Creating Wealth

Creating Wealth

Author: Gwendolyn Hallsmith

Publisher: New Society Publishers

Published: 2011-05-01

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 155092477X

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The power of local currencies Communities everywhere are challenged by issues such as health, elder and child care, housing, education, food security and the environment. On the surface, these problems appear to be rooted in economic crisis-forexample budget cuts have triggered reduced public services, soaring food prices have created food security concerns, and the subprime mortgage disaster has spawned record increases in foreclosures and homelessness. However if communities could match their unmet needs with their underutilized resources, many would find that while their economies may bestruggling when measured in traditional terms, they possess enough genuine wealth to allow all their inhabitants to enjoy a vastly improved quality of life. Creating Wealth demonstrates how a healthy society can beattained through developing new systems of exchange. Using creative initiatives such as time banks, systems of barter and exchange and local currencies, cities and towns can empower themselves and build vibrant, healthy, sustainable local economies. In addition to presenting many compelling case studies of successful alternative currencies in action, Creating Wealth also explores the different types of capital that communities have to draw on, including natural, built, social, human, institutional, cultural, technological, and financial. This book will appeal to community activists, city planners and other public officials, and anyone interested in developing strong local economies. Gwendolyn Hallsmith is the founder and director of Global Community Initiatives and the author of The Key to Sustainable Cities . Bernard Lietaer is the world's leading authority on complementary currencies and the author of The Future of Money .


Book Synopsis Creating Wealth by : Gwendolyn Hallsmith

Download or read book Creating Wealth written by Gwendolyn Hallsmith and published by New Society Publishers. This book was released on 2011-05-01 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The power of local currencies Communities everywhere are challenged by issues such as health, elder and child care, housing, education, food security and the environment. On the surface, these problems appear to be rooted in economic crisis-forexample budget cuts have triggered reduced public services, soaring food prices have created food security concerns, and the subprime mortgage disaster has spawned record increases in foreclosures and homelessness. However if communities could match their unmet needs with their underutilized resources, many would find that while their economies may bestruggling when measured in traditional terms, they possess enough genuine wealth to allow all their inhabitants to enjoy a vastly improved quality of life. Creating Wealth demonstrates how a healthy society can beattained through developing new systems of exchange. Using creative initiatives such as time banks, systems of barter and exchange and local currencies, cities and towns can empower themselves and build vibrant, healthy, sustainable local economies. In addition to presenting many compelling case studies of successful alternative currencies in action, Creating Wealth also explores the different types of capital that communities have to draw on, including natural, built, social, human, institutional, cultural, technological, and financial. This book will appeal to community activists, city planners and other public officials, and anyone interested in developing strong local economies. Gwendolyn Hallsmith is the founder and director of Global Community Initiatives and the author of The Key to Sustainable Cities . Bernard Lietaer is the world's leading authority on complementary currencies and the author of The Future of Money .

The Local Economy Solution

The Local Economy Solution

Author: Michael Shuman

Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing

Published: 2015-06-09

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13: 1603585761

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Reinventing economic development as if small business mattered In cities and towns across the nation, economic development is at a crossroads. A growing body of evidence has proven that its current cornerstone—incentives to attract and retain large, globally mobile businesses—is a dead end. Even those programs that focus on local business, through buy-local initiatives, for example, depend on ongoing support from government or philanthropy. The entire practice of economic development has become ineffective and unaffordable and is in need of a makeover. The Local Economy Solution suggests an alternative approach in which states and cities nurture a new generation of special kinds of businesses that help local businesses grow. These cutting-edge companies, which Shuman calls “pollinator businesses,” are creating jobs and the conditions for future economic growth, and doing so in self-financing ways. Pollinator businesses are especially important to communities that are struggling to lift themselves up in a period of economic austerity, when municipal budgets are being slashed. They also promote locally owned businesses that increase local self-reliance and evince high labor and environmental standards. The book includes nearly two dozen case studies of successful pollinator businesses that are creatively facilitating business and neighborhood improvements, entrepreneurship, local purchasing, local investing, and profitable business partnerships. Examples include Main Street Genome (which provides invaluable data to improve local business performance), Supportland (which is developing a powerful loyalty card for local businesses), and Fledge (a business accelerator that finances itself through royalty payments). It also shows how the right kinds of public policy can encourage the spread of pollinator businesses at virtually no cost.


