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Place branding has increasingly been adopted as a municipal initiative to change the trajectory of local economic development. Specifically, local municipalities and communities have used place branding not only as a response to the influence of globalization and neo-liberalism, but also economic challenges and restructuring. Like any other initiative, the ultimate goal is to enhance the economic and social well-being of local jurisdictions. Although a popular strategy, it is not clearifandhowlocally specific factors mediate the process. By comparing two cross-border geographical areas, this study attempts to identify how regional variability in the manifestation of political-economic forces, as well as geographical influences, affects the use of place branding at local scales. Every municipality in Michigan (n = 1774) and Ontario (n = 414) was systematically examined for the presence and message of local place brands as presented through logos and slogans. The comparative analysis demonstrated that Ontario’s municipalities utilized place branding to a greater extent, and that the dominant messages differ by region. Further, this analysis shows that – beyond political differences – geographical context appears to have an effect on both local place branding usage and message. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Local food networks (LFNs) are growing in popularity, in part as a response to broader criticisms of conventional food production. Municipal policy-makers have the opportunity to work with stakeholders to build LFNs to increase access to healthy foods in cities and ultimately improve population health and well-being. Building opportunities for healthy eating is particularly important in our study area. Flint, Michigan, is a post-industrial shrinking city suffering from the economic and health effects of deindustrialisation. Various stakeholders in Flint have responded to a significant issue with access to food by strengthening collaborations through a food policy council (FPC). Growth in the local food system has been supported by administrators and community advocates alike, through supporting community gardens, farmers' markets, and urban agriculture in a manner similar to nearby Detroit. Participant observation was conducted with stakeholders involved in the development of the LFN and the FPC in Flint. Stakeholders were exposed to existing research on the food system to help inform their policy direction. The group expressed several core concerns and prospects for future work, including a strong emphasis on consensus-based decision-making. Based on the synthesis of stakeholder opinions, policy recommendations are made to aid in continued planning of the LFN. Planning for food is an important first step in improving public health and strengthening local economic development in post-industrial cities. This research highlights the issue by making explicit the challenges and opportunities for policy advocacy in LFNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmers' markets play a vital role in local economic development by providing a site for local and small business incubation, creating an economic multiplier effect to neighboring businesses, and recycling customer dollars within the community. While several studies have evaluated characteristics of farmers' markets within single metropolitan areas, few have compared the impact of multiple markets in socioeconomically contrasting regions. This research compares shopping habits and economic impacts of customers at farmers' markets in two North American cities: Flint, Michigan, and London, Ontario. Overall, 895 market visitors completed surveys. We conducted statistical and spatial analyses to identify differences between these markets. Though geographically proximate and similar in metropolitan size, the two cities differ greatly in recent economic development, social vitality, and public health indicators. The objectives of this article are to quantify the impact that each market has on its local economy and contextualize these impacts in light of the place-specific attributes of each market. Results indicate that customers come from a mix of urban and suburban locations, but that key urban areas do not draw a substantial share of customers. Marketing efforts in nearby disadvantaged neighborhoods, therefore, might yield new customers and increase multiplier effects within the neighborhoods. The London market drew slightly younger customers who shopped less frequently, while the Flint market drew an older crowd that attended more regularly. This may be attributable to the relative age of the markets, and certainly reflects the marketing push of each market's managers. Given the opportunity to compare similarities and differences, much can be learned from each market in terms of opportunities for marketing, local economic development, and increased community vitality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of the built environment on diet (and ensuing health outcomes) is less understood than the effect of diet on obesity. Natural experiments are increasingly advocated in place of cross-sectional studies unable to suggest causality. The central research question of this paper, therefore, asks whether a neighborhood-level food retail intervention will affect dietary habits or food security. The intervention did not have a significant impact on fruit and vegetable consumption, and the intervention population actually purchased prepared meals more frequently. More problematic, only 8% of respondents overall regularly consumed enough fruits and vegetables, and 34% were food insecure. Further complicating this public health issue, the new grocery store closed after 17 months of operation. Results indicate that geographic access to food is only one element of malnutrition, and that multi-pronged dietary interventions may be more effective. The economic failure of the store also suggests the importance of non-retail interventions to combat malnutrition.