A collection of various definitions is maintained on this page so that you can see all of the operative words for economic development together in one place. The Enterprise and Economic Development Library maintain an extraction of the collection's keywords and phrases.

What is the definition of ...

economic development:

... refers to the deliberate effort to improve the economy of a specified geographic area, which can be as large as an entire nation-state or as limited as a city neighborhood. Stating that it is a process, the source points out that it's a challenge put measures in place that would indicate whether or to what degree improvement take place in a location. The source notes that economic development may be an activity specifically undertaken but that ... the same intended consequences might also take place spontaneously, without any deliberate efforts to achieve them ... and attributes the existence of the practice of economic development to the observation that what locations desire don't often spontaneously appear.

source: Centre for Community Enterprise / www.ccednet-rcdec.ca

economic development:

... the thrifty use of resources, materials, wealth and labor (on behalf of a location).

source: Local Development in the Enterprise and Economic Development Library

economic development:

... Economic development refers to a sustainable increase in living standards. It implies increased per capita income, better education and health as well as environmental protection (source page). Note that the blog providing this definition of economic development is identified with a name that appears to relate it to Joseph A. Schumpeter (1883-1950)see the answer to the question of who coined the expression, economic development.

source: Peter’s Business and Economy Issues / http://schumpeter2006.org

economic development:

... any effort or undertaking which aids in the growth of the economymore.

source: Nonprofit Good Practice Guide (glossary) / www.npgoodpractice.org

economic development:

... the process of creating wealth through the mobilization of human, financial, capital, physical and natural resources to generate marketable goods and services. The (practitioner's) role is to influence the process for the benefit of the community through expanding job opportunities and the tax baseAEDC/1984. After publishing the definition the American Economic Development Council later reaffirmed it, adding that practitioners are essentially involved in a specialized form of marketingresource file.

source: see www.economicdevelopment.net/tourism/papers/index.htm

economic development:

... (is about) jobs, income, and community prosperityis a continuing challenge to modern societymore of the quote from the aims and scope of its source.

source: Economic Development Quarterly / about the publication

economic development:

... is fundamentally about enhancing the factors of productive capacityland, labor, capital, and technology - of a national, state or local economymore.

source: EDA/Economic Development Administration/ USA / www.eda.gov (resources)

economic development:

... can be "described" by objectives of which the most common are the ... creation of jobs and wealth, and the improvement of quality of life. Economic development can also be described as a process that influences growth and restructuring of an economy to enhance the economic well being of a community.

source: What is Economic Development? answered by IEDC / www.iedconline.org

economic development:

... efforts to increase employment opportunities by getting new businesses to relocate in a community or existing businesses to expand. It differs from job development in the sense that it seeks to in-crease the pool of available work rather than soliciting employers to post openings for jobs that already exist.

source: Texas Workforce Commission / more about the quote

economic development:

... on the international level has been defined as a (growth process) ... whereby countries raise incomes per capita and become industrialized ...

source: John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd. / source webpage no longer available

economic development:

... (is a) process of raising the level of prosperity and material living in a society through increasing the productivity and efficiency of its economy. In less industrialized regions, this process is believed to be achieved by an increase in industrial production and a relative decline in the importance of agricultural production.

source: The Politics of International Economic Relations / www.indiana.edu

economic development:

... (is) actions taken to improve the ability of people to more productively use capital and natural and human resources in the production of goods and servicesmore.

source: Glossary of Social Studies Terms and Vocabulary / more about the quote

economic development:

... (is) the process of promoting, initiating, supporting, and/or facilitating the creation of wealth and employment opportunities.

source: Steve Elledge, Wyoming Business Council / more Elledge thoughts

economic development:

... (is) a rise in real income per person; usually associated with new technology that increases productivity or resources. This definition of economic development is one of several found in a glossary that was one time available online, but no more.

source: Material Efficiency and the work of the Wuppertal Institute / by Holger Wallbaum

economic development:

... (is) the stabilization, retention or expansion of the economic base and quality employment opportunities.

source: Guide to Community Planning in Wisconsin / more about the quote

economic development:

... ( is increasing the flow) of capital through the community and reducing its leakage.

source: Economic Development Marketing Letter (2004) / Blane Canada Ltd.

economic development:

... is the development of economic wealth of countries or regions for the well-being of their inhabitants. From a policy perspective, economic development can be defined as efforts that seek to improve the economic well-being and quality of life for a community by creating and/or retaining jobs and supporting or growing incomes and the tax base. (more from Wikipedia)

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_development

economic development:

... The adopted AEDC definition was "the process of creating wealth through the mobilization of human, financial, capital, physical, and natural resources to generate marketable goods and services.” Other definitions include: The purposeful intervention into an economy to improve economic well-being; The process that influences growth and restructuring of an economy to enhance the economic well being of a community; The creation of jobs and wealth, and the improvement of quality of life.

source: Greg Last, Southlake, TX, Summary of Economic Development Terms

economic development:

...the growth experience within a development economy which is brought about by the startup, expansion or productivity improvement of enterprises; therefore, the term enterprise and economic development is applicable to the .network mission statement.

source: About Economic Development, page 1