I - O P E N

Institute for Open Economic Networks

CIVIC FORUMS AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL

WHITE PAPERSEPTEMBER 2007

4415 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44103 www.i-open.org

Strategic Doing in the Civic Space

New Practices and Tools for Economic and Community Development

I-Open Civic Forums

I-Open civic forums accelerate economic transformation

I-Open civic forums represent an exceptional opportunity to transform our regional economy through openinnovation networks.I-Open civic forums:• Promote regional economic development by accelerating entrepreneurship and innovation;• Accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship by building open economic networks (sometimes called“clusters”) among academic, business, government and civic communities;• Represent remarkably effective, low-cost marketing campaigns to support entrepreneurship and actionlearning projects; and

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Create new economic opportunities by shifting public thinking about what is possible.

Innovate by Encouraging Purposeful Conversations

Regions and communities are home to large networks of higher education institutions and libraries. Seen fromone perspective, these institutions and organizations are remarkably fragmented. They operate largely separatefrom one another. Seen from another, each organization -- ultimately, each person in each organization -- canrepresent a node in a dynamic network of learning to support innovative businesses.I-Open uses civic forums to build these knowledge networks and stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship.We encourage open networks of collaboration built on trust and accountability. We model new civicbehaviors designed to overcome fragmentation by focusing on mutual interests, realistic businessopportunities and pragmatic next steps.By accelerating trusted connections among the region’s extensive research, information and civic communityI-Open removes the barriers that stifle “open innovation systems” within regional economies. Theseinnovation systems -- sometimes called “clusters” -- drive regional prosperity.

Create College and University Partnerships to Build Civic Spaces

I-Open civic forums seek partners to:

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Build a strong regional brand in innovative economic development;

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Identify a network of dynamic civic entrepreneurs in communities who are transforming our regionaleconomies:• Identify a network of dynamic civic entrepreneurs in communities who are transforming our regionaleconomies;• Provide quick access to action learning opportunities for students;• Gain access to a growing national network of business, education and civic leaders promoting a newapproach to regional economic development designed by I-Open.

The Civic Forum Process: A History

REI.Tuesdays hosted at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University,introduced a new kind of public engagement: the civic forum. Reaching out to the academic, civic,government and business leaders and citizens beyond campus boundaries in Northeast Ohio, REI.Tuesdaysbecame known as a neutral convening ground for the exchange of public opinion and expert knowledge forthe purpose of engaging small teams building projects and initiatives for regional transformation. Civic,business, government and academic leaders stepped forward to present research and practitioner summationsof their solutions to the challenges affecting us all in our daily lives.Participants were introduced to cutting edge economic development concepts, best global practices and newprinciples of civic behavior that build trust and respect to accelerate the competitive value of civility. Eachsession ended with an action plan for “next steps.”Over the seventeen-month pilot, REI.Tuesdays gathered thousands of participants and hosted hundreds of forums. Robust social networks formed, resulting in a multitude of self-organized work groups, roundtables,focus groups and communities of commitment. The civic forum process piloted at REI, Case Western ReserveUniversity, was replicated in other area universities and colleges, libraries and private business groups inOhio, Indiana, Kentucky and South Carolina.

What emerged…

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BREWED FRESH DAILY

covers news and opinion from Cleveland, Ohio on a variety of topics andis one of the largest and most advanced blogging communities in the country. Emerging fromREI.Tuesdays in 2004 as an example of a new kind of citizen journalism, Brewed Fresh Daily hasincreased its readers and content providers exponentially. Content covers all areas of economicdevelopment attracting business, civic, academic and government leaders and serves as a regionalcenter for Ohio news and opinion.http://www.brewedfreshdaily.com

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CENTER FOR PREVENTATIVE HEALTH & DISEASE MANAGEMENT, LLC

began with ateam of researchers exploring new opportunities in healthcare management. As a result of theirresearch, HDM capitalizes on Cleveland’s access to some of the best hospitals and researchuniversities