Bay Area Localize
On May 10, 2006, Redefining Progress, the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, the International Forum on Globalization, the Post Carbon Institute, Bay Area Relocalize, and Mayor Jerry Brown’s Office of Sustainability convened a small group of business and nonprofit leaders, public officials, and experts to discuss making the Bay Area the first major metropolitan region in the nation to formally adopt and implement a strategy for creating a strong local economy.
Economic development expert Michael Shuman, author of Going Local: Creating Self-Reliant Communities in a Global Age provided a brief overview of local economic development strategies in progress throughout the nation as well as recommendations for what to include in the consolidated Bay Area strategy.
The goal of the get-together was to begin mapping out a strategy combining the firepower of all nine Bay Area counties to implement a diverse array of public policy and business development options such as procurement reform, community investment, increased public transportation, energy conservation and demand reduction campaigns, portfolio standards, buy local campaigns and local production of vital needs, changes in land use policy, impact fees, self reliance targets, loan guarantees, venture capital funds, and others.
Over the coming months, sponsor organizations will convene participants who have expressed interest in serving on action committees, and engage in outreach to broaden the scope of active partners and constituents.
To read more about this emerging initiative, please read Building a Resilient and Equitable Bay Area: Toward a Coordinated Strategy for Economic Localization. .
