"Sustainable community development is the ability to make development choices which respect the relationship between the three "E's" economy, ecology, and equity..."

Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED)

• MACED is located in a rural area
   
  
• MACED is an economic development organization
   
  
• Link between three E's highlights the fact that economy exists in a context of ecology and equity
   
  
• Equity is essentially a social measure, as determined by a community

The Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) is a nonprofit organization in Berea, Kentucky, that provides assistance to communities in Appalachia. MACED addresses economic development with an emphasis on building healthy, sustainable, equitable, democratic and prosperous communities. Their definition refers to the links between economy, ecology, and equity. In the rural communities in which MACED works, jobs are an important issue but they recognize that the jobs have to take into account the social and environmental health of the communities as well.