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Elgin, Illinois is in the midst of implementing a comprehensive retail strategy. The key components of the strategy are laid out in an article here. 

One of the key components of retail strategy is to identify where the "leakage" is taking place in your economy. Retail leakage takes place when consumers shop outside your community or region. The stragey involves identifying these leaks and providfing retail alternatieves, so they will shop inside your economy.

Reducing retail leakage accelerates the velocity of money in your economy and increases, in the economists' term,  your "multiplier". 

There is another important principle at work here. By plugging the leaks you have an opportunity to enhance the local character of your economy. Local, independent retailers  build the personality of your economy and create the unique character that can serve as a magnet for outsiders.

Arguably, local retailers also have stronger ties to the local economy and enhance the multiplier effect. (This topic is controversial, beacuse it often touches on locating, recruiting and giving incentives to "big box" retailers. Here are a couple of websites that explore the issue: here and here.)

To learn more about plugging the "leaks" in your economy, check out this website from the UK.

A new web site has launched that will provide information on "green vendors and service providers in 354 cities, green networking opportunities, and job listings at 'eco-conscious companies.'"

My guess is that sustainability will emerge as another important dimension along which "quality places" will be evaluated. As economic development morphs into a "war for talent", more and more EDPros will need to focus on sustainability to build what we once called "quality of life". 

Equally important, these strategies can potentially strengthen local and regional economies by accelerating the velocity of "local dollars" circulating in an economy. In China, you will hear some economists refer to the "circle economy". Strengthening local linkages in a way that promotes the reuse of resources can be an important local strategy. 

You can read more about  the site here. 

You can visit the site here. 

Here's a map of Willmar and Kandiyohi County: