ECONOMIC-DEVELOPMENT IN SMALLER CITIES AND RURAL-AREAS

This article argues for an approach local leaders and professionals should use for economic development in smaller cities and rural areas. They should define economic development explicitly, using theory to articulate the public goals they want to pursue. They may locate the economic development function in public or private agencies, but they should use local development organizations-private entities created to achieve public economic development goals-to carry out economic development activities. Rural professionals should formulate a range of economic development strategies intended to achieve public goals and should establish priorities among them. For any rural area, unique strategies based on careful, unbiased analysis and appropriate theory hold the most economic development potential.