PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission has been working to improve awareness to its Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. 

 

The CEDS committee has created a video, story map, and short summary plan to improve accessibility to the plan. 

 

Many residents are unlikely to read a document that is more than 100 pages so these resources make it easier for them to stay up to date on how the area will guide economic development strategy for the next five years. 

 

The committee worked with a Williams College student to create a Spanish translation, too.

 

The CEDS is a coordinated regional planning process that documents current economic conditions, identifies priority economic development projects, and sets goals and strategies over a five-year period. It was last updated in 2017.

 

Using the mapping software ArcGIS, they created a story map in an attempt to share "information with the public in a more visually engaging and user friendly way," said Laura Brennan, economic development program manager. 

 

This year's modern visual approach was inspired by other CEDS that BRPC reviewed and aimed to present information more concisely and in an engaging manner, Brennan said.

 

Using images provided by community partners including Berkshire United Way, Blackshires,

Latinas 413,Volunteers in Medicine, and many more were able to visually represent the CEDS goals. 

 

Committee Member Roger Bolton recommended getting college students from Berkshire Community College and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in the advertising of the CEDS. 

 

These community partners also participated in surveys, interviews, and discussions to help inform the CEDS contact, especially in regard to the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis and the Resiliency Planning chapter.

 

The committee announced that the U.S. Economic Development Administration quickly approved the CEDS. 

 

According to CEDS Chair Kyle Hanlon the EDA complemented the resiliency planning section of the CEDS. 

 

"Your approach to multifaceted regional resiliency is strongly representative of regional issues and the complexities involved in thoroughly addressing resiliency in a diverse region," Hanlon quoted EDA employee Deborah Bevan.

 

This year the CEDS committee expanded on the Economic Resiliency chapter determining ways that the region can  prevent, withstand, or quickly recover from "pandemic, natural disaster, or man-made attack that, under normal circumstances, would disrupt or devastate a region economically.

The CEDS determined that the region's diverse community, attractions, and educational institutions attract people to the area. 

 

In addition to that, the county's agricultural tradition contributes to the area's dairy and vegetable farms and economy. 

 

The historical properties have strong redevelopment potential and "major employers have come from sectors that are projected to grown over the next decade, among them Healthcare, Education, Advanced Manufacturing, and the Creative Economy/Arts," the story map said. 

 

Despite these strengths the county has had more people struggling physically, mentally, socially, and economically as a result of the pandemic. 

 

The CEDS demonstrated the need to increase production of affordable and market-rate housing. The area would attempt to do this by "renovating existing homes and building new and denser multi-family and multi-use properties."

 

In addition to that they seek to expand the availability of public transportation "so that people have a wider range of safe, affordable, environmentally-friendly options for daily travel." 

 

Many members praised the work that was put into the strategy commenting on how the organization may be what contributed to the quick approval. 

 

It also urges the area to advocate for living wages and help entrepreneurs get funding so they can grow or expand their business. 

 

The CEDS demonstrated the need to increase access to "reliable, high-speed broadband, especially for those who have been disadvantaged due to age, income, ability, or language."

 

Watch the CEDS trailer here and the ARCGIS story map here for more information on the CEDS efforts for the next five years.