What Columbia is doing right & what can be improved upon

[SCxpBrussel]

Krazeeboi, you summed up my sentiments much more eloquently than I could. Thank you.

Do you have a link to a source about the top 25 domestic migration ranking?

[krazeeboi]

The statistics can be found here. Someone on another forum did the rankings and Columbia came in like 22nd or 23rd nationally.

[krazeeboi]

Here's an article that summarizes a report that was done for Greenville but includes information on Charleston, Columbia, and other regional cities that I think helps shed some light on where Columbia stands now in relation to its peer cities. It effectively demolishes the unfounded statement that was made earlier that "Columbia has been steadily falling behind economically every peer city for the past 25 years." I suppose one would believe that if all you went by were announcements for new manufacturing jobs, and even though it would be nice for Columbia to land a big manufacturing facility, Columbia just isn't that type of town. The city already has established economic clusters that aren't touted that much, like health information technology. As this article, that speculates about Columbia's economic future, states:

[There are] an estimated 7,000 to 9,000 people in the Midlands who work in the field of health information technology. Those people are employed by 38 local companies.

It's a work force segment that has been overshadowed by the city's reputation as a government town and the high-profile push for hydrogen research and jobs.

Columbia has the nation's fourth-highest concentration of professionals who specialize in insurance technology, said Lonnie Emard, executive director of the Consortium for Enterprise Systems Management, a local group that is promoting the information technology field throughout the Southeast.

These are the types of jobs that quietly expand and add jobs without announcements from the state department of commerce accompanied with lots of fanfare. Don't get me wrong--Columbia could use a few of those economic developments also, and needs to work aggressively to get them. But just as important as luring new businesses is cultivating existing businesses, and Columbia doesn't always get the credit it deserves in that area.

[CorgiMatt]

Actually I read those articles a little while back and posted them on some other message board. Thank you for reminding me of the good news and helping put Columbia in the spotlight in a positive way. Let's be on the lookout for Columbia forum intruders trying to harm the Capital City's image, as so often happens on these boards, by trying to negate this encouraging information.

[growingup15]

The Bus system they are trying to keep it up right now but i see something that can help it in the long run. i think if this state brings back Video poker part of that money can be used to Fund the bus system and possible Rail transit. thats what i think is what can be improved.

[goodbye]

Columbia's Waverly Community Neighborhood Association and Richland County have been nominated as finalists for the Neighborhoods USA (NUSA) 2011 'Neighborhood of the Year Awards' and the 'Best Neighborhood Program Awards', which will be presented at the 33rd NUSA Conference on Neighborhood Concerns, May 25–28 in Anchorage, Alaska.

The Waverly Community Neighborhood Association was nominated in the “Multi-Neighborhood Partnership Projects” category for the Waverly Neighborhood Revitalization. Richland County was also nominated in the “2011 Best Neighborhood Program Award” category for the Broad River Road Corridor and Community Master Plan.

Source: http://midlandsbiz.com/articles/7666/