How do we build local self-reliance in our community economies? We're in the throes of a movement headed by the Local First advocates with a push towards transforming the way we consume and the impacts this is having on our economies. Does this translate into building social capital at the local level, and are there other aspects of community development from shifting from a consumer society to one of more local self-reliance? How does this play into sustainability? We'll explore what it means to transform a local economy and the implications for sustainable outcomes in community development.