THEREGIONAL BLUEPRINT FORMICHIGAN’S ECONOMICSUCCESS
GuidingPrinciples forEconomicDevelopmentPolicies
ConsistencyandCredibility: Develop a predictable, well-funded, long-term vision, avoiding sudden policy shifts that erode Michigan’s reputation as a trusted partner and negatively impact long-term planning and decision-making among in-state partners and expanding businesses.
BenchmarkingCompetitors: The Detroit Region faces global competition for jobs, talent, and investment. Michigan must keep pace by refining policies and programs with the evolving needs of businesses, residents, and communities.
BalancedStrategies: Infrastructure, quality of life, and business growth are all essential to Michigan’s success—as we work to update our economic development policies, we must work to limit pitting one priority against another and strike a balance between people, places AND projects.
RegionalCollaboration: Local economic development leaders are essential partners in shaping and implementing effective statewide policy. With deep community insight and continuity across administrations, they are on the front lines ensuring programs and projects succeed on the ground.
TargetedToolsforGrowth: Our coalition believes that impactful programs delivering measurable results should be prioritized, including performance-based incentives (e.g., Good Jobs replacement), streamlining brownfield redevelopment processes, expanding site readiness efforts, and supporting innovation hubs and startup ecosystems.
The Detroit Regional Partnership (DRP) is the economic development agency for the 11-county Detroit Region—home to 348 municipalities and 5.4 million residents. DRP’s mission is to drive transformative job growth by attracting nextgeneration companies, jobs, and technologies. Its 10year goal (2020–2029) is to create 50,000 new jobs and generate $10 billion in investment.
DRP also convenes the region’s lead economic development agencies to align priorities, coordinate services, share best practices, and identify common policy goals. This effort has culminated in the formation of the SoutheastMichiganEconomic DevelopmentCoalition.