Community Development

Community development typically includes voluntary cooperation and self-help efforts by neighborhood residents and professionals to improve the physical, social, and economic conditions of the community.

Community development efforts will often focus on the enhancement of community through the development of leadership, self-help initiatives, and local institutions. It is assumed that these efforts are not necessary for affluent communities, since community development is “asset building that improves the quality of life among residents of low- to moderate-income communities.” The various assets include the physical buildings and land, individual skills and knowledge, all formal and informal relationships, financial capital, and political capital. Thus, this approach aims at improving and building up each asset within the community.

Community development activities are diverse and can include anything from community organizing and planning, advocacy and empowerment, the creation of neighborhood associations or community development corporations, and neighborhood revitalization to social services integration, and the economic, physical, or social development of an area. More recent community development attempts integrate tourism as a strategy for development identifies ten types of community development activities including:

1. Housing development;
2. Building commercial property;
3. Business/ economic improvement;
4. Planning, advocacy and organizing;
5. Education and youth development;
6. Security and public safety;
7. Workforce development;
8. Emergency assistance;
9. Religious services;
10. Public health.

Lyon Larry and Driskell Robyn (2012) The Community in Urban Society, 2^nd edition. Illinois: Waveland Press.