A Pittsburgh consulting firm has begun a study aimed at boosting regional economies in Indiana.
At Governor Pence‘s request, legislators this year called for a study comparing regional cities in Indiana to similar regions in other states, then examining what the comparable cities have done to spur economic development and looking for patterns which might be duplicated here.
Indiana Economic Development Corporation president Eric Doden says the legislation didn‘t specify which cities to study, or which clusters of cities constitute a region.
He says local officials have done some of that work themselves by opting into the study, and in some cases by partnering with nearby communities.
"We want to have more of a situation where multiple cities would engage in the planning process, fully understanding that some of them will engage more than others." says Doden.
The study will be finished this fall.