GCEDD To Begin CEDS Update in 2012
 The Gulf Coast Economic Development District will be updating its Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy in 2012. In 2011, the Houston-Galveston Area Council was one one of the few regional entities granted funds to develop a regional sustainability plan, which looks at integrating transportation, housing, economic development, and the environment in a comprehensive way. The Gulf Coast Economic Development District is a Coordination Committee member for this planning effort and sees value in considering alignment of the CEDS priorities with the Sustainability Priniciples of Livability in such a way that will bolster job and innovation growth and human, natural and monetary capital investment. See below for items considered being added into the CEDS.
 Local Food/ Local Jobs
The growth of local food has several benefits. Economically, it reduces the cost of transportation of food products, increasing freshness, which impacts the value of the product. It provides possibilities for cultural niches to fill unmet demands. It creates direct and indirect jobs in the following occupations and industries:
| Growers |
Distributers |
| Processors |
Brokers |
| Chefs |
Community Development Organizations |
In the CEDS process, we will be asking the public: What can we do to ensure the citizens of the region have more access to local food while creating good-paying jobs and successful businesses?
 Downtown Revitalization
The Importance of downtowns lies in the fact that they usually are, or were, the core of the community. They provide a gathering place, a touch point of continuity through a community‘s history and can provide the community with a unified identity and community pride.
Whether revitalizing a once vibrant commercial district or developing a new community core from scratch, an active bustling civic core with multiple facilities, good infrastructure and well planned community events can:
- Increase the tax base
- Reestablish authentic character, connection and opportunity
- Remove blight (demoralizing visual deterioration), and
- Stimulate private investment, business retention and expansion, and job creation
In the CEDS process we will be asking the public: As a region, what can we do to return value to the core of our communities and encourage reinvestment in our downtowns?
 Enhancing International Economic Competitiveness
The GCEDD has conducted export workshops in the region at the request of the State in support of the Federal Administration's National Export Initiative. In todays economy, the Houston region has as much competition abroad as it does domestically specially in industries such as manufacturing, technology, health care and agriculture.
What can we add to the CEDS to further enhance the Houston region's predominance globally? |