Forum looks at jobs, growth
POMONA - Where products are delivered, where people shop and how far employers must go to work were some of Parris Glendening's key points during a forum at Cal Poly Pomona on Tuesday.
The former governor of Maryland discussed what other cities and states are doing to promote jobs and sustainable neighborhoods at a one-day conference.
The conference - led by Mike Woo, the dean of the university's College of Environmental Design - brought together about 30 top minds from the country and state who are elected and appointed public officials, business and community leaders, academic and land-use professionals to discuss the future of the two regions as well the economic growth of the nation.
The former governor of Maryland discussed what other cities and states are doing to promote jobs and sustainable neighborhoods at a one-day conference.
The conference - led by Mike Woo, the dean of the university's College of Environmental Design - brought together about 30 top minds from the country and state who are elected and appointed public officials, business and community leaders, academic and land-use professionals to discuss the future of the two regions as well the economic growth of the nation.
"The key for cities and need for regions of all sizes to remain competitors in a global economy today is by recognizing that 'place' is the greatest asset communities leader have to offer business and their valuable employees," said Glendening, the president of the Smart Growth Leadership Institute, which helps state and local leaders design and implement smart-growth strategies, according to its website.
In a global economy, businesses can be anywhere they want, Glendening said.
In a three-year-old statistic that Glendening shared with the group, 40 percent of college graduates in the United States picked where they want to live first then looked for a job in that area.
"When I was in college, I went where the jobs were," he said. "It's no longer about what jobs are in that area ... regions all over the country have their own ideas for sustainable communities. They are clamoring to jump start their communities by attracting private-sector investments through effective land use and transportation."
The words "sustainability" and "green" were frequently used throughout the event.
"You can't be economically sustainable with thinking of the environment, and you can't think about the environment with dealing and thinking about job and the impacts related to that," Woo said.
The goal of the conference, Woo said, was to start thinking bigger in terms of the future of the region and discuss global issues.
"It's a conversation and a starting point. There seems to be an interest especially with joint focus on the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley, which we think is going to be increasingly interconnected," Woo said.
In a global economy, businesses can be anywhere they want, Glendening said.
In a three-year-old statistic that Glendening shared with the group, 40 percent of college graduates in the United States picked where they want to live first then looked for a job in that area.
"When I was in college, I went where the jobs were," he said. "It's no longer about what jobs are in that area ... regions all over the country have their own ideas for sustainable communities. They are clamoring to jump start their communities by attracting private-sector investments through effective land use and transportation."
The words "sustainability" and "green" were frequently used throughout the event.
"You can't be economically sustainable with thinking of the environment, and you can't think about the environment with dealing and thinking about job and the impacts related to that," Woo said.
The goal of the conference, Woo said, was to start thinking bigger in terms of the future of the region and discuss global issues.
"It's a conversation and a starting point. There seems to be an interest especially with joint focus on the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley, which we think is going to be increasingly interconnected," Woo said.
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