Book Synopsis The Local Economy Solution by : Michael Shuman

Download or read book The Local Economy Solution written by Michael Shuman and published by Chelsea Green Publishing. This book was released on 2015-06-09 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reinventing economic development as if small business mattered In cities and towns across the nation, economic development is at a crossroads. A growing body of evidence has proven that its current cornerstone—incentives to attract and retain large, globally mobile businesses—is a dead end. Even those programs that focus on local business, through buy-local initiatives, for example, depend on ongoing support from government or philanthropy. The entire practice of economic development has become ineffective and unaffordable and is in need of a makeover. The Local Economy Solution suggests an alternative approach in which states and cities nurture a new generation of special kinds of businesses that help local businesses grow. These cutting-edge companies, which Shuman calls “pollinator businesses,” are creating jobs and the conditions for future economic growth, and doing so in self-financing ways. Pollinator businesses are especially important to communities that are struggling to lift themselves up in a period of economic austerity, when municipal budgets are being slashed. They also promote locally owned businesses that increase local self-reliance and evince high labor and environmental standards. The book includes nearly two dozen case studies of successful pollinator businesses that are creatively facilitating business and neighborhood improvements, entrepreneurship, local purchasing, local investing, and profitable business partnerships. Examples include Main Street Genome (which provides invaluable data to improve local business performance), Supportland (which is developing a powerful loyalty card for local businesses), and Fledge (a business accelerator that finances itself through royalty payments). It also shows how the right kinds of public policy can encourage the spread of pollinator businesses at virtually no cost.

Monetary Plurality in Local, Regional and Global Economies

Monetary Plurality in Local, Regional and Global Economies

Author: Georgina M. Gómez

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2018-10-09

Total Pages: 549

ISBN-13: 1351987461

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The idea that each country should have one currency is so deeply rooted in people’s minds that the possibility of multiple and concurrent currencies seems unthinkable. Monetary systems contribute to problems of high unemployment and social distress during financial and economic crisis, so reforms to increase the responsiveness and flexibility of the monetary system can be part of the solution. This book discusses ‘monetary plurality’, which is the circulation of several currencies at the same time and space. It addresses how multiple currency circuits work together and transform socio-economic systems, particularly by supporting economies at the local level of regions and cities. The book shows that monetary plurality has been ubiquitous throughout history and persists at present because the existence of several currency circuits facilitates small-scale production and trade in a way that no single currency can accomplish on its own. Monetary plurality can improve resilience, access to livelihoods and economic sustainability. At the same time, it introduces new risks in terms of economic governance, so it needs to be properly understood. The book analyses experiences of monetary plurality in Europe, Japan, and North and South America, written by researchers from East and West and from the global North and South. Replete with case studies, this book will prove a valuable addition to any student or practitioner’s bookshelf.


Book Synopsis Monetary Plurality in Local, Regional and Global Economies by : Georgina M. Gómez

Download or read book Monetary Plurality in Local, Regional and Global Economies written by Georgina M. Gómez and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-10-09 with total page 549 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The idea that each country should have one currency is so deeply rooted in people’s minds that the possibility of multiple and concurrent currencies seems unthinkable. Monetary systems contribute to problems of high unemployment and social distress during financial and economic crisis, so reforms to increase the responsiveness and flexibility of the monetary system can be part of the solution. This book discusses ‘monetary plurality’, which is the circulation of several currencies at the same time and space. It addresses how multiple currency circuits work together and transform socio-economic systems, particularly by supporting economies at the local level of regions and cities. The book shows that monetary plurality has been ubiquitous throughout history and persists at present because the existence of several currency circuits facilitates small-scale production and trade in a way that no single currency can accomplish on its own. Monetary plurality can improve resilience, access to livelihoods and economic sustainability. At the same time, it introduces new risks in terms of economic governance, so it needs to be properly understood. The book analyses experiences of monetary plurality in Europe, Japan, and North and South America, written by researchers from East and West and from the global North and South. Replete with case studies, this book will prove a valuable addition to any student or practitioner’s bookshelf.

Governing Local Public Economies

Governing Local Public Economies

Author: Ronald J. Oakerson

Publisher:

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13:

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From inner-city crime and disorder to suburban sprawl that devours resources, all is not well in metropolitan America. While the scholarly community remains sharply divided over issues of metropolitan reform, Ron Oakerson delivers a carefully reasoned, empirically supported defense of the noncentralized metropolis. At its core is a cogent analytic framework that draws on economic reasoning without lapsing into market metaphors. The result is a civic interpretation of metropolitan governance that moves well beyond the often sterile debate over pros and cons. This compelling book not only makes clear the need for metropolitan governance but also sets forth the possibility - and the merit - of achieving metropolitan governance without metropolitan government.


