SCOPE of Edge's work
EDGE developed the scope and range of its work from research indicating that rural economic development projects often are too narrow in their target geographic area. Furthermore, emerging economic sectors must also build alliances and partnerships with regions already prospering in those sectors.
EDGE seeks to support economic sector alignment and to collaborate with places and organizations for mutual benefit, irrespective of partner site location on the East Coast. For example, Appalachian county McDowell County, WV is closer to Danville, VA (Southside Virginia) than it is to the Appalachian city of Pittsburgh. Why shouldn't it then partner with Danville, which is roughly along the same latitude and also seeking to reinvent itself? Or, with Winston-Salem, NC, a regional metropolitan draw from southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia for work, sales, and leisure?
Though working also in its founding local arena, EDGE cannot afford to become myopic neither in seeking nor applying research-based models or developing them. It thus seeks to adapt best practices and best programs from research-based models and on-the-ground projects that make a good fit for its economic sector aims.
EDGE is committed to economic sector push. It seeks to be extremely proactive in connecting to people and places that make sense in the triple bottom line (sustainable environment, profit, treating people well)...
EDGE seeks to support economic sector alignment and to collaborate with places and organizations for mutual benefit, irrespective of partner site location on the East Coast. For example, Appalachian county McDowell County, WV is closer to Danville, VA (Southside Virginia) than it is to the Appalachian city of Pittsburgh. Why shouldn't it then partner with Danville, which is roughly along the same latitude and also seeking to reinvent itself? Or, with Winston-Salem, NC, a regional metropolitan draw from southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia for work, sales, and leisure?
Though working also in its founding local arena, EDGE cannot afford to become myopic neither in seeking nor applying research-based models or developing them. It thus seeks to adapt best practices and best programs from research-based models and on-the-ground projects that make a good fit for its economic sector aims.
EDGE is committed to economic sector push. It seeks to be extremely proactive in connecting to people and places that make sense in the triple bottom line (sustainable environment, profit, treating people well)...
We Need to Rethink Rural Analysis and Cross-sections for Collaboration
The massive population and economic decline along the 36th parallel (roughly represented in this map) in the United States means that places and people in this very rural cross-section may have more in common with each other than those people and places have with other kinds of geographic cross-sections including points along this map. For example, if you start 40 miles south of Norfolk, VA and drive 10 hours west, Danville, Va is the only town that tops above what the US Census defines as rural. Cut this way, this is one of the most rural cross sections of the East. Why should not the people and places there have as much in common and face similar challenges of rural economic development? And, do this together?
EDGE is open to connecting to other places similarly affected by single sector economies whether that is in in highly extractive Appalachia, pine plantation and chicken house packed South Carolina, or emptied out fishing towns in Maine.
Together, in regional and wider collaborations, mutual investigations, knowledge sharing, and partnerships, we can work together for a truly “greater” East.
The massive population and economic decline along the 36th parallel (roughly represented in this map) in the United States means that places and people in this very rural cross-section may have more in common with each other than those people and places have with other kinds of geographic cross-sections including points along this map. For example, if you start 40 miles south of Norfolk, VA and drive 10 hours west, Danville, Va is the only town that tops above what the US Census defines as rural. Cut this way, this is one of the most rural cross sections of the East. Why should not the people and places there have as much in common and face similar challenges of rural economic development? And, do this together?
EDGE is open to connecting to other places similarly affected by single sector economies whether that is in in highly extractive Appalachia, pine plantation and chicken house packed South Carolina, or emptied out fishing towns in Maine.
Together, in regional and wider collaborations, mutual investigations, knowledge sharing, and partnerships, we can work together for a truly “greater” East.