Economic development incentives and practices have grown in importance as cities have tried aggressively to rebuild their economies. The different types of incentives provided on the local level range from low-cost loans for small business entrepreneurs to the use of property tax abatements to lure large plants to a community. The effectiveness of development incentives varies from city to city, as attested to by the examples in this volume of cities where incentives work to boost the economy and cities in which growth management practices have been instituted. Local Economic Development presents current research on local strategies implemented by cities in Britain, Canada, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. By comparing the approaches used in these countries, an international cast of contributors points to the politics, problems, and successes in creating and implementing effective local economic development policy.