Having worked on Capital Hill for many years, I can tell you that this outlook was not common among elected officials thirty years ago. The understanding that sustainable communities are as dependent on the creation of good jobs as they are on the availability of decent, affordable housing is, I believe, a relatively new construct in our political discourse.
Economic development is now commonly understood to be an essential component of successful community development strategies. As the role of large industrial and manufacturing firms in the overall economy declines, small businesses have become critical to creating jobs and economic growth.