Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sun, 01/09/2005 - 21:29.
Here's an organic interpretation on the interconnections of TOPSOIL - Technology Optimization Platform for Social Organization, Innovation and Learning - REALNEO - Regional Economic Action Links (North East Ohio) - OSED - Open Source Economic Development - and IP - Intellectual Property - being the ecosystem enabling and nurturing Entrepreneurship and unique value creation and growth.
OSED consists of (B)rainpower, (I)nnovation and (Q)uality atoms, held interconnected with the magnetism of REALink Dialogue and Inclusion. These atoms combine in infinite combinations of Intellectual property molecules, which combine in organic structures forming more complex elements like schools, universities, companies and governments within a community ecosystem, in North East Ohio called NEO. The more supportive the ecosystem, the stronger the elements, and more elements to thrive. At the foundation of the ecosystem is TOPSOIL - the healthier and more nutritious the better. Branding and Marketing promote elements and ecosystems versus others, completing the OSED framework.
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sun, 01/09/2005 - 17:16.
Cleveland Plain Dealer architecture critic Steven Litt writes of a "Golden Opportunity" for University Circle's future in proposing Case University, the Cleveland Institute of Art, and other local arts and learning institutions make optimal use of their master planning to leverage innovative networking and world-class brainpower to build a higher quality, well-connected powerhouse for this region - a "collegetown" gateway integrating University Circle institutions and stakeholders with surrounding community and regional interests. Steven prods UC-related leadership to follow models of excellence found at well planned universities in Cincinnati, Tempe, and Chicago and recounts "Philanthropist Peter Lewis, chairman of Mayfield-based Progressive Corp., has encouraged such collaborative thinking by hinting that he might open his purse for the right mix of projects. But in a speech at the UCI annual meeting in November, he said he was unimpressed with a confidential plan forwarded to him by Case. Nevertheless, Lewis said he's keeping an open mind." UC leaders must become more open and open-minded in their master planning, as that was clearly a critical success factor common for the three "best-collegetowns" highlighted above, and for securing the support of global leaders like Lewis. Read on for Litt's open vision for UC "to create a sense of urbanism and to heal the rift between town and gown":
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sat, 01/08/2005 - 17:11.
Congressman Sherrod Brown was the speaker at the first Cleveland City Club Friday Forum of 2005, on January 7, where he presented insight from his recently published book on American free trade policy, Myths of Free Trade: Why American Trade Policy Has Failed, and shared personal perspectives on life in Washington, Ohio, and around the world. Appreciative attendees enjoyed the company of an insightful speaker, empowering statesman, and refreshing intellectual – and we may well have been the first to learn Brown is seriously considering a run for Ohio Governor in 2006. Where else but the City Club may we the people of Cleveland get up close and personal to explore the most important issues in the world, with the most insightful people in the world.
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 12/30/2004 - 11:46.
Ed Iannone's excellent Economic Development Futures blog (RSS fed to REALNEO) has an insightful write up and link to an excellent site featuring understanding of metrics/measures indicative of sustainability.
This web site is about indicators of sustainable community: ways to measure how well a community is meeting the needs and expectations of its present and future members. One of the primary goals of our site is to explain what indicators are, how indicators relate to sustainability, how to identify good indicators of sustainability, and how indicators can be used to measure progress toward building a sustainable community. Starting up an indicators project can be a bewildering task. From our experience in working with communities, we have found that everyone has the same set of basic questions. To help you develop and use indicators of sustainability, we have prepared clear, practical answers to these questions:
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Wed, 12/15/2004 - 09:33.
TransTech originator Herb Crowther assembled a powerful group of panelists to address a fascinating, opportune set of transportation related topics of interest to this region - developing ferry service for vehicles and people between Port of Cleveland and Canada, expanding other water-based freight service in Ohio, developing high speed rail service in Ohio, and future concepts in rail transportation. The theme was sustainable transportation.
Civic entrepreneur Herb Crowther, and representatives and
entrepreneurs from private companies, port authorities and other transportation
oriented economic development organizations come together during a 90
minute interactive discussion about freight-related sustainable
transportation opportunities. Shifting freight transport to rail and water can
improve freight mobility and reduce transportation costs while using cleaner
transportation modes. The purpose of the conversation is to raise the
community's consciousness of how much activity related to sustainable
transportation and freight mobility is already going on in Northeast Ohio, and
brainstorm strategies for leveraging collaboration and integrating
transportation initiatives to drive job creation and economic development.
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 12/09/2004 - 19:37.
