The territorial approach is one of leading dimensions of the European Union's rural development policy, which emphasizes the need for a strategic planning process to be based on local advantages, physical, human and social capital as well as natural resources. Converting the oneness of local resources into advantage, i.e. applying local identity, is supposed to ensure the competitiveness and vitality of rural areas. The aim of the article was to assess the level of exclusive local resources in use for local development planning during the period of 2007-2013. During the research, a systematic literature and document analysis was carried out in order to identify theoretical assumptions of the interaction between local identity and local development. A system of assessment of this interaction was designed. The level of focus of local planning on activities, ensuring the use of local identity, was assessed applying statistical as well as content analysis of local development strategies framed by local action groups (LAGs).
Key words: LEADER, local action group (LAG), local identity, local development, local
development strategy.
JEL codes: O130, O200, O290.
Ribašauskienė, E.; Šalengaitė, D. Vietos identiteto raiška vietos plėtros strategijose // Vadybos mokslas ir studijos - kaimo verslų ir jų infrastruktūros plėtrai = Management theory and studies for rural business and infrastructure development / Aleksandro Stulginskio universitetas. Lietuvos agrarinės ekonomikos institutas. 2011, nr. 5 (29), p.191-200, ISSN 1822-6760 (EBSCOhost: Business Source Complete; Ulrich’s).
