TITLE
Recommendation to approve the City’s Draft Blueprint for Economic Development to guide the City’s overall economic development work plan for the next ten years. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
At the request of Mayor Robert Garcia, the Economic & Property Development Department worked with the Economic Development Commission (Commission) to prepare a Draft Blueprint for Economic Development (Blueprint) to define priorities that lead to the creation of businesses, well-paying jobs, and economic inclusion for all residents. The Blueprint was developed through a collaborative process that included a detailed economic analysis by Beacon Economics, stakeholder interviews, and public study sessions with industry experts.
The Commission held a total of 13 study sessions, between October 18, 2016 and February 28, 2017, to review reports, receive presentations, and receive input from industry leaders in the areas of the creative economy, development environment, business licensing, workforce development, international trade, economic inclusion, and infrastructure. Additionally, City staff presented and solicited input at community meetings, attended events focused on local and regional economic development to learn about best practices, and reviewed other local and regional strategic plans for economic development to inform the planning process. An online discussion thread was also created to solicit public input for the Blueprint using the City’s online community engagement portal Speak Up, Long Beach.
The goal of the Blueprint is to advance the vision of Long Beach as a “city of opportunity for workers, investors, and entrepreneurs.” The policy recommendations embraced in the Blueprint layout the broad focus areas that will drive economic growth over the next ten years, including key industry clusters and emerging sectors, economic inclusion, workforce development, business assistance, the development environment, quality of life, and economic cooperation.
If the B...
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