2009 Emerging Issues Forum -- February 9 & 10           

On February 9-10, IEI hosted the 2009 Emerging Issues Forum Changing Landscapes: Building the Good Growth State? at the Raleigh Convention Center. The 2009 IEI Forum was part of IEI's latest program of work on growth and infrastructure.

Forum speakers challenged attendees to reconsider how we build to accommodate our growing population, and the audience wrestled with nortions of what "good growth" means in the different regions of North Carolina. The Forum posed questions related to how we prepare our state to be resilient against the external pressures of rising energy costs, inevitable cyclical financial downturns and the effects of natural disasters.

In particular, Senator Chis Dodd and a panel comprised of members of North Carolina's Congressional Delegation spoke directly to immediate concerns of declining resources available to confront critical infrastructure needs, and sought to determine how a federal investment surge in infrastructure might fuel much-needed job creation and private investment in the state.

This year's Forum used survey technology to ask questions of the audience, the responses we collected are posted here. You can also listen to our Forum speakers and panelists by visiting our Look & Listen page.

The annual Institute for Emerging Issues Forum is IEI’s signature event at which leaders from around the state, the country and the world convene to discuss and debate the challenges that we face.  This is an opportunity for IEI to present to North Carolina its work thus far and to obtain feedback and further direction from the audience of over 1000 people.