Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a qualitative study of economic development
attempts to uncover the critical factors behind the recent economic rise of Viimsi, Estonia, to that of the
wealthiest community in the country.
Design/methodology/approach – The roles of and interactions among various community
stakeholder groups are explored through two sets of resident surveys. From these surveys, and a rich
set of secondary material, a narrative emerges as to the factors behind Viimsi’s success since 1991,
when Estonia regained its independence from the former Soviet Union and its system of economic
central planning.
Findings – It was found that among the key components explaining why Viimsi has become the
wealthiest community in Estonia are its extraordinary openness in embracing the market system,
combined with a consensus-based plan among community stakeholders on balanced development, a
dependable government, and a level of solidarity among fellow residents in facing change.
Originality/value – This paper describes one small community’s experience in the global world, and
offers observations on successful strategies for a community navigating in it.