The national recession forced many communities to examine new and innovative ways to promote local economic development, resulting in long-term community changes. New techniques and approaches were used to identify available opportunities and programs which could take advantage of development opportunities. A common theme among the contributions to this book is a focus on building leadership capacity, and several chapters discuss the successful practices which are aimed at bringing new leaders into local development efforts. Especially important are ways to identify youth and young adults, and designing programs that bring them into active leadership roles within community development efforts. On a broader scale, several authors present material regarding building local entrepreneurship capacity, and recognizing that entrepreneurs at different stages in their development have different training and support needs.

The discussions in this book will help local policymakers and development practitioners better understand the various development techniques, and find ways to build capacity within their community, stimulating development. This information will be especially useful for groups interested in engaging youth and populations who, in the past, have not been especially active in discussions about community and economic development. This book was originally published as a special issue of Community Development.

About the Author
Norman Walzer is Senior Research Scholar at the Center for Governmental Studies, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA. Sam M. Cordes is Director Emeritus at the Center for Regional Development, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.

Reviews

I found the book a useful resource for academics interested in community development and in contemporary debates about empowerment and leadership. Katerina Alexiou The Open University Milton Keynes, Built Environment Journal, VOL 43 NO 3

Book Information
ISBN 9781138085589
Author Norman Walzer
Format Paperback
Page Count 136
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 453g