City: Richmond, VA
Economic Development - Public/Private Partnership - Central City
Date Published: October 2006

Richmond Renaissance is an organization created with the intentions of forming partnerships between corporations, cultural organizations, and public institutions to fully realize the redevelopment potential of the downtown Richmond area. Richmond Renaissance reports its mission to be a leader in building greater vitality in the Richmond Community, particularly downtown, through economic development.

City: St. Paul, MN
Economic Development - Public/Private Partnership - Downtown
Date Published: October 2006

"Everybody talks about public/private partnership - when it works very well, it is like a group of cyclists that ride together beautifully. But more often, because of fighting for territory or resources, it may end up a mess. It is a great challenge for any partnership, when the boundaries are undefined, the responsibility isn’t clear. How do you develop consensus, then marshal the resources to find a common goal, to get something done?" These were the words of Weiming Lu, before the Second International Urban Design Forum in Yokohama, Japan, 1998. As president of the Lowertown Redevelopment Corporation in St. Paul, Minnesota, Lu has had years of experience in the coordination of public/private ventures. The Lowertown Redevelopment Corporation is an organization focused on the revitalization of the Lowertown area while at the same time helping to retain a sense of place for the community.

City: Winston-Salem, NC
Economic Development - Community Development - Regional Cooperation
Date Published: October 2006

The Winston-Salem Alliance is an organization of Winston-Salem’s business community that aims to boost the city’s economic development. Its goal is to transform the area into a center for entrepreneurial development. It develops a focused action agenda and selects projects that have a positive impact on job creation and economic vitality of the community. All major corporations in the Winston-Salem area are involved in this organization to help move Winston- Salem forward, and sustain its future economic success.

City: Kansas City, MO
Leadership - Seniors - Regional Cooperation
Date Published: October 2006

The Silver-Haired Legislature serves the five Missouri counties of Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte, and Ray. The Legislature consists of an elected body of officials who are all at least 60 years of age. Voting occurs each year at the local Department of Senior Services senior centers. All residents of the five counties above age sixty are eligible to vote for the Silver-Haired Legislature. Each of the ten district Department of Senior Services centers elects three senators and twelve representatives. Once elected, the senators and representatives from each area center gather to ascertain the most important issues facing seniors in their area, and then draw up bills and resolutions addressing these issues.