scholarly journals Local Economic Development Strategies and Challenges: A Comparative Empirical Evidence from Ghana’s Local Governance System

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akpeko Agbevade
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Development Strategies ◽  
Governance System ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Land Tenure System ◽  
District Assemblies ◽  
Economic Development Strategies

Local level economic development has eluded Ghana since independence. This was because most policies were centralized. As a result, focus was shifted to local economic development. This article comparatively examined the local economic development strategies implemented in three of Ghana’s Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies. Using the mixed method and multiple case study approaches of research, the study sampled a total of 533 respondents across the three Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies and analyzed data using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. The study gleaned that the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies implemented similar local economic development strategies which could be categorized into contemporary local economic development and traditional local economic development approaches. Challenges such as inadequate finance, land tenure system, lack of modern equipment among others were identified. The provision of a central pool for financing local economic development, harmonization of locality development policies, de-politicization of local economic development policies, the adoption of change management strategies in Ghana’s local governance system, effective land tenure system are recommended for the success of local economic development in Ghana.

Implementation dynamics of local economic development: Comparative empirical experiences from Ghana’s local governance system

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 609-624
Author(s):  
Akpeko Agbevade
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Governance System ◽  
Tenure System ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Land Tenure System

There has been an age old assertion that once public policies are formulated, the policies will automatically be implemented to achieve their stated objectives. To unravel this, the article through comparative empirical analysis discussed the dynamics that influenced local economic development implementation in Ghana. It emerged that four key dynamics: politics, leadership commitment and will, land tenure system and administrative, institutional and procedural mechanisms differently shaped local economic development implementation in the three local government units. Whereas these factors promoted local economic development implementation in some of the assemblies, it hindered its successful implementation in others. The findings of this article are of significance to local economic development and local governance practitioners and politicians as they strife to implement local economic development policies.

The Pittsburgh Transition: Not Quite So Simple

2021 ◽  
pp. 089124242110248
Author(s):  
Sabina Deitrick ◽  
Christopher Briem
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Economic Restructuring ◽  
Development Strategies ◽  
The State ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Advanced Technology ◽  
Significant Other ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Economic Trends ◽  
Economic Development Strategies

Benjamin Armstrong’s article compares state economic development policies in Pittsburgh and Cleveland in the 1980s, the period of major regional economic restructuring. Armstrong argues that what separated Pittsburgh from Cleveland in the ensuring years was the state-mandated inclusion of the city’s universities as major economic development decision makers and the role that advanced technology played in Pittsburgh’s recovery—much more prominent than in Cleveland’s. The authors agree that the 1980s expanded stakeholders in the region’s traditional economic development strategies, but not to the extent that Armstrong argues, and that significant other factors have affected the two regions in recent decades. The authors also find that the divergence in economic trends between the two regions is not a strong as Armstrong suggests.

Urban Competitiveness, U-City Strategies and the Development of Technological Niches in Songdo, South Korea

2012 ◽  
pp. 833-852 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luís Carvalho
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Ubiquitous Computing ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Development Strategies ◽  
Urban Competitiveness ◽  
Political Discourses ◽  
The World ◽  
Economic Development Strategies

This chapter is concerned with the recursive conflation between the concept of city competitiveness in ICT and different versions of the “knowledge city” concept based on ICT and digitalization, often responsible for ambiguous political discourses and unclear local economic development strategies. To overcome this problem, the chapter distinguishes both concepts, indentifies links between them and illustrates a way through which national and local polices can support ICT-related city competitiveness and knowledge city strategies: the development of innovation arenas. The chapter illustrates these notions with the case of the on-going development of the Songdo district in Incheon (South Korea), its competences in ubiquitous computing and the connection between this technological prowess with the ambitions of creating one of the first and most advanced “u-cities” in the world.

Evaluating Economic Development Strategies

1994 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 218-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
John J. Accordino
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
High Technology ◽  
Development Strategies ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Community Benefits ◽  
State And Local ◽  
The Right ◽  
Economic Development Strategies

This essay reviews recent evaluations of three of the most widely used state and local economic development strategies—traditional business recruitment, enterprise zones, and high-technology development. The studies do not succeed in their efforts to produce broadly generalizable findings that provide clear guidance to state and local policymakers and practitioners. Rather, they show that local conditions are responsible for the success or failure and level of net community benefits to be derived from any approach. Under the right conditions, each of the approaches described here might be appropriate.

scholarly journals Innovation within the Context of Local Economic Development and Planning: Perspectives of City Practitioners

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Selina Phan ◽  
Evan Cleave ◽  
Godwin Arku
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Development Strategies ◽  
Major Theme ◽  
Considerable Uncertainty ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Economic Development Strategies

Although innovation is a major theme in current local economic development and planning, there is considerable uncertainty of what the concept specifically means, how it is measured, and how outcomes are identified. To date, no study has investigated this glaring gap in scholarship. To address this gap, we interviewed economic development practitioners across cities in Ontario to identify and clarify how they define, apply, and measure innovation within their cities’ economic development strategies. Practitioners indicate that innovation plays a key role in their cities’ economic development strategy, demonstrating the importance of the concept within local governments. Additionally, it is clear that local governments are key facilitators of innovation. While many cities claim to have some form of innovation in their economic development strategies, a wide range of framings and approaches to innovation exist. Cities may not be taking the most efficient approach to fostering local innovation, which is critical with the rise of knowledge-based economic development. Keywords cities; economic development; innovation; Ontario; policy; practitioners

Urban Competitiveness, U-City Strategies and the Development of Technological Niches in Songdo, South Korea

2013 ◽  
pp. 197-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luís Carvalho
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Ubiquitous Computing ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Development Strategies ◽  
Urban Competitiveness ◽  
Political Discourses ◽  
The World ◽  
Economic Development Strategies

This chapter is concerned with the recursive conflation between the concept of city competitiveness in ICT and different versions of the “knowledge city” concept based on ICT and digitalization, often responsible for ambiguous political discourses and unclear local economic development strategies. To overcome this problem, the chapter distinguishes both concepts, indentifies links between them and illustrates a way through which national and local polices can support ICT-related city competitiveness and knowledge city strategies: the development of innovation arenas. The chapter illustrates these notions with the case of the on-going development of the Songdo district in Incheon (South Korea), its competences in ubiquitous computing and the connection between this technological prowess with the ambitions of creating one of the first and most advanced “u-cities” in the world.

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