Economic initiative focuses on population growth in Indiana

While that addition of nearly 500,000 new Hoosiers might seem significant, it's not enough to keep pace with the rest of the U.S. population, which has grown 12 percent during the same period of time. Another concern is that 80 percent of Indiana's population growth has come from the difference between births and deaths as opposed to people from other places moving here.

"What that effectively means is we're a store with no new customers," Eric Doden, president of the IEDC, said Friday.

That's why the IEDC, through its Regional Cities Initiative, is urging communities throughout the state to brainstorm projects that will improve quality of life and attract new residents. The state agency's goal is for Indiana's population to reach 9 million in the next decade.

About 200 business leaders from the Michiana region attended the IEDC's presentation on the initiative Friday at the Hilton Garden Inn near Saint Mary's College. They heard stories about 11 places as diverse as Denver, Durham, N.C., and Manhattan, Kan., that have transformed their regions by finding ways for neighboring communities to cooperate with each other on economic development.