Living Communities™ fixes the problem not solved by traditional economic development. That is, how to keep the money in a local economy. Developed by the not-for-profit, Living Towns Corporation, it focuses on working with the community to find where the money is leaking out of the local economy and then identifying new enterprises and enhance existing ones to plug those leaks.

Without a strong local economy, towns usually find it difficult to implement their visions without government assistance. They constantly lose people to the city, can’t attract new people to live there and find it hard to recover from disruptions like economic downturn, natural disasters or changing government policy. So delicate is the balance for some, that the failure of one vital service or business in town can be a disaster for all the others.

Even outwardly successful regional towns have enormous economic leaks. For example, mining town’s local economies suffer because many workers are ‘fly-in, fly-out’ and don’t add to the social fabric. They also tend to spend their wages when they’re in the city not with local businesses.

For seemingly economically stable towns, Living Communities™ represents an enormous opportunity to retain more wealth in the local economy, build social capital and become more resilient for the time when economic circumstances driving the current stability, change.

As such, Living Communities™ isn’t just for towns with a problem now, it helps to make sure that future problems won’t be as debilitating when they arise.

In essence, Living Communities™ builds resilience in the local economy and when implemented enthusiastically by the community, can act like an insurance policy against changing circumstances.

Read our blog for a more in-depth look at the issues affecting rural communities.