s Seminar

Day 1:• Discussion on regional prosperity• Work session on each of the T’s• Develop collective visionDay 2: • Brainstorm initiatives• Team planning session• Concept presentations to the

community

creativeclass ®

Duluth-Superior Top 15 Talent Clusters

0.85

1.00

1.15

1.30

1.45

-10.00% 0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00%

Average Employment Growth (1999-2004)

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Environment

Medical Professionals

Medical Services

Restaurants & Food Service

Tourism

Retail & Sales

Education

Medical Therapists

Transportation Personal Service (2.50,1.05: Not Pictured)

Information

Human Resources

Social ServicesConstruction

Clerical & Office

Size of Bubble = Total Cluster Employment

Twin Ports KCCI Initiatives

• Artworks! Talent/territorial assets

• Brain Gain Talent/tolerance• Mix It Up Tolerance• Pathways Territorial

assets/talent• We Mean Green Technology

ArtWorks!

• Goal: To improve regional prosperity through inspiring innovative collaborations between the arts, business and civic sectors

• Initiative: ArtWorks? Gala, Creative Economy Showcase and Conference Held March 13 and 14, 2008 Over 300 participants and 60

exhibitors Raised $94,000 to support initiatives

through grants

ArtWorks! Conference Initiatives

• Twin Ports Arts Alliance• Lake Superior Arts Festival• Duluth and Superior Leadership Program• Web site listing job opportunities in arts

and culture• Artists Mentoring Youth• Public Arts Coalition• Duluth and Superior Art Corridor

(Districts)• LEAP (Lake Effect Art Portal)

Brain Gain

• Goal: To reduce the “brain drain” in Duluth and Superior by 10 percent

• Initiatives: Higher Education Institution

Cooperation College Connection – Chamber of

Commerce links students with local business

Forty Below – Goal is to encourage young professionals to take positions on Boards of Directors of local nonprofits and community organizations

Mix It Up

• Goal: To create a place for comfortable dialogue about diversity and inclusivity and help the Twin Ports become a more welcoming and inclusive place to live

• Initiatives: The Hodge Podge Supper Club – Social

“bridging” dinners at local restaurants Sponsored a presentation titled “Racism,

Power and Privilege” Will offer catalysts an opportunity to take a

cultural competency inventory followed by a personal and/or group assessment

Twin Ports Pathways

• Goals: 1. To ensure that a physical network and

related infrastructure exist for non-motorized transportation

2. To link people to the network and to promote the network

• Initiatives: Train/Bike Ride – People rode the North

Shore Scenic Railroad from Duluth to Two Harbors and then biked the 26 miles back with a post-event party

Bike Rack Art Project – A competition to design, manufacture and install ten artist-designed bike racks in greater downtown Duluth. The team hopes to recreate this project in Superior and across Duluth

We Mean Green

• Goal: To further economic, environmental and social sustainability in the Twin Ports and western Lake Superior region through education, networking and action

• Initiative: Twin Ports Early Adopters Project Joined with Sustainable Duluth and co-

founded Sustainable Twin Ports Received $180,000 funding for their

Early Adopters Project

What is an Early Adopter?

Early Adopters are respected and representative community

businesses and organizations that make the commitment to

provide leadership by introducing and using The

Natural Step Framework in their respective organizations.

Early Adopters Project Basics

Twelve to fifteen Early Adopter organizations

Two to five participants per organization Ten days of training over one year Baseline evaluations Developing a vision of a sustainable

organization Action planning and implementation Documentation, peer learning, and

sharing with broader community

Weaknesses of Initiative

Training was flawed in a number of ways, particularly in terms of process

Initiative resources went primarily to support external expertise – better use would have been local project support

Lack of links between various initiatives – they tended to work independently

Too much paperwork and reporting to external resource group

Significant time commitment required for initiative work

Strengths of Initiative

Brought together people from the two communities that would not have met or interacted otherwise

Provided a year’s worth of structure and activities to generate ideas and actions

Good community exposure for creative economy approach – a different way of thinking about economic development

Resulted in some positive initiatives that may not have happened otherwise

Questions?

For More Information

Jerry Hembd

Northern Center for Community and Economic DevelopmentUniversity of Wisconsin-Superior/Extension

Belknap & Catlin, PO Box 2000 Superior, Wisconsin 54880

Web: www.uwsuper.edu/ncced

Phone 715-394-8208 E-mail: jhembd@uwsuper.edu