The step-by-step guide to turning any neighborhood around A weak local
economy can be strengthened. A run-down neighborhood of boarded-up
storefronts, litter-strewn sidewalks, high unemployment, and
poorly-maintained housing can be transformed. An entire community can be
lifted up. Mihailo (Mike) Temali knows this first-hand. He has spent
nearly twenty years working in community-based economic development,
helping cities as diverse as St. Paul, Minnesota, and Santiago, Chile.
In this concrete, practical, jargon-free handbook, he describes a proven
way to make any community a better place to live. Comprehensive,
realistic, and easy-to-use If you don't already have a community
economic development (CED) organization in place, Temali tells you how
to set one up. Then he defines four pivot points that are crucial to
neighborhood economies: 1) Revitalizing your commercial district; 2)
Developing microbusinesses; 3) Developing your community workforce; and
4) Growing good neighborhood jobs. He explains how to choose your first
pivot point, then guides you through the process of tackling each one.
True stories of successful CED provide inspiration. Sidebars explore
related issues: dealing with gentrification, finding potential partners,
supporting microentrepreneurs, and more. Other CED professionals share
their insights in "From the Field" notes. Appendices point you toward
useful resources, show you how to use the Internet to research your
regional economy, and include dozens of worksheets that will help you
move from reading about CED to doing it. The Community Economic
Development Handbook is precisely what you need to turn your
neighborhood around!
