It was an absolute pleasure to be a guest on Dane Carlson’s EconDevShow Podcast last week!

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show Dane Carlson talks with Dr. Glenn Athey, author of The Local and Regional Economic Development Handbook, about what economic developers actually need to know to move from strategy to delivery.

Glenn shares how growing up in North East England during de-industrialization shaped his interest in regional economic development, why he wrote the book he wishes he had at the start of his career, and how practitioners can use international case studies without simply copying someone else’s playbook.

The conversation covers action-oriented strategies, evidence that informs decisions instead of burying teams in data, the importance of local capacity, entrepreneurship support that prioritizes high-growth potential, and how sustainability can run through every part of economic development rather than sit off to the side.

You can listen to the episode here.