Supporting Inclusive Recovery: Lessons From Abroad

In my experience, I’ve found that economic developers here in the US are very good about learning from case studies and leading practices.  We’re not afraid to borrow good ideas from other communities.  But, we do have a small blind spot in that we often limit our scans to what’s happening here in the US.  Meanwhile, there’s a whole big world out there, and we could do a better job of learning from what’s working (or not working) for our overseas colleagues. 

There are tons of great resources for this work.  I often use materials from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), especially its Trento Center for Regional Development and its Local Employment and Economic Development (LEED) Program.  The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) is another great resource.

If you agree with my take here, I’ll also suggest that you take a look at a new series of excellent Urban Institute reports looking at how other counties are supporting a more inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.  This helpful series includes case studies of effective broadband deployment (Wales), child care support (Australia), promoting equity investments (Canada, Germany, Sweden), and many other issue areas.  We’re all struggling with similar challenges, and these studies include some very useful lessons learned for supporting an effective and inclusive economic recovery.