Depleted communities and community business entrepreneurship: revaluing space through place

Abstract

Depleted communities are a persistent feature of late capitalism. They can be seen as areas that have lost much of their economic rationale as space, while retaining high attachments and social relations of place. While conditions in depleted communities can limit possibilities for traditional development, entrepreneurial responses are not similarly constrained. It is argued here that depleted communities can act as hosts to a unique form of enterprise that combines good business practices with community goals. We refer to this as community business entrepreneurship and argue that it is similar to, but distinct from, the traditional entrepreneurial process. To illustrate these ideas three cases are examined. Within the setting of the depleted community, the entrepreneurial process can be modified to pursue community goals, thereby creating new opportunities and making new forms of development possible.