Economies of local

I have heard a lot and read about economies of scale. It seems like we need to develop a better understanding of the economies of local.

We should understand the forces that help keep operations local and tied to community and offset the benefits of growth. Maybe I should plan to fly to the next International Conference on Localism? I find it ironic the tension between promoting local thinking to the world and researching and sharing best practices in the widest possible way, with the ethos of focusing on that place we are at.