Understanding Local Economic Development

This book offers insights into the process and the practice of local economic development. Bridging the gap between theory and practice it demonstrates the relevance of theory to inform local strategic planning in the context of widespread disparities in regional economic performance. The book summarizes the core theories of economic development, applies each of these to professional practice, and provides detailed commentary on them. This updated second edition includes more recent contributions - regional innovation, agglomeration and dynamic theories – and presents the major ideas that inform economic development strategic planning, particularly in the United States and Canada. The text offers theoretical insights that help explain why some regions thrive while others languish and why metropolitan economies often rise and fall over time. Without theory, economic developers can only do what is politically feasible. This text, however, provides them with a logical tool for thinking about development and establishing an independent basis from which to build the local consensus needed for evidence-based action undertaken in the public interest. Offering valuable perspectives on both the process and the practice of local and regional economic development, this book will be useful for both current and future economic developers to think more profoundly and confidently about their local economy.

"This book reviews theories of local economic development and shows how each theory informs real-world policy and practice. The authors lay out the basic assumptions, concepts, and implications of the most important theories of economic growth and go on to explain how each theory or approach translates into a strategy for economic development. Students and practitioners alike will be able to recognize the policy implications of alternative theories of local economic development." --Book Jacket.

Presenting state-of-the-art theoretical positions on important development issues such as the inner city, technological innovation and rebuilding economic infrastructure are explored in this volume. The contributors to this volume, drawn from various social science backgrounds, explore a variety of theories and examine them in relation to the practical actions of local economic development.

In economic development, theory and practice exist as two seemingly separate realities. Academics strive to develop or refine theory by drawing on abstract concepts about the way people behave and institutions work, while practitioners draw from a stock of experiences. By bringing together leading theorists and practitioners such as Blakely, Blair, McCann, Luger, Gunder, Stough and Stimson, this book provides the first comprehensive overview of local economic development theories for over fifteen years. It explores the theory behind the key concepts that every economic practitioner must understand and in doing so, ties together the various theories from across the disciplines to practice.

A comprehensive introduction to the economics of local economic development. The approach is people centered and recognizes contributions from other social sciences.

"Now thoroughly updated for the challenges of the 21st century, and with new coverage of sustainability, the Fifth Edition explores the theories of local economic development while addressing the issues and opportunities faced by cities, towns and local entities to craft their economic destinies within the global economy."--Jacket.

Building on the success of its predecessors, the Third Edition continues to explore the theories of local economic development and address the dilemmas communities face. Blakely and Bradshaw investigate planning processes, analytical techniques, business and human resource development, as well as high-technology economic development strategies.

First published in 1997. Part of the contemporary urban affairs series this volume looks at the local economic development policy of the United States and Canada. Laura Reese compares and analyzes local economic development efforts in Michigan and Ontario. She seeks to redress the paucity of literature comparing local economic development in the United States and Canada. Her goal is to examine and refine current theories of economic development policy-making to include the role of professional bureaucrats and to test an explanatory model which operates cross-nationally. Her study documents significant statutory differences of local economic development policies between the United States and Canada. At the same time, it shows that the similarities are greater than the differences. It is in the bureaucratic world where the differences really narrow.