The Best Practices in Economic Development and Land Use Program drives communities to pursue excellence in  economic development and land use practices and recognizes communities that have established best practices. The program can be used to engage community stakeholders in discussions about how to achieve higher standards and develop creative, community-specific ways to implement them. In 2019, The Connecticut Economic Development Association (CEDAS), the professional association of economic developers in Connecticut, in collaboration with the Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association (CCAPA) developed a certification program to encourage best practices in municipal economic development and land use to spur continuous improvement. In pursuit of these best practices, planners and economic developers can use this program to engage community stakeholders in discussions about how to achieve higher standards and develop creative, community-specific ways to implement them. The three goals of this program are to:

• Improve the overall quality of economic development services by creating process standards;
• Drive communities to pursue excellence in land use and economic development by recognizing communities with best practices
• Accelerate sharing of best practices among community decision-makers

Application information on the CEDAS website

Economic Development & Land Use Community Toolbox