May 18, 2026

219: The Economic Development Handbook We All Needed with Glenn Athey

29 minutes

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show Dane Carlson talks with Dr. Glenn Athey, author of The Local and Regional Economic Development Handbook, about what economic developers actually need to know to move from strategy to delivery.

Glenn shares how growing up in northeast England during de-industrialization shaped his interest in regional economic development, why he wrote the book he wishes he had at the start of his career, and how practitioners can use international case studies without simply copying someone else’s playbook.

The conversation covers action-oriented strategies, evidence that informs decisions instead of burying teams in data, the importance of local capacity, entrepreneurship support that prioritizes high-growth potential, and how sustainability can run through every part of economic development rather than sit off to the side.

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10 Actionable Takeaways for Economic Developers

Keep a working reference shelf. Economic development is too broad to know everything cold. Have reliable resources you can dip into before meetings on unfamiliar topics.

Read enough to participate intelligently. You do not have to become an expert overnight, but you should understand the basics well enough to ask good questions and add value.

Turn strategy into an action plan. A useful strategy should say what the community will do, what it will keep doing, what happens next, and how success will be measured.

Do not confuse data with analysis. Dashboards and tables are not the point. Ask, "So what does this mean, and what should we do differently?"

Borrow proven ideas, then localize them. Most communities do not need to invent something brand new. Study what worked elsewhere, then adapt it to your own economy, assets, and constraints.

Be more curious. Visit the neighboring community with the strong business center. Ask how their program works. Learn from people who are already doing the thing well.

Know your community's real capacity. Big ambitions require people, skills, funding, and institutional ability. A plan that ignores delivery capacity is likely to become shelf art.

Prioritize business support where you can add the most value. Lifestyle businesses, high-growth startups, exporters, and innovation-driven firms may all need help, but they do not all produce the same economic impact.

Connect the functions. Investment attraction depends on workforce, sites, infrastructure, universities, entrepreneurship, planning, and policy. The best economic developers see how the pieces fit together.

Build confidence across the whole field. Economic development touches strategy, business growth, workforce, sites, investment, inclusion, planning, and more. You do not need to know every topic perfectly, but you do need enough range to recognize how the pieces connect.

Special Guest: Dr. Glenn Athey.