I met a few weeks back with a group of people trying to figure out strategies for developing the life sciences industry in Indiana. One of the ideas that came out was getting a better understanding of what has worked well in the past or elsewhere in different spaces, and one of the key ideas was understanding how and why the Indianapolis sports strategy was so successful. As a bit of a history lesson, back in the 1970's the city of Indianapolis decided that it wanted to try to make sports, specifically amateur sports at the time, a pillar of … [Read more...]
Archives for 2008
Cincinnati: A Midwest Conundrum
I recently had the privilege of spending a couple of days in Cincinnati. As always, I was completely blown away by all the great things this city has. There is simply not a city in the Midwest apart from Chicago that has anything near the great assets of Cincy. It is an embarrassment of riches. Yet, I'm always befuddled as well as I puzzle a great conundrum: if Cincinnati is so great, how come it isn't the San Francisco of the Midwest instead of a typical, modestly stagnated Midwestern city? I don't profess to have the answers, but it just … [Read more...]
Review: Caught in the Middle by Richard C. Longworth
Caught in the Middle by Richard C. Longworth, formerly a foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune, paints a picture of a Midwest ravaged by globalization and unable to adapt to the future. As he puts it, “The first task is to tell the truth, that the Midwest’s golden era is gone forever. Much of the Midwest is in denial. It will take courageous leadership to speak the truth.” (255). Longworth’s view is sort of a cross between “The World is Flat” and “What’s the Matter with Kansas?”His thesis: globalization has permanently destroyed the … [Read more...]