Lake Erie West

Web site: LakeErieWest.org

Lake Erie West, a regional organization, is a catalyst for both the public and private sectors to assist in sponsoring, promoting, and implementing a myriad of projects and events that promote the region. What for years we have laboriously been calling Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan...now has an identity Lake Erie West!

Lake Erie West Projects???

LEW boundary Definition

A time-based strategy, the epicenter of Lake Erie West is the crossroads of America - the intersection of I-75 and I-80/90 (the nation's busiest), and the region includes everything within a one-hour drive from that center.¹

This unified regional identity transcends all geographical boundaries, uniting communities within the region in a way not otherwise possible. It allows the best in strategic public/private partnerships by encouraging a joint effort, free to operate across political and geographic boundaries.

Lake Erie West does not compete with any local economic interest in the region. Rather, it supports those efforts and serves as a liaison and an umbrella marketing tool to heighten and enhance the visibility, both directly and indirectly, of the cultural, education, economic, and recreational activities of all communities.²

Advantages

Sustainable competitive features of the Lake Erie West region :

• Time - At the crossroads of the two most heavily traveled roads in North America: I-80/90 and I-75.

• Education - 33 colleges and universities within a one-hour drive.

• Fresh Water - 18% of the world's fresh water supply.

• Transportation - Four international airports within a one-hour drive.

• Market Access - The center of a one-day drive, which reaches 50% of the population of both the U.S. and Canada.

Long Term Goals

• Reinforcing and promoting an effective global identity for our region.
• Producing regional marketing umbrella programs recognizing the cultural, educational, and business assets and resources of the region.
• Build a positive attitude among Lake Erie West residents and encourage them to adopt the regional identity.²

Short Term Goals

• Creating and launching a global marketing strategy.
• Expanding our existing Sister Region relationship and developing new ones.
• Encouraging businesses with global markets to become members.
• Establishing a clearing house for information for business and tourism.
• Implementing an umbrella marketing strategy to create more materials and events.
• Promoting and supporting the arts and culture.
• Encouraging a synergy and partnership between businesses and the region.²

LEW Articles

• 1993 Toledo Technical Topics: Another Story That Should Knock Your Socks Off
• Technical Society of Toledo: The Midwest's New England
• 2005 Toledo City Paper: Open for Business
• Flags Fly in Support of Regional Identity

Dan Johnson Thoughts

Toledo Free Press opinions by Dan Johnson president emeritus and university professor of Public Policy and Economic Development at the University of Toledo :

• Jun 8, 2007 - Universities are key to revitalizing local economy
• Aug 3, 2007 - Regional economic development: Are we playing defense or offense?
• Aug 31, 2007 - Ensuring Toledo's role in the global economy
• Sep 28, 2007 - Sensing collaborative momentum in Toledo
• Jan 4, 2008 - Toledo 2020: Engaging future stakeholders
• Jan 25, 2008 - Meta-Planning: Taking Toledo and Lake Erie West to a new level
• Mar 7, 2008 - Another look at regional development
• Mar 14, 2008 - P.S. … On regional development
• Aug 29, 2008 - Meta-Plan momentum must grow

Discussions

2009

• Jun 8, 2009 - Bad idea proposed by Teamwork Toledo

2008

• Mar 19, 2008 - Lake Erie West Economic Development Report Card
• Jan 26, 2008 - Toledo won't contribute to LCIC

2007

• Dec 7, 2007 - Meta-Plan workshop spotlights regionalism
• Aug 9, 2007 - Good Jobs in Monroe - (monroetalks.com)
• Jul 9, 2007 - Hildo looks to unigov to solve Toledo's problems
• May 7, 2007 - Commissioner Konop to Challenge Status Quo of Government Center with Regionalism and Efficiency Mission
• Apr 15, 2007 - Lake Erie West Spring Meeting
• Mar 29, 2007 - Buy local via Frogtown Dollars
• Mar 12, 2007 - Bridging the Divide

2006

• Dec 11, 2006 - The TARTA bus stops in Perrysburg
• Oct 26, 2006 - Brookings Institute to Toledo Leaders: No more rustbelt thinking
• Jul 11, 2006 - Google coming to Ann Arbor
• Jul 6, 2006 - Toledo Talk Poll: Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority
• Jun 29, 2006 - Criticism of state spending
• Jun 21, 2006 - Toledo & Ohio Shrink; When Will Our Government?
• May 16, 2006 - Regional development conferences
• Apr 11, 2006 - The truth about brain drain
• Apr 10, 2006 - Making Unigov Lemonade From Toledo Lem(m)on

2005

• Sep 13, 2005 - Local business news
• Jul 24, 2005 - Regional or Uni-Gov information help
• Jul 23, 2005 - Regionalism Rules
• Jul 22, 2005 - Regionalism vs. Politics---one more time
• Jul 17, 2005 - Between the years 2000 and 2004, Ohio ranked 49th out of 50 states in job creation
• Jul 8, 2005 - Economic development ideas
• Jun 7, 2005 - Carty Must be Rolling Over in His Grave
• Jun 6, 2005 - Let's Forget The Titanic and Concentrate On The Albatross
• May 2, 2005 - Biotech Blvd.
• Apr 21, 2005 - Support for regionalism
• Mar 25, 2005 - Market demands regionalism
• Feb 26, 2005 - Regionalism vs Unigov

2004

• Mar 4, 2004 - First 'unigov' summit held
• Feb 22, 2004 - The Blade wants uni-gov

2003

• Dec 3, 2003 - Why move a business to the burbs
• Nov 25, 2003 - Regionalism Smegionalism... What's REALLY going on?

Google search of Toledo Talk.

Regionalism vs Unigov

There is confusion about what constitutes regionalism as opposed to unigov. Unigov is easier to define: It is a combination of City/County Govt. It has been successful in places like Indianapolis, which is located in the center of Indiana.

Regionalism, in most cases, involves more than one county. Silicon Valley is a region. New England is a region. The Research Triangle is a region, consisting of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. In Ohio, Cincinnati has been a successful region that includes parts of Kentucky and southeast Indiana. Globally it identifies itself as Cincinnati,USA.⁴

Meetings

Lake Erie West Meeting Notes 28-Apr-2008
Lake Erie West Planning Session Agenda 6-Jun-2008

Map

Click to enlarge map

Formula for Change

{{Formula for Change}}³

Report Card

Lake Erie West Economic Development Report Card⁵

References

¹ LakeErieWest.org Web site

² Lake Erie West brochure

³ Formula for Change article included into this page.

⁴ Feb 26, 2005 Toledo Talk thread titled Regionalism vs Unigov

⁵ Mar 5, 2008 Toledo City Paper article