A key point in the July 2012 PM cover story by author Gerald Gordon, “Lessons of Local Economies, What’s Obvious May Not Be,” is that local governments can recover from economic decline through coordinated, collaborative processes. Find out what he means, including more helpful lessons like these:

• The most successful communities are those that identified their best industry targets, created an environment conducive to their growth, and developed a strategic approach to pursuing the businesses that were most appropriate for their communities.
• Cities absolutely need to conduct regular, intense, and all inclusive strategic planning sessions for their futures. These exercises should include industry analyses, asset gap analyses, defined steps with assigned responsibilities for the research and outreach components, and measurable objectives for individual and collective performance.

Read the complete July PM, including the article published exclusively online, “Rejuvenating the Body Politic.”