Book Synopsis Governing Local Public Economies by : Ronald J. Oakerson

Download or read book Governing Local Public Economies written by Ronald J. Oakerson and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From inner-city crime and disorder to suburban sprawl that devours resources, all is not well in metropolitan America. While the scholarly community remains sharply divided over issues of metropolitan reform, Ron Oakerson delivers a carefully reasoned, empirically supported defense of the noncentralized metropolis. At its core is a cogent analytic framework that draws on economic reasoning without lapsing into market metaphors. The result is a civic interpretation of metropolitan governance that moves well beyond the often sterile debate over pros and cons. This compelling book not only makes clear the need for metropolitan governance but also sets forth the possibility - and the merit - of achieving metropolitan governance without metropolitan government.

Local Economies?

Local Economies?

Author:

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2016-04-26

Total Pages: 652

ISBN-13: 9004309780

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Long-distance trade under Rome is well-understood. But the importance of local exchange has not been fully explored. The volume investigates how inland regions could become prosperous in late antiquity, especially when not integrated in long-range trading networks. Robust local economies emerge, stimulated by both taxation and local market systems.


Book Synopsis Local Economies? by :

Download or read book Local Economies? written by and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2016-04-26 with total page 652 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Long-distance trade under Rome is well-understood. But the importance of local exchange has not been fully explored. The volume investigates how inland regions could become prosperous in late antiquity, especially when not integrated in long-range trading networks. Robust local economies emerge, stimulated by both taxation and local market systems.

Food System Transformations

Food System Transformations

Author: Cordula Kropp

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-12-28

Total Pages: 319

ISBN-13: 1000338312

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This book examines the role of local food movements, enterprises and networks in the transformation of the currently unsustainable global food system. It explores a series of innovations designed to re-integrate sustainable modes of food production and encourage food sovereignty. It provides detailed insights into a specialised network of social actors collaborating in novel ways and creating new economic arrangements across different geographical locales. In working to devise ‘local solutions to global problems’, the initiatives explored in the book represent a ‘second-generation’ food social movement which is less preoccupied with distinctive local qualities than with building socially just food systems aimed at delivering healthy nutrition worldwide. Drawing on fieldwork undertaken in sites across Europe, the USA and Brazil, the book provides a rich collection of case studies that offer a fresh perspective on the role of grassroots action in the transition to more sustainable food production systems. Addressing a substantive gap in the literature that falls between global analyses of the contemporary food system and highly localised case studies, the book will appeal to those teaching food studies and those conducting research on civic food initiatives or on environmental social movements more generally. Chapters 1, 3, 7, and 8 of this book are freely available as downloadable Open Access PDFs at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.


Book Synopsis Food System Transformations by : Cordula Kropp

Download or read book Food System Transformations written by Cordula Kropp and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-12-28 with total page 319 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the role of local food movements, enterprises and networks in the transformation of the currently unsustainable global food system. It explores a series of innovations designed to re-integrate sustainable modes of food production and encourage food sovereignty. It provides detailed insights into a specialised network of social actors collaborating in novel ways and creating new economic arrangements across different geographical locales. In working to devise ‘local solutions to global problems’, the initiatives explored in the book represent a ‘second-generation’ food social movement which is less preoccupied with distinctive local qualities than with building socially just food systems aimed at delivering healthy nutrition worldwide. Drawing on fieldwork undertaken in sites across Europe, the USA and Brazil, the book provides a rich collection of case studies that offer a fresh perspective on the role of grassroots action in the transition to more sustainable food production systems. Addressing a substantive gap in the literature that falls between global analyses of the contemporary food system and highly localised case studies, the book will appeal to those teaching food studies and those conducting research on civic food initiatives or on environmental social movements more generally. Chapters 1, 3, 7, and 8 of this book are freely available as downloadable Open Access PDFs at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

Textile Economies

Textile Economies

Author: Walter E. Little

Publisher: Rowman Altamira

Published: 2011-10-16

Total Pages: 343

ISBN-13: 0759120633

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Textiles have been a highly valued and central part of the politics of human societies across culture divides and over millennia. The economy of textiles provides insight into the fabric of social relations, local and global politics, and diverse ideologies. Textiles are a material element of society that fosters the study of continuities and disjunctions in the economic and social realities of past and present societies. From stick-loom weaving to transnational factories, the production of cloth and its transformation into clothing and other woven goods offers a way to study the linkages between economics and politics. The volume is oriented around a number of themes: textile production, textiles as trade goods, textiles as symbols, textiles in tourism, and textiles in the transnational processes. Textile Economies appeals to a broad range of scholars interested in the intersection of material culture, political economy, and globalization, such as archaeologists, cultural anthropologists, economists, museum curators, and historians.


