Growing hope: Perspectives on development in a southern Appalachian county

This study is an evaluation of an economic shift from a primarily agriculture/industrial based economy to one based on service and how such a shift has affected the sustainability of development in a southern Appalachian county. Based on primary research consisting of 130 interviews conducted in 2003 and 2006 in Transylvania County, the research was designed to allow participants to explain how the effects of the departure of industry coupled with the rise in exclusive neighborhoods, wrought in large part by a focus on tourism, have changed the course of development in the study area. Issues such as sustainability, resistance, and land attachment are used as an analytical framework to dissect the nature of development in this locale. The results of the study provide insights on why such an economic shift may be unsustainable and could be applied to other areas in Appalachia or in the other developing contexts.