One for all: Regionalism, USA

By Tim Stuhldreher

If Pennsylvanians saw how well regionalism works elsewhere in the country, they'd realize how much they are missing out on, argues Alex Hartzler, managing partner of WCI Partners, a Harrisburg real estate development firm.
Charlotte, N.C., is one place that has been very smart in its regional thinking, he said. That has helped the Mecklenburg County city of 687,000 people become a thriving financial center and even attract two professional sports teams, the NFL's Carolina Panthers and the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats.

Charlotte has been thinking regionally for at least two decades, said Gina Howard, director of communications and public relations for the Charlotte Regional Partnership, a public-private economic development partnership.

The partnership originally was known as the Greater Charlotte Economic Development Council and was an arm of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, Howard said. In 1991, the council was relaunched as a regional marketing program covering 12 counties. The following year, it was renamed and became a standalone organization, she said.

Today, the partnership markets 12 North Carolina and four South Carolina counties to the world as a single unit under the brand "Charlotte USA," she said. Unified marketing materials, including a comprehensive Web site, offer companies considering relocation a vast wealth of business and demographic information.

"There's no gain in trying to compete against each other," she said. "As long as companies stay within our region, we win." More here.