Book Synopsis Textile Economies by : Walter E. Little

Download or read book Textile Economies written by Walter E. Little and published by Rowman Altamira. This book was released on 2011-10-16 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Textiles have been a highly valued and central part of the politics of human societies across culture divides and over millennia. The economy of textiles provides insight into the fabric of social relations, local and global politics, and diverse ideologies. Textiles are a material element of society that fosters the study of continuities and disjunctions in the economic and social realities of past and present societies. From stick-loom weaving to transnational factories, the production of cloth and its transformation into clothing and other woven goods offers a way to study the linkages between economics and politics. The volume is oriented around a number of themes: textile production, textiles as trade goods, textiles as symbols, textiles in tourism, and textiles in the transnational processes. Textile Economies appeals to a broad range of scholars interested in the intersection of material culture, political economy, and globalization, such as archaeologists, cultural anthropologists, economists, museum curators, and historians.

Flow of Money and Its Impact on Local Economies

Flow of Money and Its Impact on Local Economies

Author: William H. Fruth

Publisher: DIANE Publishing

Published: 2008-10

Total Pages: 24

ISBN-13: 1437901247

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This publications was developed in a continuing effort to develop new resources that office and industrial development professionals can use to shape the business landscape of the new millennium. Discusses the primary influences to productive community growth. Shows that not all jobs stimulate the local economy and not all population growth leads to prosperity. Defines the kind of industry a community must attract in order to increase both the quantity and quality of money that flows into the local economy. One of the goals of Smart Growth should be to have a thriving community in which all citizens benefit. This fresh outlook on growth will be a valuable tool for those who want to live and work in vibrant and financially secure communities. Illus.


Book Synopsis Flow of Money and Its Impact on Local Economies by : William H. Fruth

Download or read book Flow of Money and Its Impact on Local Economies written by William H. Fruth and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2008-10 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This publications was developed in a continuing effort to develop new resources that office and industrial development professionals can use to shape the business landscape of the new millennium. Discusses the primary influences to productive community growth. Shows that not all jobs stimulate the local economy and not all population growth leads to prosperity. Defines the kind of industry a community must attract in order to increase both the quantity and quality of money that flows into the local economy. One of the goals of Smart Growth should be to have a thriving community in which all citizens benefit. This fresh outlook on growth will be a valuable tool for those who want to live and work in vibrant and financially secure communities. Illus.

Reinventing Local and Regional Economies

Reinventing Local and Regional Economies

Author: Gerald L. Gordon

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2011-09-26

Total Pages: 395

ISBN-13: 146650871X

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Recent US economic history is rife with examples of cities and regions that have experienced significant decline. Many of those localities began to slide after decades, even generations, of feeling immune to economic disaster. Boeing and Kodak, the steel industry in Pittsburg, and the automotive industry in Detroit all expected to make it golden into the distant future. Tapping into the available body of knowledge as well as- through nearly 70 interviews—the experiences of those who lived and worked in those times in cities around the United States—to identify the most effective strategies, Reinventing Local and Regional Economies delineates the dos and don’ts to observe in order to sustain economic vitality in any community. Written by Dr. Gerald Gordon, president and chief executive officer of the Economic Development Authority in Fairfax County, Virginia, the book explores lessons learned and examines the messages communities must be mindful of in order to ensure future economic stability. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience, Gordon identifies a set of foundational lessons that, while they are not guarantees of success, certainly portend failure if ignored by local planners. Each chapter explores a different prerequisite and then applies it to several case studies of the reinvention of local and regional economies. Each of these basic components of economic growth will then be examined against the backgrounds of the many communities studied, thus permitting comparisons and contrasts to be drawn. A comparative analysis of results from one community to another across a wide range of case studies, this book puts into clear context the observations about what works not only in one locale but in communities with common features facing common issues and getting similar results. Using case studies and real world examples of successes and failures, Dr. Gordon provides the tools to develop a proactive strategy that positions your community for surviving and thriving regardless of external stresses and adverse economic conditions that may be out of your control.


