COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Region | 2023-2028

Prepared for the Economic Development Agency by the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments

The Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester (BCD) Region*, named for the three counties that make up the area, represents a diverse mix of communities, cities, towns and varied economies that all contribute to the continued rapid growth of the area. According to the Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA) an estimated 30+ new residents move to the Region every day.1

The BCD Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) will guide effective economic development in the region through “a locally-based, regionally-driven economic development planning process.” The idea of the CEDS was created by the Economic Development Agency (EDA) in order to “successfully serve as a means to engage community leaders, leverage the involvement of the private sector and establish a strategic blueprint for regional collaboration.”2 With a focus on establishing a “strategydriven plan” to aid in the prosperity of the region, the CEDS also promotes economic resiliency, which will aid in addressing future downturns and natural disasters.

Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments (BCDCOG)

The BCDCOG is the regional government that facilitates coordination, cooperation and implementation across multiple jurisdictions in the tri-county area. Local governments in Berkeley and Charleston Counties first created a Regional Planning Commission in 1968 to encourage a regional approach to issues. Dorchester County government elected to join the Commission three years later. In 1976, the organization changed its name to the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments. Governed by a board of 57 members, consisting of a mix of elected and appointed members from each of the counties and municipalities within the region, these leaders work together to make decisions which aid in guiding the future of the area.