219: The Economic Development Handbook We All Needed with Glenn Athey

About this episode

Dane Carlson interviews Dr. Glenn Athey about essential strategies for economic developers and insights from his handbook.

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 northeast 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. Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! 10 Actionable Takeaways for Economic Developers Keep a working reference shelf. Economic development is too broad to know everything cold. Have reliable resources you can dip into before meetings on unfamiliar topics. Read enough to participate intelligently. You do…

People in this episode

Host: Dane Carlson

Guest: Dr. Glenn Athey

Topics covered

• economic development
• strategy
• entrepreneurship
• sustainability
• regional development

Keywords

• economic development
• action-oriented strategies
• local capacity
• entrepreneurship support
• sustainability

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Local and Regional Economic Development Handbook

Places: northeast England

More episodes of Econ Dev Show Podcast - Economic Development

• 222: How Energy Is Changing Site Selection with Anna Cardona · June 8, 2026 · 28 min
• 221: Music as Economic Development with Matt Mandrella · June 1, 2026 · 35 min
• 220: The Hidden Cost of Becoming Cool with Jon Roberts · May 25, 2026 · 30 min
• 218: What Site Selectors Wish Economic Developers Understood with Mark Williams · May 11, 2026 · 27 min
• 217: Why Economic Development Fundraising Matters More Than Ever with Brian Abernathy and Clint Nessmith · May 4, 2026 · 27 min
• Why Economic Development Fundraising Matters More Than Ever with Brian Abernathy and Clint Nessmith · May 4, 2026 · 27 min