12/10/2004 - 13:00
Hotel Bruce in the OC: Come and celebrate as Hotel
Bruce releases Issue No. 3, the all-Ohio City issue, on December
10th - 6 - 9 PM. Enjoy wine, cheese and refreshments; take in an exhibit of local
Submitted by Jeff Buster on Thu, 12/09/2004 - 13:49.
Highway exits demand urban sprawl with all the trappings for the 1-$top American lifestyle of fast food, heart burn and gas at the expense of our environmental health (trees, oxygen, wetlands), peace of mind and
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 12/06/2004 - 17:22.
12/07/2004 - 09:00
REI has scheduled a REALNEO orientation session from 2 - 4 PM for anyone interested in becoming more familiar with our Regional Economy Action Links for North East Ohio. We'll walk through basic site administration, like setting up a user account and adding content, and setting up a Drupal site from scratch. We'll discuss how to best use this transformational technology to transform the NEO economy. This is of course free and open to the public - when you sign in with the security desk at the PBL building (the Gehry) the guard will tell you how to find the session... room 401
Immediately following is Tuesday@REI: "Unique
Value: Cleveland & Northeast Ohio," with
Guest Moderator Charles D. Weller, Cleveland Author, Lawyer
and Health Care Entrepreneur. Chuck is Editor and Contributor of the new book
(Released 12/04) "Unique Value:
Competition Based On Innovation Creating Unique
Value
Any questions, please email norm [at] icearth [dot] com
Location
Case, Weatherhead, Peter B. Lewis Building Room 401
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Tue, 11/30/2004 - 16:48.
Jeff gives overview of history of wind power in NEO and of
his effort to reestablish this here
Then he gets into the needs to make this happen. He
stresses need for open model – open communications – to move our efforts
forward. Mentioned Wind Power conference and that no email addresses were
provided for attendees and presenters – old model. New model is open meetings
like at REI and the vision of social networks and analysis.
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 11/29/2004 - 17:40.
 If you haven't been to REALNEO recently, you've missed lots of exciting developments in our virtual and real community. For a chance to get up to speed, and become more involved in the REALNEO development process, join folks supporting this effort at Case/REI for a hands on orientation (and can get involved with the developing Wind Power industry right after - see below).
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 11/29/2004 - 16:24.
As we all consider the
transformational impact of wifi on our daily lives and this community, there’s
another wireless technology to receive in your mindspace and soon to your business or even home – WiMax… worldwide interoperability
for microwave access… which has blazing speed with a stable range of 15-30 miles and is already prevalent in major cities around the
world, and should be considered part of NEO’s long-term technology portfolio strategy.
The questions are, how does WiMax help NEO and when? Read the NYTimes article posted and linked below – I’ll explore this further as
it relates to bridging our digital divide from the most out of box position
possible.
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 11/29/2004 - 09:32.
One drive through Shaker Heights makes it clear this is an historically significant community. The Clevelend Plain Dealer recently reported Shaker leaders recognize their historic character as a valuable asset and they have taken steps to protect that, at the City Hall level. While much of the great historic architecture of Northeast Ohio has been detroyed over the years, regional community leaders should take action like has Shaker to preserve what remains - consider the great buildings in areas of Cleveland like Glenville, and in East Cleveland, and picture a future of historic buildings restored to their potential prime, rather than gone forever. Read on about the Shaker initiative, introduced and linked below.
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sun, 11/28/2004 - 20:59.
The best concept for regional and global government, public, private, and foundation spending for economic development in this region that I can imagine is driving for a NEO MultiDATA strategy - Multimedia, Design, Architecture, Technology and Art - which fits my understanding of the purpose of our foundations and economic development visions and would revolutionize NEO's global position in many creative class and new economy ways which are not even contemplated in any of the writing and thinking I've seen around town but which are featured in major creative class communities world-wide.
Included in MultiDATA vision is a Philip Johnson conceived School of Architecture (he proposed that for our community around 1996 - perhaps it's not too late), integrating an urban and regional planning institute, featuring an "MIT-inspired" Media Lab, and multimedia production including music, video, gaming and film, and a CIA-rooted TIIMEish graphics center, and a Case-rooted third generation technology RDT center - research, development, transfer (open-source, advanced networking, IPv6, wireless, MEMS, RFID, nanotech, etc.), each and all with the capability to support secondary, vocational/trade/craft, highest education, advanced research, and entrepreneurism - from concepts and designs to production and commercialization.
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sun, 11/28/2004 - 19:48.
