The Enterprise and Economic Development Glossary

a resource of the .network library

locale:

... a place as a venue for establishing a community. Typically, the term is used to refer to a place that is local and its surrounding area (see the definition of local below). As defined by The Network, a location becomes a valid community locale, and the existence of the various expressions that begin with the word location in this glossary are likewise applicable.

Comments on meaning of locale are within a context that fits the definition of community since it is local in the most direct way; however, there are other terms to be considered. As a word associated with locality, it implies small as in pointing out a ... particular neighborhood, place, or district (source of quote). A locale is a geopolitical area.

Locale may be used, especially, in reference to an area where an event takes place as indicated in the first paragraph. A locale may be within an urban area, metropolitan area, micropolitan area, rural area or region. It may be identified as a political division. For example, an explanation of political divisions of US states refers to locales as separated into ... counties and sometimes townships, and further divided into incorporated cities, towns, villages, and other types of municipalities ... (source of quote).

Using site selection to expand the definition of locale beyond its localized meaning raises the question as to whether it can refer to an area as large as a country, region, state, province or territory. Something certainly happens in a place at the end of the site selection process. However, locale is not so definitive as site ... one doesn't say real estate locale, rather real estate site. Site and locale are associated as in pointing out that location data suppliers offer information about real estate sites and their locales.

local:

... of, relating to, or characteristic of an an area that is not widespread; a particular place, for example, a relatively small city, town, village, or other community inclusive of its contiguous surrounding area. The expression local government is often used in conjunction with, say, city. The combination is valid, taking into consideration that the surrounding area outside of a city government's jurisdiction is excluded from the identity of the locale (see the definition of locale above). On the other hand the expressions local development is a context that fits the definition of locale as a place seeking economic development—for expressions that begin with the words local and location, CLICK HERE

See country; region, city; city-region; global city-region; global region; area

definition of locale / what is a community locale / definition of local development

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