Forum:  To Win, SC Leaders Must Work Together

 

South Carolina leaders must work together to promote and protect our neighborhoods, conserve our environment, and sustain our economic growth.  That’s the message approximately 50 Midlands business, political and community leaders heard Tuesday at a Mayors’ Forum on Regional Planning hosted by the South Carolina District Council of the Urban Land Institute (ULI South Carolina).

 

Former Pittsburgh mayor Thomas Murphy told attendees that regional collaboration is essential in today’s global economy. Murphy is Senior Resident Fellow, ULI/Klingbeil Family Chair for Urban Development, ULI-the Urban Land Institute.  The success of any given region, Murphy said, depends on that region’s ability to address growth-related issues such as economic diversity, environmental sustainability, integrated land use and transportation systems.

 

Following Murphy’s presentation, a panel of Midlands business and elected leaders discussed ways to foster cooperation.  Topics included how job creation strategies blend with city revitalization initiatives, what demographic changes mean for development, how to improve infrastructure as well as what challenges and opportunities are on the horizon.

 

“Without extensive cooperation from key decision-makers from the Upstate, Midlands and the Lowcountry, we wouldn’t have BMW, Michelin or Boeing,” said Leighton Lord, Nexsen Pruet attorney who moderated the forum. “Competition for economic development is intense between Southeastern states, so South Carolina’s regions must be united in order to win.  This forum helps leaders realize our common goal – to make the Palmetto State as prosperous as possible.”

 

The day closed with an introduction of ULI Midlands Reality Check, a collaborative process which brings together leaders from across the region to envision how they want the area to grow. ULI South Carolina and key partners will work to implement the ULI Midlands Reality Check in late 2012.

 

About the Urban Land Institute

The Urban Land Institute (www.uli.org) is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the Institute has some 28,000 members representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines.