Collaboration
The Super Region
In today’s economy, political boundaries mean very little. Our region is defined by where we eat, shop, play, work and live not by defined by county or state borders. While we may live in Central Florida, our economic influence doesn’t stop at the state line. Instead, myregion.org research has given us a clearer picture of the “Super Region,” the area of the country where Central Floridians participate in most of their economic activity.
As you can see, what happens in the Central Florida region can have a profound effect on the entire state and in parts of southern Alabama and Georgia. Conversely, decisions made hundreds of miles away in other states can affect what’s happening in our hometown.
This economic interdependence is what myregion.org is all about. Public, private and institutional leaders can no longer think in terms of political jurisdictions. We are all connected – from Miami to Mobile – and we must consider the far-reaching effects of “local” decisions.
As a Super Region, we add a completely unique set of economic and environmental characteristics to the global economy. The Super Region’s miles and miles of sparkling coastline combine with natural wonders like the Florida Everglades, create an environmental setting unlike anything else in the world. These environmental assets contribute to the American tourism economy and provide opportunities for bio-technology and medical research. Seaports and spaceports abound in the Super Region, making this a key place to gather and distribute goods, people and resources. Combined with world-class tourism amenities, sports programs and transportation infrastructure, the Super Region is a very competitive center for global commerce.
But no individual state, county or city can do it alone. We must leverage the Super Region’s resources and work together to achieve economic success and raise the quality of life for everyone. That’s what myregion.org and the SourceBook are all about.
Central Florida’s Role in the Global Marketplace
As a united, seven-county region, Central Florida must now compete against similar regions around the world. This global competition is part of a New Economic Geography and the new Integrated Global Network as identified in the myregion.org SourceBook. The result is a fundamental change in Central Florida’s role in international commerce.
Evidence of this change is clear. At one time, Central Florida dominated the international market for space technology and tourism. But as the global economy changed, both of these industries spread to other emerging communities around the globe. Central Florida is still a leader, but our region faces increasing competition and decreasing market share every day. From the myregion.org catalog of maps, you can see the changing patterns for yourself.
To prosper in this new economy, we must pool our community’s resources in order to measure up against economic competitors that are larger and more well established. Throughout the myregion.org project, community leaders have repeated a phrase to sum-up the changing face of our economic competition: “It’s not Melbourne, its Munich . . . It’s not Tampa, its Tokyo!”
The seven-county region must combine all of its economic strengths to compete with major centers of commerce around the globe.
The goal of myregion.org is to help leaders from all corners of Central Florida come together to talk, share ideas, learn and strategize. Once the seven counties are working together, Central Florida will be able to leverage its strengths in space technology, tourism, bio-technology, research, emerging business development, sports and entertainment. As a united region, the opportunities for prosperity and success are endless.
The North American Trading Bloc
Prior to the Cold War, global trade was divided along political lines. Countries considered part of the Free World traded with each other, while those in the Communist Bloc did the same. But after the fall of communism, global trading patterns changed dramatically. Not only were the political lines completely redrawn, but advances in technology, communications and transportation came together to create an entirely new system of global trade.
Closer to home, the North American Trading Bloc was formalized by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The members of this bloc – Canada, the United States and Mexico – traded with each other as part of the Free World, but as global economic barriers began to fall, leaders of these countries recognized the need to work together to succeed in the new global economy.
The three nations broke down political obstacles to leverage the comparative advantages of each economy. Together, they were able to quickly become the dominant trading zone in the world – something none of the member-countries could have done alone.
The same principles govern myregion.org. What will Central Florida’s role be in the North American Trading Bloc? The economic features of one city or county alone are not enough, but Central Florida’s combined resources make it uniquely competitive with international centers of trade and commerce. Our region can increase its competitive edge around the world by working together. To realize this potential, public, private and institutional leaders must break down the political or jurisdictional barriers between them. myregion.org and the New Regional Agenda outlined in the Central Florida SourceBook are designed to help do just that.