Cincinnati breaking into 'new economy'
- By Dibya Sarkar
- Oct 10, 2000
Trying to get on the fast track of the "new economy," a team of Cincinnati
business and nonprofit leaders, educators and city council members is trying
to promote greater high-tech growth and more digital government.
To top off a 10-week brainstorming project called Fast Break into the New
Economy, the 16-member group plans to hold an interactive digital public
hearing in a live Webcast, 4 p.m. Wednesday at
www.cincinnatifastbreak.com.
"We applied the principles of the new economy — where speed is king — and
wanted to infuse that sense of urgency into the city of Cincinnati," said
Johnathan Holifield, a project member and the vice president of the Greater
Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce.
Although the city, with a population of 1.2 million in the metro area, has
a Silicon Valley of sorts called the Digital Rhine, Holifield said the city
has to foster more growth through promotion and develop a high-tech workforce
from within.
In the short term, he said, the city could streamline its permit process
to encourage greater growth of technology companies. In the long term, he
said, the city should develop a workforce through its public and technical
schools and universities. Holifield also said city government needs to develop
more electronic services to interact more efficiently with constituents.
"Some basic services are online, but it's nowhere near where it wants to
be," he said.
The group plans to unveil a final report before the first week of November.