Continued advances in technology, on-going efforts to rebound from the COVID downturn, and broad demographic trends are causing local development leaders and their constituents to identify new opportunities to reshape and revitalize local conditions. Many of these changes challenge current institutions and past practices, so will not be generally accepted until their contributions have been documented. Nevertheless, current conditions are sufficiently important to warrant experimentation with past practices that might not be tried, in less severe economic conditions.
Equally important is that many such adjustments will put into place changes in policies and operations which will significantly alter traditional, and generally accepted, societal, and development practices. These shifts can sometimes improve opportunities for groups and segments of society that have been ignored or overlooked in past actions. Consequently, it is crucial that these approaches are subject to review by both academics and practitioners, so they can become part of an accepted body of knowledge.
The articles in this volume stress the importance of building and supporting the capacities of residents, businesses, and leaders responsible for designing and implementing innovative approaches to policy development. The topics covered vary with country and place, depending on local circumstances, and range from addressing climatic changes to specific local development issues. They show examples of ways local groups have both experimented with and implemented alternative approaches such as place branding and building community pride in Kentucky (Wilson et al.). The importance of building and/or strengthening civic engagement by incorporating various segments of the population, including youth (Webster & Powers) is highlighted as is the importance of effective communication (Teshale et al.). This broad base of support will grow in importance as communities navigate trends plus take advantage of future opportunities resulting partly because of past policies. Telling the community story effectively, both to residents and other groups, is crucial (Mars, M.) especially when tourism is an important development approach (Jani, D.). But it is equally important in building local capacity within the community.
Changing policy approaches is certainly not without obstacles and challenges. Even identifying potential opportunities for policy intervention that can result in successful outcomes often meets significant obstacles (Dzordzormenyoh, M.). Several articles illustrate successful approaches used to identify both potential new markets and development opportunities, including craft breweries (Mathews & Picton), working with female entrepreneurs (Allan et al.), and other approaches illustrated in this volume.
About the journal
By most measures, LD & S is progressing well with substantial growth in active downloads and usage. The number of issues published will increase from 2 to 3 in 2023 allowing for more coverage of important issues and topics. The number of submissions continues to increase and the minimum number of articles published in 2023 will be 21 plus 9 non-research items. The number of days from submission to Central Article Tracking System to on-line publication declined from 37.5 in 2020 to 9.0 in 2023 which provides authors with timely results once an article has been accepted. The acceptance rate for submissions remained at 45% in 2023 including special issues containing invited articles. Also, the authors’ satisfaction with the peer review process remains at 9.5 (on 10.0 scale), placing LD & S above many journals.
LD & S continues to contribute to effective policy development in several ways. First, it provides an outlet where innovative policies and practices are not only presented to other potential users, but they are also evaluated or at least reviewed by peers prior to being part of the knowledge base. Second, policymakers and practitioners alike learn new approaches and can evaluate their potential effectiveness in other local settings. Articles are from many countries with different settings and policy environments. While not always immediately replicable in another place, they at least suggest new policy or practice approaches for others to consider.
Thus, academics, policymakers, and practitioners are encouraged to contribute examples of local initiatives to this peer-reviewed journal. It is important that these submissions provide a rationale for the project, an evaluation of the outcomes obtained and serious thought regarding potential replicability in other settings. Case studies can be included in articles submitted, but equally important is to review past studies as well as provide thoughtful explanations about expected and actual outcomes. Readers also benefit from serving as reviewers for articles submitted and their contributions in this regard are welcome. If you have interest, contact Sofia Kotsiri, Managing Editor ([email protected]).