Long-term strategies aim to keep Fort Collins vibrant

Fort Collins is in an enviable position of consistently being one of the “best” and “top” cities in the country. We have been recognized for creating and sustaining jobs and economic growth and named a top region for business and careers. These accolades address quality of life as much as they address business: We’ve also been recognized as one of the best towns in America and one of the top bicycling communities.

There’s a reason people come to Fort Collins and stay. Our unique character is a major driver of our economy, making maintenance and enhancement of that economy one of our biggest challenges.

With the leadership of our mayor and City Council, we are facing this challenge by encouraging a sustainable economy, which is why the city recently updated its Economic Health Strategic Plan. First adopted in 2012, the updated plan is intended to reflect the city’s commitment to the triple bottom line as well as emerging challenges such as workforce demographic shifts and community buildout. The plan is intended to complement our existing strategic outcome for economic health: to promote a healthy, sustainable economy reflecting community values.

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To that end, the new Economic Health Strategic Plan introduces five themes around which to organize the city’s economic health activities:

• Community Prosperity

• Grow Our Own

• Place Matters

• The Climate Economy

• Think Regionally

This is an unusual economic-development approach compared with other communities in Colorado and around the country. Each of these strategies will require long-term commitment. While this plan is expected to serve the community for the next five years, it is a living document and will be updated as needed. The full plan is available online at www.fcgov.com/business.

Community Prosperity

The vision for Community Prosperity is that we ensure that employment opportunities exist across income and education/skill spectrums. The city isn’t providing those jobs; we merely are supporting an atmosphere where a skilled workforce meets the needs of local employers through partnerships with economic-development organizations and educational institutions.

Grow Our Own

This strategy supports the innovation economy that continues to gain us national attention, most recently with the “Places of Invention” exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution. Our economy should continue to foster development of new and creative industries. The city, again working with its community and business partners, can help identify barriers for entrepreneurs, targeted industry clusters and other areas of innovation. At the city, our strategy is to build a support system for human capital so we can nurture talents and keep that capital in the community.

Place Matters

One of the biggest challenges facing the community is maintaining the sense of place that we love through balancing the built and natural environment. Important community assets – such as the Poudre River, a top-notch downtown and our vast trails, open spaces and parks – help create the quality of place that supports a vibrant economy.

Climate Economy

Rising temperatures and impacts on clean air and water quality associated with climate change have presented some significant challenges in recent years – challenges that businesses are beginning to recognize and evaluate. At the core of this strategy is building in resilience to climate change to help businesses stay in our community and leverage the community’s aggressive carbon reduction goals to develop new technologies.

Think Regionally

Economic issues do not respect city boundaries. Job growth, workforce talent, housing affordability and transportation are among the issues that need solutions on a regional level. The vision of our mayor and City Council, the city’s Executive Leadership Team and the Economic Health Office builds strong relationships with our counterparts in other communities to open dialogue and find effective solutions that benefit the entire region.

The city has a role in all of these strategies. In some cases, we’re leading, and others are at the table in a partnership or collaboration role. In other cases, we’re a convener, pulling people together to engage in dialogue. Working together with the community and regional partners leads to great things for Fort Collins. We hope you’ll get engaged and help us keep Fort Collins a great community.

Darin Atteberry is Fort Collins’ city manager.