While Covid 19 and other catastrophes provided challenges to local development and enhancement, they also highlighted the importance of social capital and other essential components in making communities stronger. Most of these elements have been recognized for many years but future scenarios will require innovative approaches in a changing environment. Remote working, technological advances, and innovative financing approaches will require existing agencies to address issues differently but also will require new groups to be more engaged in building better communities. This issue of Local Development and Society presents analyses that show how organizations are addressing these changing issues in new ways and these discussions can guide local development and participation efforts in other communities.
Globalization trends are opening opportunities for communities to identify new markets and participate in development opportunities on a much wider scale. An article by Balsas illustrates how long-standing communities such as Boston, MA can reinvent themselves with help from local agencies that reshape their missions and approaches. Many community-based agencies can learn from these experiences and find new ways to address similar opportunities in their areas.
Effective participation and engagement by a wide spectrum of residents and local organizations are crucial in effective development practices. However, both the extent of participation and the approaches change as society ages and adjusts to a new era. The article by Guest describes experiences in central Kentucky to reach special population groups such as aging gays and lesbians to integrate them better into development practices focusing on long-term care, social support, and health care.
Similar experiences may apply to other groups as well as highlighted in the discussion by Onyishi regarding ways to help farmers access and use financial services in Southeast Nigeria. In particular, better outreach by community support organizations and regional partnerships increased the potential of these farmers to obtain credit needed to effectively contribute to community economic enhancement.
Fortunately, communities have access to support from Federal agencies and other groups but sometimes the capacity of local governments is insufficient to fully-utilize them. A study of 15 regional partnerships in usage of childhood food insecurity in rural areas identified creative practices using technology and digital media to expand partnerships leading to increased participation by intended groups. The analyses illustrate the importance of regional approaches especially in more isolated instances that, nevertheless, could contribute to overall community betterment and health if they had better access.
Economic stigmatization and perceptions can surface in discussions of major crises and ultimately place some residents at significant disadvantages in participating in community enhancement efforts. COVID 19 was a contributing factor in identifying various segments of society and disadvantaged these groups to both engaging in local development efforts as well as benefitting from some programs. While the urgency and importance of responding in the COVID environment certainly limited policy options, past responses will help inform opportunities to address future conditions and especially recognize the hidden impacts on certain groups that otherwise might not be easily recognized.
Successful community development involves many players and agencies working collaboratively to pursue common development strategies such as Sustainable Development Goals for various industries such as small-scale fisheries as discussed by Watts. The importance of these development strategies is enhanced by their global impacts for the environment and other crucial issues. Thus, collaborations by governments and industry globally is essential to overall long-term community development and health.
Previous articles have discussed the importance of engaging many groups in local betterment efforts. Community foundations have grown in importance in recent years, especially in rural areas or places with limited management capacity and resources. Building long-term social capital will be essential to the prosperity of these areas so should be considered a long-term investment. A study of the Omaha Community Foundation by Bryan sheds light on approaches that can be used elsewhere to increase community capacity.
Local Development and Society (LD and S) was created to help academics, policymakers, and practitioners understand the importance that community development practices have on the overall health of society but also to design new strategies that improve the community good for all residents. The articles in this volume illustrate the importance of involving many agencies serving broad sectors of society in community development discussions.
In this regard, LD and S encourages scholars and practitioners engaged in cutting edge research, policies, and practices to submit manuscripts with documented outcomes applicable to new scenarios. The journal is double-blind referred and especially encourages articles that include a literature review as well as a theoretical foundation that will allow the practices or results presented to be applied in new scenarios.