ueda summit 2013 - awards of excellence - research & analysis - primacy of place™ initiative
DESCRIPTION
Ball State University’s Building Better Communities’ (BBC’s) Primacy of Place™Initiative is premised on the idea that a great state is comprised of great communities, and those communities can improve themselves in partnership with Ball State University. BBC has provided comprehensive services that take place in or for the benefit of community partners throughout the state of Indiana. These partnerships serve to engage university faculty, staff, and students in addressing a wide range of community challenges. Primacy of Place™ represents a community’s strategic choice to dedicate its resources toward placemaking and the improvement of life experiences for residents, businesses, and visitors. Today, the most successful communities are those that recognize the critical importance of human capital in order to compete effectively for economic development. Talent is the single most important element in local economic development, and we believe quality of place is the primary factor in a community’s ability to attract and retain talent. The ongoing activities of the Primacy of Place™Initiative include a community awards program to recognize successful community quality of place initiatives, a conference to bring together business, university, and civic leaders to discuss how quality of place contributes to economic prosperity, knowledge groups to identify intellectual and creative resources related to Primacy of Place‰ã¢, and best practice databases to make resources readily available. Read the Case Study: http://universityeda.org/value-to-members/best-practice-sharing/awards-of-excellence/awards-of-excellence-2013-finalists/primacy-of-place-initiative/TRANSCRIPT
Presentation to
University Economic Development AssociationPittsburgh - October 28, 2013
Primacy of Place Initiative
Dick Heupel, MA, CEcDBuilding Better Communities
Ball State University
Primacy of Place
Primacy of Place represents a
community’s strategic choice to
dedicate resources toward
placemaking and improvement
of life experiences for residents,
businesses, and visitors. Building Better Communities
Ball State University
Primacy of Place
Talent is the single most
important element in local
economic development, and
quality of place is a primary
factor in a community’s ability
to attract and retain talent.Building Better Communities
Ball State University
Primacy of Place
The most successful
communities are those that
recognize the critical
importance of human capital in
competition for highest value-
added economic development. Building Better Communities
Ball State University
Primacy of Place
Initiative Components:
• Community Awards Program
• Best Practices Databases
• Primacy of Place Conference
• Publications
Building Better Communities
Ball State University
Primacy of Place Activities
Community Awards ProgramTactical activity designed to:
Own the space
Generate Publicity
Gather intelligenceContribute toward knowledge baseThree communities awarded with
original artwork from university Department of Art
Building Better Communities
Ball State University
Primacy of Place Activities
Best Practices DatabasesStrategic initiative
Create and disseminate knowledge
Led by faculty and external partners
Supported by BBC staffPresented publicly at conference breakout sessions
Building Better Communities
Ball State University
Primacy of Place Activities
Best Practices Database TopicsArts IntegrationCommunity DesignCommunity Collaboration for
Educational ExcellenceCommunity Well-BeingMunicipal GovernanceCommunity Readiness for Change
Building Better Communities
Ball State University
Primacy of Place Activities
Municipal Governance Database Knowledge Group (KG) Leader: Dr.
Charles Taylor Extended KG members:Ian Nicolini, Town Manager,
Cedar LakeGrant Kleinhenz, Town Mgr,
BrownsburgLibrarian Joseph RobertsBBC support: Suzie Jones, Rose Wright
Building Better Communities
Ball State University
Primacy of Place Activities
Municipal Governance Database CategoriesCitizen and Community Engagement Strategic PlanningStrategic ManagementPerformance Measurement and ImprovementHigh Performance Human Resource
Development and Management
Community Collaboration
Building Better Communities
Ball State University
Municipal Governance
Building Better Communities
Ball State University
Primacy of Place
Conference:Presenters:
Fred Kent, Project for Public SpacesN. Thomas Linebarger, CEO, Cummins, Inc.Sue Ellspermann, Ph.D., Lieutenant
GovernorSheryl Conley, President, OrthoWorx Ball State Provost Terry King
Participants: 205Follow-up inquiries include Indiana Grantmakers
Alliance for presentation statewide.
Primacy of Place
Sample Publications:
White Paper:The Future of State and Local Economic Development Policy (Heupel and Hicks, 2012, 2013)
Cultural Tourism in Indiana: The Impact and Clustering of the Arts and Creative Sectors in this Recession (Hicks, 2009)
The Cultural Economy – Benefits, Challenges, and Plans (Fosnight, 2013)
The Causes of State Differences in Per Capita Income: How Does Indiana Fare? (Hicks, Devaraj, Faulk, Heupel, and Canaday, 2013)
Opinion-Editorials in every major Indiana newspaper
Primacy of Place
• Replicability: Size doesn’t matter! Universities, colleges, departments, and non-profits of
any size can study, teach, and engage in placemaking activities.
• Scalability: Bigger is better (for now)• Placemaking most commonly practiced in medium to large
cities, but a number of vibrant small communities serve as models for others.
Primacy of Place
• Sustainability: The Real ThingThe movement is real and here for the foreseeable future. Lack of institutional continuity and commitment is a risk.
• Originality: Value-addedBall State didn’t discover this phenomenon. Placemaking knowledge leaders are most commonly found in larger metropolitan areas and college/university towns. Ball State’s originality is its integrated approach to developing and disseminating knowledge broadly throughout the state through public research and engagement.
University Economic Development AssociationOctober 28, 2013
Ball State University + Economic Development