Book Synopsis Reinventing Local and Regional Economies by : Gerald L. Gordon

Download or read book Reinventing Local and Regional Economies written by Gerald L. Gordon and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2011-09-26 with total page 395 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recent US economic history is rife with examples of cities and regions that have experienced significant decline. Many of those localities began to slide after decades, even generations, of feeling immune to economic disaster. Boeing and Kodak, the steel industry in Pittsburg, and the automotive industry in Detroit all expected to make it golden into the distant future. Tapping into the available body of knowledge as well as- through nearly 70 interviews—the experiences of those who lived and worked in those times in cities around the United States—to identify the most effective strategies, Reinventing Local and Regional Economies delineates the dos and don’ts to observe in order to sustain economic vitality in any community. Written by Dr. Gerald Gordon, president and chief executive officer of the Economic Development Authority in Fairfax County, Virginia, the book explores lessons learned and examines the messages communities must be mindful of in order to ensure future economic stability. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience, Gordon identifies a set of foundational lessons that, while they are not guarantees of success, certainly portend failure if ignored by local planners. Each chapter explores a different prerequisite and then applies it to several case studies of the reinvention of local and regional economies. Each of these basic components of economic growth will then be examined against the backgrounds of the many communities studied, thus permitting comparisons and contrasts to be drawn. A comparative analysis of results from one community to another across a wide range of case studies, this book puts into clear context the observations about what works not only in one locale but in communities with common features facing common issues and getting similar results. Using case studies and real world examples of successes and failures, Dr. Gordon provides the tools to develop a proactive strategy that positions your community for surviving and thriving regardless of external stresses and adverse economic conditions that may be out of your control.

Communities on the Way

Communities on the Way

Author: Stewart E. Perry

Publisher: SUNY Press

Published: 1987-01-01

Total Pages: 270

ISBN-13: 9780887065262

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It's become an all too familiar headline--plant closes, employees laid off, another community plunged into economic despair. Stewart Perry looks beyond the headlines to our "forgotten" communities, showing what urban and rural areas can do and are doing to revitalize their sagging economies. The acknowledged authority in the field, Perry herein provides the first full-length systematic treatment of community-based economic development (CED). As the brainchild of the local residents and leaders, CED's success is linked to the ability of community members to identify their particular problems and to formulate solutions for local change. Perry cites dozens of case studies from his own consulting experiences in communities in the United States and Canada, illustrating the practical and conceptual applications of the approach. New means to achieve the economic health of communities are illustrated by the efforts of diverse communities such as East Los Angeles; Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia; the Appalachian hillsides of southeastern Kentucky; the Hunts Point district of the Bronx; the Point St. Charles neighborhood of Montreal; and Hancock County, Georgia. The experience of each locality combines the human dimensions of community development--the psychological and cultural implications--as well as the vital economic considerations. Perry demonstrates the innovative ideas developing out of the community development corporation strategy, both for encouraging local economic growth and rethinking national economic policy.


Book Synopsis Communities on the Way by : Stewart E. Perry

Download or read book Communities on the Way written by Stewart E. Perry and published by SUNY Press. This book was released on 1987-01-01 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It's become an all too familiar headline--plant closes, employees laid off, another community plunged into economic despair. Stewart Perry looks beyond the headlines to our "forgotten" communities, showing what urban and rural areas can do and are doing to revitalize their sagging economies. The acknowledged authority in the field, Perry herein provides the first full-length systematic treatment of community-based economic development (CED). As the brainchild of the local residents and leaders, CED's success is linked to the ability of community members to identify their particular problems and to formulate solutions for local change. Perry cites dozens of case studies from his own consulting experiences in communities in the United States and Canada, illustrating the practical and conceptual applications of the approach. New means to achieve the economic health of communities are illustrated by the efforts of diverse communities such as East Los Angeles; Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia; the Appalachian hillsides of southeastern Kentucky; the Hunts Point district of the Bronx; the Point St. Charles neighborhood of Montreal; and Hancock County, Georgia. The experience of each locality combines the human dimensions of community development--the psychological and cultural implications--as well as the vital economic considerations. Perry demonstrates the innovative ideas developing out of the community development corporation strategy, both for encouraging local economic growth and rethinking national economic policy.