ABSTRACT
Government and philanthropic efforts to support place-based development have been stymied by trends and policies encouraging the dispersal of people from the urban core. Community economic development principles and values posit that local collective action is a necessary precursor to overcoming political and social constraints on economic development. Community economic development relies on local institutions to organize wealth-building programs and strategies for people and places. Sustainable economic development means using the assets of existing settlements, communities, and neighborhoods to refashion them into places of opportunity so that existing residents can live productive lives in these communities or move to other communities if they so choose. The key to an effective, sustainable place-based strategy is to develop people to the point where they have the choice of staying in their community or going elsewhere. Brownfields are industrial and commercial facilities where redevelopment is difficult due to perceived or real toxic waste contamination.
