The One Region Strategy
launched in 2016.
This is an archived page.

What is One Region?

One Region serves as a roadmap for our community now and into the future. It is a values-based, global competitiveness strategy for the three-county Charleston region.

Launched in 2016 and informed by a diverse range of public, private, nonprofit, and educational leaders, the strategy calls for thinking and acting as a unified region in order to become a globally competitive place where all people and businesses flourish.

Being globally competitive requires that we invest in our region, as much as we promote to the outside world. With a strong economy and tremendous momentum, it is essential to address the challenges that come with fast-paced job creation and ensure they do not derail future economic opportunities for all. The strategy places Charleston on track to accomplish the vision of being a truly global community, embodying the attributes of the world’s most compelling places.

Strategic Planning Process

The strategic planning process took six months to complete and resulted in three in-depth reports:

– Competitive Assessment: provides a detailed evaluation of the region’s competitive strengths and areas for improvement

– Target Industry Clusters and Competencies: identifies the target audiences of economic development activities and community enhancements for the next five years

– Strategic Action Plan: provides a vision, goals, and detailed tactics for addressing critical community challenges, advancing target clusters and competencies, and coordinating activities so we act as One Region to achieve the community’s vision

The Strategy

ONE REGION VISION:

To act as a unified region to be a globally competitive place where people and businesses flourish.

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One Region is built on four shared, regional values:

OUR REGION VALUES A STRONG, RESILIENT ECONOMY.
  • Strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem
  • Nourish the health of existing businesses
  • Target investments that fuel the dynamism of the region’s high impact cluster ecosystem
OUR REGION VALUES ATTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL RESIDENTS TO LIVE, LEARN AND EARN.
  • Ensure all residents have access to high quality learning opportunities from Pre-K through higher education
  • Align education with career pathways in support of the region’s high impact clusters
  • Adopt smart policies and practices that ensure having a home is attainable for all
OUR REGION VALUES BALANCING GROWTH WITH NURTURING OUR UNIQUE CHARACTER.
  • Ensure that creative and cultural organizations can continue to prosper in the region
  • Adopt a cohesive, regional approach to planning for the natural environment
  • Focus employment centers in proximity to population centers
OUR REGION VALUES BEING A CONNECTED COMMUNITY.
  • Invest in infrastructure that connects the region in a balanced, efficient manner
  • Amplify our communications with each other and the rest of the world
  • Improve our understanding of and adaptability to global dynamics

Addressing the global dynamics identified in the One Region strategy requires a regional, collective response, working together across public, private, academic, and non-profit sectors.