The power of regional collaboration: Driving economic development in North County

The San Diego North Economic Development Council plays a critical role to help North County thrive through many initiatives and programs

As senior staff at an economic development organization (EDO), it isn’t uncommon for people I meet to smile when I tell them what I do for a living and ask, “So what exactly do you do?” I thought this guest article would be a great opportunity to tell readers more about economic development and the role it plays in improving North County.

What is economic development?

Economic development (ED) consists of a set of intentional actions designed to help strengthen an entire region’s economy. Some examples of ED include, but aren’t limited to:

• Targeted investment in infrastructure improvements that increase economic activity.

(Think: enhanced wireless network infrastructure, improved highways and public transportation to cut commute times, or renewable energy projects and sewer improvements to support growing businesses.)

• Attracting new businesses in the private sector to invest in the region.

(Think: businesses relocating to the area and creating new jobs, contractors building new housing to reduce the jobs-to-housing ratio, or developers creating community benefits alongside their projects to increase the quality of life for residents.)