Handbook: Assessing Local Economic Development Opportunities with ARC-LEAP. Appalachian Regional Commission Local Economic Assessment Package

摘要

A central role of economic developers is to help increase job opportunities and income levels for area residents, by supporting economic growth - including the retention and expansion of existing business, as well as the development and attraction of new business. To effectively pursue these objectives, economic developers must focus and target their efforts towards those types of business that represent best prospects for local economic growth. By assessing the relative competitiveness of local facilities and resources for serving those types of business, it is also possible to identify priorities for local improvements that can best help to attract and grow these target industries. This handbook sets out to define key concepts involved in evaluating an area's economic performance, identifying targets for further economic development, and defining priorities for improving local economic competitiveness.