This article considers two aspects of publicly reported macroevaluations of local economies: the emphasis on job growth and the problematic relationship among the desired outcomes of local economic performance. At issue is the extent to which a jobs focus is either deceptive or in some other way...

This article discusses the use of regional economic modeling techniques to determine the household income distribution impacts associated with various economic sectors. Determining the distributional characteristics of economic sectors requires identifying the relationship between aggregate...

This article claims that the local welfare effects of employment generation are often treated inadequately in the evaluation of economic development programs. Opportunity costs of labor are often either ignored or overstated, resulting in misleading indicators of welfare changes. Appropriately...

This article focuses on the conceptual and methodological foundation of local development policy adoption studies. It reexamines the prevailing supposition of congruence between context and policy and revisits the accepted rationale for choosing particular policies by introducing a performance...

A major national debate is under way about the effects of the regulation of development and land use patterns on metropolitan economies. Because this is often framed around whether sprawling development patterns are harmful or beneficial to the economy and environment, we are seemingly presented...

The apparel manufacturing industry in San Francisco has experienced considerable growth since the late 1980s due to changes in retailing, the increasing flexibility of the industry, the influx of Asian immigrants, and the availability of industrial space adjacent to the central business...

Community-based organizations are struggling to find alternative strategies to successfully leverage assistance and resources to improve their neighborhoods. This article offers a three-pronged formula for sustainable community development based on an entrepreneurial approach to undertake...

State governments use economic development programs to strengthen the economic bases of their states, increase tax revenues, and preserve and increase job opportunities. Export promotion organizations are a key element of these programs. This article attempts to partially address the lack of...

During the past decade, many rural and urban residents have turned to home-based self-employment as a means of providing for themselves and their families. Home-based work can be considered a form of community development for its potential as an alternative or supplemental income source for...

Local economic development policies and programs should integrate the reality that values are inherent in the design and conduct of any evaluation. This article outlines the content of several attempts in the subsequent articles in this issue to define alternative strategies and methodologies...