With economic development being increasingly important for local governments and their managers, as coeditors and authors Patricia Mitchell, former county manager and now assistant secretary, Rural Development Division, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Charles (Chuck) Abernathy, county manager of McDowell County, North Carolina, write in their introduction, it was time that one issue—the November issue of PM magazine—focus solely on economic development.

Through a variety of feature and department articles written for communities of all sizes, readers can:

• Find out how economic development is changing due to globalization and technology.
• Find out how Main Street development can build a community’s downtown vitality.
• Learn the forecast for local government business parks.
• Discover what the New Markets Tax Credit program means for local governments.
• Learn what strategies and investments universities can provide when partnering with local governments.
• Understand how revitalization and redevelopment are changing communities of all sizes.