North Dakota-based NewGeography.com releases 2009 list of Best U.S. Cities for Doing Business

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Lack of fast-growing economies anywhere in the country leads authors to label rankings as “least worst” rather than “best”

GRAND FORKS, ND — NewGeography.com released its annual list of the Best U.S. Cities for Doing Business today with the caveat that the rankings really should reflect the “least worst” places to do business (visit www.newgeography.com for the complete rankings, methodology and additional commentary). NewGeography.com is published by Delore Zimmerman, president Praxis Strategy Group, a Grand Forks-based community strategy and analysis company.

Lists from previous years included many fast-growing economies, according to NewGeography.com executive editor Joel Kotkin, who compiled the list along with Michael Shires, associate professor of public policy at Pepperdine University. “This year,” he notes, “you can barely find a fast-growing economy anywhere in this vast, diverse country. In 2008, two percent growth qualifies you as a veritable boomtown and anything approaching one percent seems something more than merely respectable.”

The NewGeography.com Best Cities list focuses on short- and long-term job growth. It reveals not just where jobs are being created—a sure sign of economic vitality—but also where the momentum is shifting. For entrepreneurs, this suggests what may be the best places to locate or expand your business. This year’s rankings were released in concert with Forbes.com.

“Lists like our Best Cities inventory provide valuable information to leaders in cities that make the list—and especially those who don’t, or who are categorized differently than they hoped,” says Zimmerman. “It permits them to gauge their local economy’s performance against hundreds of others across the nation. NewGeography.com provides a source of commentary and interaction for these leaders and economic development professionals to collaborate and strengthen their own areas.”

Launched in 2008, NewGeography.com is devoted to analysis, commentary and discussion about small towns, large cities and every other area where Americans live and work. Recent topics have included an analysis of America’s four great growth waves and the cities they produced, the Millennials first recession, Kansas City and the Great Plains as a zone of sanity, and a discussion of what urban success looks like.

“Each year, the Best Cities list is a fascinating project,” Zimmerman says. “It’s especially interesting to watch and analyze the ascendance of our home region as we work to help the local economy expand. NewGeography.com welcomes writing, thoughts on the site, and ideas for emerging themes in economic development, city demographics, and community leadership from everyone interested in economic development and public policy.”

New Geography.com is published by Praxis Strategy Group, a growth strategy company that works with communities, economic development groups, research and development organizations, and companies to develop and implement strategic initiatives and business ventures.

About NewGeography.com

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CONTACT:
RaeAnn McLean
Phone: 701-237-4850
Cell: 701-361-0719
Internet: www.praxissg.com