ABSTRACT
The planning profession has been slow to embrace economic development, that is, to include an economic dimension in planning policies, programs, and projects to achieve specific economic goals. It was not until the 1970s and 1980s that municipal authorities started hiring economic development officers, and planning programs started teaching it in the United States. But within its comparatively short history, economic development planning has rapidly risen in importance. Since the 1980s, many cities have prioritized economic competitiveness in their development strategies under the influence of neoliberalism. Meanwhile, the planning goals and approaches of economic development have also experienced paradigmatic changes, responding to macroeconomic restructuring, globalization, new technology, and environmental and social challenges.
