engleski

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Sustainable rural development is based on the preservation and balanced development of environmental, social and economic capital. A necessary precondition of sustainable rural development is the participatory involvement and networking of relevant stakeholders. The participatory process results in many benefits for local communities (e.g. more democratic local governance, better response to stakeholders’ needs, improved efficiency of public services, etc.). The purpose of the paper is to elaborate the importance of participatory approaches in the process of revitalisation and sustainable development of rural areas. The aim of the paper is to identify development opportunities and constraints for local development viewed from the perspective of external stakeholders. The paper presents the results of the empirical research intended to identify the development opportunities and constraints of the City of Vodnjan – Dignano, a small town in the rural parts in Croatia, from the external stakeholders’ perspectives. The research has involved three groups of external stakeholders (respondents from the two main economic activities, i.e. agriculture and tourism and from civil sector). The research showed various development opportunities and constraints, as well as the willingness of local stakeholders to become more involved in development processes. The research results contribute to a better understanding of the importance and long-term benefits of community participation in local development.

partecipativno sudjelovanje, održivi razvoj, ruralna područja, mali gradovi

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