I find it absurd when people criticize the Plain Dealer for their "Quiet Crisis" series and challenge area residents to look on the sunny side of life. While REALNEO certainly features plenty of progressive developments and people in the region to celebrate, it is essential we all redouble efforts to correct our failings and support solutions, rather than hibernate in denial - things won't be any better in the Spring.
For one roadmap to a better future, in the 11/28/04 Plain Dealer Forum Section the insightful Joe Frolik offers a blueprint for significant improvement for NEO, taken from lessons learned in our regional diamond Chicago, which not inconsequentially was able to lure away one of our leaders of our sustainability movement because our community leaders were not as supportive and promising as those of the Windy City. For another roadmap, look to Boston, and just down the road to NEO's most progressive suburb, Shaker Heights.
In another new economy domain, the OneCleveland initiative has been nationally recognized at the top of the community bandwidth spectrum but, for lack of concerted comprehension of the connection between connectivity and economic development, we are lagging Philadelphia in visioning on becoming the wired city of the future. Worse, the City of Cleveland has failed to leverage information technology as a foundation for economic development and we're now recognized as the worst of 70 large city virtual communities in the Country. Worse, those who allowed us to become the worst are slamming the barn door and pledging away $30,000,000+ to out-of-state contractors to put us right.
As a more sane strategy, I suggest leaders for the future of Cleveland speak up about this crisis and take ownership to find solutions. I started speaking up on this issues in 2001, writing a "Quiet Crisis" op/ed on our failing virtual community and the digital divide, and I am working with a group of Case and Cleveland State leaders to solve those problems in East Cleveland, where city government is receptive to outside support. I reprint below my op/ed from 2001, which remains true today, and I encourage others to post their thoughts on these issues as comments here, or email me on these matters at norm [at] icearth [dot] com.
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sun, 11/28/2004 - 15:14.
Today I noticed Pennsylvania's license plates feature the catch phrase "WWW.STATE.PA.US" (home of PA's excellent PowerPort - a stark contrast to Ohio's silly little state site). PA is surfacing as a true new economy powerhouse, as highlighted by Philadelphia's struggle to become the world's most wifi'ed city and a recent presentation at the Ohio Wind Power Conference by Kathleen McGinty, Secretary, Pennsylvania Environmental Protection Dept., who drove home the point that PA's effective leadership is putting them a generation ahead of OH with alternative energy generation and manufacturing.
But seeing PA drivers educating America about WWW.STATE.PA.US really made me think about our mindset as "Birthplace of aviation", the truly inept tag-line of our license plates. A feature in Scene Magazine chronicles how OH leaders blew the opportunity to develop the aviation industry here. Scene quotes NEO legacy-powerhouse Frederick Crawford: "You know, there was a time when we had working in Cleveland the men who would later create the greatest aircraft companies in the world. The problem was, the fools running the city did not understand what they had and lost it."
It's bad enough we can't think of anything intelligent to put on our license plates to promote Ohio, but it is far worse we find glory in our failure. For more to think about this subject, read the excellent article "A Century of Bumbling" from Scene, excerpted and linked below. And, what would you like to promote to the world on your license plate? I vote for "New Economy Leadership" - post your thoughts as comments to this post.
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sat, 11/27/2004 - 13:57.
In his ED Pro Blog, Ed Morrison surfaces important issues for Northeast Ohio that we can address with effective economic development planning - we have a skills gap, where students and adults are not learning what is needed to function in the new economy - as demonstrated by lack of open source programmers in this region.
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 11/22/2004 - 03:35.
If you have a yard, you need to talk to Alec and his crew - poisoning your plants is not a solution to anything, except killing your yard and the environment... learn better ways from cool champions...talk to Jean about your pool/pond too, and you're cool.
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 11/22/2004 - 02:59.
At the E4S awards party, transportation sustainability champion Jim Sheehan stressed that Ohio City Cycles has lots of great gift for the holidays - from recycled bikes to cool eco-cycle art objects and other great stuff so after you shop local and organic at Champion Basketeria, at the West Side Market, swing by Ohio City Cycles for all your other holiday shopping... if you see a solar and biofuel powered van parked out front, that's probably the other transportation champion, Matthew Harris - great people!
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 11/22/2004 - 01:55.
E4S Champions address all aspects of the building industry - one "winning" champion, also proclaimed Champion of Champions, it seems every homeowner should know - read the praise for Jim LaRue the HouseMender below - another Building Champion recycles construction waste - which would otherwise become wasteful landfill - and other building champions are green builders and supply green building products - if you own buildings or are building then look these sustainability leaders up... especially cool sounds Harvest Build, for strawbale construction!
