PCRD

Brookings Institution Tracking Recovery in the Great Lakes Region

Brookings Institution has a useful series on how the major metropolitan areas in the US are responding to economic changes that signal the ending of the current deep recession.  As part of this series, the Brookings Metropolitan Policy program is keeping track of the Great Lakes major metro areas and also the Mountain areas.  For a summary of the findings on the Great Lakes metros, go here. The entire report can be downloaded as a PDFf at the same website.

Ohio's summit and the lessons for Indiana

The Brookings Institution continues to press its Great Lakes agenda for reinvestment. Recently, Broookings held a summit in Columbus with Greater Ohio. Over 1,000 civic leaders from around the state participated in the day long event.

The participants explored the different dimensions of revitalizing the Ohio economy. Like much of the Great Lakes, Ohio suffers from an economy that is slow to adjust to the new realities of global competition.

The lesson for Indiana: We share a common fate with other Great Lakes states. Our opportunities to collaborate are likely to be far greater than we have recognized.

The Brookings Institution has been exploring these connections in its Great Lakes Economic Initiative. You can learn more about this work from the Brookings web site here.

Here are a few of articles that covered the Ohio Summit:

• Ohio must rethink growth, study says
• Report: Competition holding back growth of Ohio’s major cities
• Ohio Conference Calls for Major Makeovers

Materials on the Brookings/Greater Ohio summit are available here.

Great Lakes Manufacturing Council-Focus on Indiana!

Posted by Don Koverman

The October newsletter of the Great Lakes Manufacturing Council focuses their attention on Indiana.  Indiana is the fourth state in the Great Lakes that is the spotlight of Focus.  According to the newsletter, Indiana manufacturing employs over a half a million people in more than 9100 companies.  Between 2001 and 2006, its manufacturing GDP grew by more than 25% and currently represents over 28% of the state's total GDP.  For more information go to here.