Indicators of community economic development through mural-based tourism

Community Economic Development (CED) has become a recognised form of economic development, despite contention regarding its definition and applications. It is acknowledged that development planning benefits from a more holistic approach with a focus on community participation. The objective of this paper was to explore the process and selected indicators of CED success through an examination of five Saskatchewan communities that have made the conscious decision to develop tourism through the use of wall murals on the exteriors of buildings. Extensive in-person interviews were conducted with stakeholders in each of these communities. Generally, this research has found that both the CED process undertaken and the measurement of success are dependent upon the desired outcomes of mural development. For example, in communities that created murals-as-community-beautification, the process was less formalised and success was measured more qualitatively, for example in increased community pride and the development of social relationships. For those communities where murals were developed as part of an explicit economic development strategy, the process was more formalised and the outcomes measured more quantitatively, including the numbers of visitors, employment and businesses created. This research also indicates that particular attributes of rural places play a critical role in how CED is understood, defined and carried out, and how successes, both tangible and intangible, are measured.