Éamonn D’ArcyBruno Guissani2026-03-222026-03-22199610.1080/08985629600000010https://doi.org/10.1080/08985629600000010https://andeanlibrary.org/handle/123456789/49677Citaciones: 35Abstract Based on an examination of recent thinking on the determinants of, and approaches to, local economic development the paper proposed a revised set of parameters within which to examine and evaluate this phenomenon. The paper constructs a comparative analysis of three approaches to local economic development (LED), enterprise culture, industrial districts and innovative milieu, within a set of focused criteria drawn from the literature on endogenous development. This analysis suggests a more generalist approach to local economic development that highlights the importance of understanding the evolution of a development ethos, entrepreneurial relations and the scope for non-local actor participation as key aspects of this development process. Keywords: local economic developmententerprise cultureindustrial districtsinnovative milieudevelopment ethosenEconomic geographyarticle