Urban Problems and Community DevelopmentIn recent years, concerned governments, businesses, and civic groups have launched ambitious programs of community development designed to halt, and even reverse, decades of urban decline. But while massive amounts of effort and money are being dedicated to improving the inner-cities, two important questions have gone unanswered: Can community development actually help solve long-standing urban problems? And, based on social science analyses, what kinds of initiatives can make a difference? This book surveys what we currently know and what we need to know about community development's past, current, and potential contributions. The authors--economists, sociologists, political scientists, and a historian--define community development broadly to include all capacity building (including social, intellectual, physical, financial, and political assets) aimed at improving the quality of life in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods. The book addresses the history of urban development strategies, the politics of resource allocation, business and workforce development, housing, community development corporations, informal social organizations, schooling, and public security. |
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Conclusion : Social Science Research , Urban Problems , and Community Development Alliances . . Ronald F. Ferguson 473 521 569 Index . 611 CHAPTER ONE Introduction Ronald F. Ferguson and William T. Dickens xii | Contents.
Social, political, and economic forces mobilized by alliances of community development stakeholders are deeply involved in the improvements.24 Such stories make it seem plausible that special efforts can improve other communities as ...
The alliances can have social , economic , and political agendas , and they often include both residents and ... Ferguson and Stoutland emphasize the importance of trust and competence in determining how successfully alliances build ...
In chapter 3 historian Alice O'Connor shows that alliances in the twentieth century to promote the community development agenda at the federal level have been weak political coalitions , undermined by internal fragmentation ...
Levels , sectors , and alliances , as introduced by Ferguson and Stoutland in chapter 2 , are among the core concepts that tie it all together . Most chapters address social science foundations for specialized sectors of the community ...