What you can do to make a difference in area’s economy

Washtenaw County is leading the way in helping southeast Michigan turn itself into a brain-based economy. Doug Rothwell, the head of Detroit Renaissance, lays out the way local residents can help make this transition happen.

Excerpt:

It’s easy to get into a chicken-and-egg discussion when you begin talking about the importance of the image of the Detroit region as it relates to economic development success. Do we need new success stories in order to get more people to place their companies here? Or do we need to share our current success stories better to accomplish the same goals?

Certainly, Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County are experiencing growth. But so is the entire southeast Michigan region. A recent study suggests that in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw counties more than $4 billion was invested in 2007. This demonstrates that even with all the economic headwinds we are encountering, we are making progress diversifying and growing our economy.

Read the rest of the story here.