1. Strategic Framework for
Sustainable Local Economic Development
Second Conference on Ecological Landscaping:
Enhancing Self-Reliance and Resilience of Cities
December 1-3, 2009

2. Economics:
The Study of Choice, or the Dismal Science
I have…
Basic needs
Unlimited wants
Limited means
Since I can't have it all…
What will I choose to acquire?
What will I choose to do without?
Since I must have some things...
What will I choose to provide for myself?
What will I choose to obtain from others?

3. Who and Where Is The Market?
Global Economy
•Market niches exist irrespective of supplier and customer locations
•Customers share an infinite variety of wants
•Predominant
•Dependence on “global government” to assure transaction space
1
TINA: There Is No Alternative
Local Economy
•Population density in a specific geographic area
•People share the same needs
•Subordinate
•Dependence on “local community” to assure self-reliance and resilience
1
LOIS: Local Ownership Import Substitution
1
Shuman, Michael, The Small-Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses Are Beating the Global Competition

4. Systems Comprising a Local Economy
System: Success Metric:
Local Food Zero Miles
Cost / Healthy Calorie
Green Energy Zero Emissions / Carbon
Cost / Kilowatt
Distributed Manufacturing Zero Landfill
Asset Management
Community Currency Zero Leakage
Medium of Exchange

5. Why Would I Choose Local?
Security:
What I need is available
Safety:
When I get what I need, it is not going to make me sick, injure me or worse
Health:
What I get locally is better for me and the environment than from afar
Affordability:
I can pay for what I need
Convenience:
I can consume what I need quickly and with no hassle

6. Local Economic Systems Start at the Point of Consumption
Production
Preparation
Utilization and Consumption
Local Food System
Inputs
Installation
Conversion
Green Energy System
Fabrication,
Construction and
Assembly Deconstruction, Repurposing, and Reuse
Distributed Manufacturing System

7. The Neighborhood Feeds Itself
• On average, Americans spend $10 / day for 2,000
calories of food
– That equates to $3,650 / year / person for food
• Of that, 10 / 1,000 or 1% consume locally sourced food
– That equates to $36,500 / year spent on locally sourced food
for every 1,000 people
• How can one person work full-time job to assure
delivery of 730,000,000 calories to 10 people in one year
and do so profitably?
• How would scaling the operation to feed 20 people for
$73,000 / year impact the sustainability of the business?
• How much subsidy, if any, and of what type is required
to assure sustainability?

8. If sourced locally, 20% of the calories you
consume each day come from
Vegetables and Fruits
which are seasonal and expensive
400 / 2000 Calories

9. What if you choose more locally-sourced food?
+ +
Wider Variety of Food Products with More Calories
Season Extension and Year-Round Food Production
Integrated Processing and Preparation

10. Spend more on food locally sourced from your
local neighborhood and get MORE than food!
Vacant, abandoned,
and underutilized Jobs are
properties are put
into food production
created
Food processing and
preparation operations
are established
People are
Money is spent, captured, and
reinvested in the community
healthier
and happier!
Multiplier effect occurs spurring business growth
in green energy and distributed manufacturing

11. Choosing to Participate in Local Economies
Value Chain
Contributions
Political Transaction
Involvement Preferences
Status
Quo
1st
2nd
Community 3rd Personal
Engagement Motivation

12. Choosing to Participate in Local Economies
Value Chain
Business Mgmt
Contributions
Portfolio Mgmt
Asset Mgmt
Currencies Invest
Policies Exchange
Political Transaction
Involvement Preferences
Cooperatives Status Buy
Quo
Networking
1st Health
Education Lifestyle
2nd
Collaboration Principles
Community 3rd Personal
Engagement Motivation