LA County Creates First-Ever Strategic Plan for Economic Development

The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) recently facilitated the development of Los Angeles County's first-ever, consensus Strategic Plan for Economic Development.

The five-year L.A. County Strategic Plan, which was unanimously adopted by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on December 22nd, was developed through a very public, year-long, grassroots process that brought together over 1,050 stakeholders from business, government, labor, education, environmental and other community-based organizations to identify and build consensus around a set of economic development priorities to strengthen the economy, improve the environment and promote shared prosperity across all our communities.

The result of this very public, consensus-building process was a community-developed plan with 12 objectives and 52 strategies identified to achieve five core aspirational goals critical to ensuring a strong, diverse and sustainable economy for L.A. County's residents and communities: 1) Prepare an Educated Workforce, 2) Create a Business-Friendly Environment, 3) Enhance our Quality of Life, 4) Implement Smart Land Use policies, and 5) Create 21st Century Infrastructure.

Since its completion, the Plan has generated progressively more interest and wide-ranging support locally and up-and-down the state. Implementation for the Plan is currently underway and the LAEDC continues to leverage and broaden the consensus developed during the plan's formation in order to ensure that the plan has maximum impact as we all come together to implement its strategies and objectives. In doing so, the Gateway Cities, San Gabriel Valley, South Bay Cities and Westside Cities Councils of Governments, representing 79 of L.A. County's 88 cities have all expressed their unanimous endorsement of the Plan and, just la few weeks ago, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted (14-0) to support the Plan as well.

We encourage you read the Strategic Plan, express your formal endorsement for the Plan, educate others about the importance of the Plan and advocate for the Plan's implementation by writing or calling your local elected official and urge them to create a policy environment that supports the Plan. For more information or to find out how you can get involved, visit www.LACountyStrategicPlan.com