The technical twinning between Karlovac and Kansas City, Kansas commenced in November 2004 as part of the USAID-sponsored Croatia Local Government Reform Program implemented by the Urban Institute/Croatia. The program's city-to-city partnership component managed by ICMA provides an opportunity for natural continuation of a previous long-standing relationship within the US Sister Cities initiative. The technical aspects of the partnership focus on two key areas: local economic development and marketing for sustainable tourism.
One of the Croatian regions strongest hit by the Domestic War (1991-1995), Karlovac is making a significant strides toward being a well-run European jurisdiction with a vision for its future. Despite grave consequences of the war, the city enjoys a wide array of natural and human resources - a strategic location on the border with Slovenia and Bosnia, stunning nature, major historical monuments, schools, art museum, musical conservatory, and a highly educated work force. The progressive and business-friendly city administration has made remarkable steps to strengthen fiscal management and to improve the environment for business and community development. To counter grave consequences from the war, the city will need to harness its wide natural and human resources for the promotion of economic development and business expansion.
To that end the areas of work chosen within the twinning program are tourism promotion, attraction of investors, customers and residents from nearby jurisdictions. ICMA selected Kansas City as US partner because it has grappled with similar problems of population flight, economic decline, and unemployment. In addition to long years of cultural cooperation, the two communities share startling similarities in geographic location, industrial base, and type of leadership.
To counter its own economic problems, the administration of Kansas City, Kansas has accomplished a great deal for its community by bringing anchor businesses (the Cabella's store), other national retailers, a water park hotel, and a speedway. Within a short timeframe the city has turned from a declining post-industrial urban setting to a destination tourism spot. It is its experience with creative approaches to urban development financing and private-public partnerships formation that Kansas City will be transferring to Karlovac within the Croatia technical twinning program. Karlovac has requested assistance with the development and marketing of its newly created business zone. While it has already managed to attract a few small-scale businesses - a big auto service plant and an auto dealer - there is a need for larger investors. Kansas City will be providing targeted assistance in transparent and equitable municipal procurement process, identification of investors' needs, methods of business communication, and effective marketing of local resources to international retailers, potential tourists, and new residents.
A second exchange took place the week of March 6-13, 2005, during which Kansas City provided its Croatian partners with first-hand information on US methods and institutions of economic development and municipal marketing strategies.