Communities Left Behind: Can Nonviable Places Become Smart?

Endogenous community development receives much attention as an economic development strategy for rural areas. The literature suggests that endogenous development is more likely to occur in “smart communities”-communities characterized by empowered individuals, skilled leadership, innovative institutions, social capital, and sense of place. This paper provides an overview of the characteristics of “smart communities” and suggests issues for further research. Research topics suggested include defining and measuring qualitative factors associated with endogenous development, determining which qualitative factors are changeable over time, understanding the roles of history and path dependency in community development, and determining if communities “made smart’’ have better economic development experiences.