
Rethinking Community Economic Development
Thomas S. Lyons(Author)
Edward Elgar Publishing
Published on 25. July 2025
Book
Hardback
172 pages
978-1-0353-2548-1 (ISBN)
Description
This innovative book outlines a systemic, transformational and entrepreneurial approach to community economic development. Thomas Lyons rethinks conventional transaction-oriented paradigms and illustrates how building community-wide ecosystems to enable bonding and bridging social capital can achieve deep, lasting and positive change.
Rethinking Community Economic Development discusses how the development of thriving and equitable societies can be most efficiently facilitated by creating economic and social value. Lyons presents an integrated and comprehensive perspective exploring ecosystem thinking as a framework for community economic development with a particular focus on social entrepreneurship ecosystems. Combining theoretical and practical concepts, he examines the purpose of social capital building and the role of social entrepreneurship in attaining wealth equality. The book then concludes with reflections on how entrepreneurship and ecosystem thinking can create a more sustainable future.
Students and scholars of development economics, regional economics and entrepreneurship will greatly benefit from this illuminating book. It is also an essential resource for practitioners and policymakers in urban and regional planning.
Rethinking Community Economic Development discusses how the development of thriving and equitable societies can be most efficiently facilitated by creating economic and social value. Lyons presents an integrated and comprehensive perspective exploring ecosystem thinking as a framework for community economic development with a particular focus on social entrepreneurship ecosystems. Combining theoretical and practical concepts, he examines the purpose of social capital building and the role of social entrepreneurship in attaining wealth equality. The book then concludes with reflections on how entrepreneurship and ecosystem thinking can create a more sustainable future.
Students and scholars of development economics, regional economics and entrepreneurship will greatly benefit from this illuminating book. It is also an essential resource for practitioners and policymakers in urban and regional planning.
Reviews / Votes
'Lyons challenges conventional thinking about entrepreneurship and community economic development. He asks us to rethink what it means to be entrepreneurial and to reconsider entrepreneurship's contributions to both community and economic development. Lyons details the interdependence and evolutionary nature of these phenomena and the profound importance of their intimate socio-economic and political synergy for mutually sustainable and transformational development amidst the existential reality of uncertainty.' -- Theodore Alter, Creative Insight Community Development, USAMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cheltenham
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 138 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-0353-2548-1 (9781035325481)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Thomas S. Lyons, Clarence E. Harris Chair of Excellence in Entrepreneurship, Department of Marketing & Entrepreneurship, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, USA
Content
Contents
Preface
1 Why community economic development may need
rethinking
2 On being systemic
3 Transformation vs. transaction
4 The role of social capital building
5 Betting on entrepreneurship to create the future
6 Educating entrepreneurs and developing the workforce
7 A goal of wealth equality and the role of social
entrepreneurship
8 Using entrepreneurship and ecosystem thinking to take
us to the next level
References
Index
Preface
1 Why community economic development may need
rethinking
2 On being systemic
3 Transformation vs. transaction
4 The role of social capital building
5 Betting on entrepreneurship to create the future
6 Educating entrepreneurs and developing the workforce
7 A goal of wealth equality and the role of social
entrepreneurship
8 Using entrepreneurship and ecosystem thinking to take
us to the next level
References
Index