Strategic Economic Development Action Plan
County of Berks
Economic Strategy
Berks County engaged Fourth Economy to prepare an Economic Development Action Plan (EDAP), known as IMAGINE Berks. The county sought a process that would engage multi-municipal partners, key stakeholders, and residents from across the county to identify strategic priorities to optimize the county’s ability to retain and attract businesses, workforce, and investment to improve economic prosperity.
Our Approach
Fourth Economy collaborated with the County of Berks economic development team, a broader planning team of leaders from economically-oriented agencies and partner organizations, and the county’s elected officials on an in-depth economic analysis, strong community engagement, and the development of tailored strategies. Our work included extensive stakeholder, resident community organization engagement, and quantitative analysis of industry growth, workforce trends, educational attainment, small business and entrepreneurship, land use, and infrastructure. Fourth Economy also engaged two partners: Connect the Dots for community engagement and the Center for Regional Analysis at the Economic Development Company of Lancaster County for economic analysis. A public-facing website, developed by Fourth Economy, provided strategic updates to residents, stakeholders, and plan investors to generate interest, share insights, and ensure transparency.
The Results
IMAGINE Berks is a comprehensive plan that identifies key principles to guide investments and action steps, outlining.six priority areas with goals, strategies, and metrics to drive implementation, community ownership, and accountability. A presentation was developed to communicate the plan’s contents to the community in a clear and accessible format. The plan’s public-facing website will remain active, providing access to the full plan and updates on related activities from the County of Berks.
Location
Berks County, PA