{"id":579702,"date":"2025-10-24T16:50:16","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T16:50:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/?post_type=blog&p=579702"},"modified":"2025-10-24T16:50:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T16:50:17","slug":"regional-economic-development-role","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/regional-economic-development-role","title":{"rendered":"The Essential Role of Regional Economic Development in Building Resilient and Thriving Communities"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Annual Training Conference (ATC) in Salt Lake City. ATC brought together regional leaders, planners, and economic development professionals from across the country. As usual, NADO\u2019s annual event serves as both a professional recharge and a reality check, It offers an opportunity to learn from peers, hear from national thought leaders, and dig into the pressing issues challenging and shaping regional development.<\/p>\n\n

This year\u2019s conference reinforced several key themes that continue to define the work of Regional Development Organizations (RDOs): the central role of housing in economic vitality, the growing reliance on AI and data-driven tools, and the need for innovative strategies to overcome the challenges of limited resources and growing demands.<\/p>\n\n

A Game Plan for Regional Economic Strategy<\/h2>\n\n

During the conference, I had the opportunity to lead a Learning Lab. I illustrated how Economic Development Districts (EDDs) can integrate Geographic Information Systems (GIS) into their work with the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). The CEDS is the backbone of regional economic development planning and is structured around four core pillars:<\/p>\n\n

1. SWOT Analysis<\/strong> \u2013 Understanding regional strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.<\/p>\n\n

2. Strategic Direction & Action Plan<\/strong> \u2013 Setting a course for investment and growth.<\/p>\n\n

3. Evaluation Framework<\/strong> \u2013 Measuring progress and adjusting strategies as needed.<\/p>\n\n

4. Engagement & Collaboration<\/strong> \u2013 Ensuring all stakeholders have a voice in shaping the future.<\/p>\n\n

GIS plays an integral role in each of these components. Whether it\u2019s mapping regional assets and infrastructure, identifying areas of economic distress, or visualizing where investments can have the greatest impact, GIS helps turn abstract strategies into actionable insights. This isn\u2019t a new concept. NADO Research Foundation\u2019s 2023 study reveals over 90% of EDDs now incorporate GIS, mapping, and analytics into their CEDS processes.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Emerald Coast Regional Council in Florida uses an ArcGIS StoryMap<\/a> to communicate its updated CEDS to the public.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

During the session, we laid out a game plan for how a geographic approach can make CEDS implementation more data-driven, transparent, and inclusive. Attendees shared examples of how spatial analysis has helped them secure grants, align projects with regional priorities, and communicate complex data to elected officials and the public in clear, visual ways.<\/p>\n\n

Housing Is Economic Development<\/h2>\n\n

Another recurring message\u2014echoed not only at NADO but also at conferences like IEDC, APA, and NLC\u2014is that housing is economic development. A March 2024 report from the Bipartisan Policy Center showed that the nation faced 8.8 million unfilled jobs. Many unfilled jobs are linked to housing affordability constraints that directly affect employers\u2019 ability to attract and retain workers. Communities across the country are recognizing this directly shapes their ability to attract and retain workers, sustain local businesses, and promote economic mobility.<\/p>\n\n

This has ripple effects on transportation, workforce participation, and overall community livability. As we discussed throughout the conference, addressing housing shortages isn\u2019t just about zoning reform or increasing supply. It\u2019s about aligning housing strategies with broader economic and workforce goals.<\/p>\n\n

GIS again plays a vital role here. Regional governments are using location data to analyze housing affordability trends and identify suitable areas for development. In turn, this data reveals the relationship between housing, employment centers, and transportation infrastructure. A healthy regional economy depends on a housing strategy that meets the needs of today\u2019s and tomorrow\u2019s workforce.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
The Greater Kansas City Regional Housing Partnership with the Mid America Regional Council supply this Housing Data Hub<\/a> for its regional members to stay up to date on housing issues from affordability to capacity to diversity.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

The Role of AI in Regional Development<\/h2>\n\n

It\u2019s no surprise that artificial intelligence (AI) was another hot topic at NADO ATC. AI has quickly gone from being a futuristic concept to an everyday tool in RDO offices. Whether it\u2019s drafting sections of a CEDS, supporting grant writing, managing data, or streamlining internal workflows, AI is a standard part of the toolkit for regional planning and economic development professionals.<\/p>\n\n

AI can help RDOs do more with less\u2014an increasingly important capability given the growing demands on these organizations. But as several speakers emphasized, the key is pairing AI\u2019s efficiency with human judgment and local context. When combined with GIS, AI can unlock powerful new insights from regional data, helping RDOs identify trends, model scenarios, and make faster, more informed decisions.<\/p>\n\n

Why Geography Matters<\/h2>\n\n

The final takeaway from NADO ATC was that many RDOs are being asked to do more with less. Whether they\u2019re managing Economic Development Districts, Area Agencies on Aging, or other regional programs that support local governments and communities.<\/p>\n\n

As federal and state resources tighten while community needs grow, RDOs must find smarter, more efficient ways to plan and deliver services. That\u2019s where GIS and a geographic approach come in. By combining data, mapping, and analytics, RDOs can better understand where needs are greatest, prioritize investments, and communicate the value of their work in a way that resonates with decision-makers and the public.<\/p>\n\n

