The Portland-Vancouver metropolitan region is developing a Regional Business Plan through a public- private partnership. The plans objective will be create regional agreement about a few key strategies and initiatives that are most important to making the region’s economy successful in the 21st century.
With some help from federal government funding, the public sector is assembling a document that captures the essential elements of previous economic development plans around the region, and organizes them in the format of the Oregon Business Plan. This document will meet the federal requirements for a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). Meeting those requirements has some potential funding advantages, but more important is the information the evaluation provides toward the preparation of the Regional Business Plan.
The initial efforts of developing the Regional Business Plan are being led by the region's private-sector business organizations, which have started a steering committee. Their effort will be expanded to include the region's public sector leaders, who are viewed as important partners in any effort to address the region's economic future. The Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies is part of a consulting team led by EcoNorthwest that is assisting in the development of the plan.
Both public-sector and private-sector activities are essential to the development of the Regional Business Plan. Many people from organizations in both sectors are working in close collaboration to develop the plan.