The NADO Annual Training Conference served as a powerful reminder that regional development is, at its core, about connection\u2026connecting data to decisions, communities to opportunities, and people to places. Through GIS, AI, and collaboration, RDOs are finding innovative ways to strengthen the regions they serve.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-579702","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","industry-community-development","industry-economic-development","industry-urban-and-regional-planning"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRegional Economic Development's Essentia Role | Esri<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"At NADO's Annual Training Conference, Regional Economic Development Organizations (RDOs) learned innovative ways to strengthen their regions.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/regional-economic-development-role\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Essential Role of Regional Economic Development in Building Resilient and Thriving Communities\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"At NADO's Annual Training Conference, Regional Economic Development Organizations (RDOs) learned innovative ways to strengthen their regions.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/regional-economic-development-role\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Industry Blogs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-24T16:50:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ECRC-StoryMap.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"422\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/regional-economic-development-role\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/regional-economic-development-role\",\"name\":\"Regional Economic Development's Essentia Role | Esri\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/regional-economic-development-role#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/regional-economic-development-role#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ECRC-StoryMap.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-24T16:50:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-24T16:50:17+00:00\",\"description\":\"At NADO's Annual Training Conference, Regional Economic Development Organizations (RDOs) learned innovative ways to strengthen their regions.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/regional-economic-development-role#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/regional-economic-development-role\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/regional-economic-development-role#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ECRC-StoryMap.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ECRC-StoryMap.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":422},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/regional-economic-development-role#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Essential Role of Regional Economic Development in Building Resilient and Thriving Communities\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Industry Blogs\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/583139d77632daab0a49ff7765d767e5\",\"name\":\"Keith Cooke\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Keith-Cooke-150x150.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Keith-Cooke-150x150.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Keith Cooke\"},\"description\":\"Keith Cooke is the Director of Planning & Community Development Markets at Esri. A graduate of Auburn University, he has been a GIS professional since 1994 and has worked for planning and community development agencies at the regional and municipal level. Prior to this role, he was an account executive at Esri for 15 years working with over 100 local governments. Keith regularly collaborates with industry leaders, planners, economic developers, and technology experts to drive innovation in community development practices using GIS, and is an active member in the American Planning Association.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/state-local-government\/solutions\/community-development\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/keith-cooke-3b266b3\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/@RKeithCooke\"],\"jobTitle\":\"Director - Planning & Community Development Markets\",\"worksFor\":\"Esri\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/author\/keith-cooke\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Regional Economic Development's Essentia Role | Esri","description":"At NADO's Annual Training Conference, Regional Economic Development Organizations (RDOs) learned innovative ways to strengthen their regions.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/regional-economic-development-role","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Essential Role of Regional Economic Development in Building Resilient and Thriving Communities","og_description":"At NADO's Annual Training Conference, Regional Economic Development Organizations (RDOs) learned innovative ways to strengthen their regions.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/regional-economic-development-role","og_site_name":"Industry Blogs","article_modified_time":"2025-10-24T16:50:17+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":422,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ECRC-StoryMap.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/regional-economic-development-role","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/regional-economic-development-role","name":"Regional Economic Development's Essentia Role | Esri","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/regional-economic-development-role#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/regional-economic-development-role#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ECRC-StoryMap.jpg","datePublished":"2025-10-24T16:50:16+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-24T16:50:17+00:00","description":"At NADO's Annual Training Conference, Regional Economic Development Organizations (RDOs) learned innovative ways to strengthen their regions.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/regional-economic-development-role#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/regional-economic-development-role"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/regional-economic-development-role#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ECRC-StoryMap.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ECRC-StoryMap.jpg","width":800,"height":422},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/regional-economic-development-role#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Essential Role of Regional Economic Development in Building Resilient and Thriving Communities"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/","name":"Industry Blogs","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/583139d77632daab0a49ff7765d767e5","name":"Keith Cooke","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Keith-Cooke-150x150.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Keith-Cooke-150x150.jpg","caption":"Keith Cooke"},"description":"Keith Cooke is the Director of Planning & Community Development Markets at Esri. A graduate of Auburn University, he has been a GIS professional since 1994 and has worked for planning and community development agencies at the regional and municipal level. Prior to this role, he was an account executive at Esri for 15 years working with over 100 local governments. Keith regularly collaborates with industry leaders, planners, economic developers, and technology experts to drive innovation in community development practices using GIS, and is an active member in the American Planning Association.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/state-local-government\/solutions\/community-development","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/keith-cooke-3b266b3\/","https:\/\/x.com\/@RKeithCooke"],"jobTitle":"Director - Planning & Community Development Markets","worksFor":"Esri","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/author\/keith-cooke"}]}},"text_date":"October 24, 2025","author_name":"Keith Cooke","author_page":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/author\/keith-cooke","custom_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AdobeStock_69649637_16x9_1920.jpg","primary_product":"Community Development","tag_data":[],"category_data":[],"product_data":{"errors":{"invalid_taxonomy":["Invalid taxonomy."]},"error_data":[]},"primary_product_link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/industry\/community-development","short_description":"At NADO's Annual Training Conference, Regional Economic Development Organizations (RDOs) learned innovative ways to strengthen their regions. ","image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AdobeStock_69649637_16x9_826.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/579702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/81"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/579702\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=579702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=579702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=579702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}