INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

• The term “community” has different connotations. It is the generic concept for how individuals
or groups interact socially.
• “Community” must be defined so stakeholders can be identified and appropriately involved in
the various stages of the community
development process.
• “Sense of community” is the phrase commonly used when describing the origin and
maintenance of the social orders established within the group.
• Community also refers to groups or groupings of people who happen to have something in
common—pursue a common interest or live in a common place.
• A community of interest may share ideas, beliefs, or concerns, as when a group is described as
being a “special interest” group.
• Dimensions of Community:

- Place: Determines how government focuses resources geographically

- Population: Becomes important when considering growth potential, employment,
infrastructure elements, and institutional services such as education or health care
- Political system: Focuses on distribution of power and collective decision-making
- Social organization: Looks at how social classes and government, business, and civic and
volunteer organizations are structured
- Cultural system: Explores values and beliefs, which are held in common by a group of
people and determine behaviors of individual members of the group
- Economic system: Examines strategies for wealth and job creation

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: a process whereby the efforts of government are united with of the
people to improve the social, cultural, and economic condition in the communities.
• Process: Structural changes in a community, including use of resources and the function of
institutions
Increased capacity of people
• Outcome: More community assets such as jobs, income, buildings, and city parks

More resources being used by people

• Growth and development often are used interchangeably.
• Growth and development can occur simultaneously or independently of one another.
• It can be either positive or negative, depending upon the perspective of the person making
the judgment

CD: A comprehensive process to manage change that involves citizens creating a shared vision for the
future; Citizen participation, both in purpose and function, distinguishes community development from
other types of interventions. Unless people buy in to self-help and the decision-making process is open to
all stakeholders, the process should not be designated as community development.

Distinguishing Characteristics
• Focuses on the whole community.
 • Emphasizes public participation as self-help.
• Uses participatory democracy as a model for decision making.
• Uses a holistic approach.
• Often initiates the process using a paid professional from outside.

Community Development is the participation of people in a mutual learning experience involving

themselves, their local resources, external change agents, and outside resources. People cannot be
developed. They can only develop themselves by participating in activities which affect their well- being.
People are not being developed when they are herded like animals into new ventures.” Julius Nyerere,
1968

Why Practice Community Development?

• The practice of community development is perhaps the most important action a community will
every take. It is through this process that a community will address its problems, react to change,
determine its future, and create the quality of life citizens desire.
• Community development provides a process for citizens to engage in civic dialogue , which can
lead to new ideas and long-term problem solving rather than short-term fixes.
• Public dialogue gives voice to ordinary citizens. They must first understand how to become
involved in community affairs and how to access information needed for to analyze problem and
develop action plans. When citizens participate meaningfully in community issues, they can \
take ownership and see that the desired results are achieved.

Framework for Community Development

Assumptions: Guides how we view and treat people.

Values: Describes what the community development practitioner believes, which guides actions
Principles: Guides the daily decision-making of the community development practitioner
Practice: Implementation of the community development process and achievement of desired
outcomes
 These elements form the foundation for all elements of community development. What
individuals and organizations assume to be true about people and their relationships guides how
individuals and organizations approach community development and the allocation of resources.
Principles provide the guiding framework for how community developers practice their
profession.

Community Development Assumptions

• People are capable of rational behavior. They can come up with logical solutions to issues that
affect them and help make community decisions.
• Significant behavior is learned behavior. As such, people learn to define themselves in terms of
race, gender, class, and other types of formative characteristics.
• Significant behavior is learned through interaction over time. Interacting with other community
members builds relationships and allows honest discussion.
• People can give purposeful direction to their behavior. Purposeful direction is guidance based
on the community’s collective vision of the future.
• People can create, shape or reshape much of their collective environment to formulate a
desired future. Many assume people cannot direct their own behavior—particularly those who
rely upon social and charitable services—but community development promotes this capacity in
all citizens.

Community Development Values

• All people have basic dignity. Communities should banish formal policies and informal practices
that allow racism, sexism, classism and other forms of discrimination.
• People have the right to help make decisions on issues that impact their well-being. The
people’s voice must be heard and honestly considered regardless of their various viewpoints,
interests, or opinions.
• Participatory democracy is the best way to conduct a community’s civic business. Systems
must not only reduce barriers but encourage citizen participation.
• People have the right to strive to create the environment they want. Community development
should focus on what people desire for themselves and not what someone else thinks is right for
them.
• People have the right to reject an externally imposed environment. People have the right to
voice opposition to projects they deem detrimental to their quality of life. Community
development should seek to bring people together so various opinions are heard, especially
from those in the community who will be most impacted by the action.
• The more purposeful interaction and dialogue within a community, the more potential for
learning and development. Attitudes and beliefs tend to change after people spend time with
new, unfamiliar groups. Over time, prejudices and stereotypes can be replaced with respect for
differences in background, interests, and cultures.
• Implied within a process of purposeful interaction is an ever-widening concept of community.
People realize they have access to information outside of the community and consider this when
developing lists of assets and resources.
 • Every discipline and profession is a potential contributor to a community development
process. While the basic building block of community is the individual, the resources of
organizations and professions should be identified and relationships developed among them.
• Motivation is created through interaction with the environment. Sometimes a person is
considered apathetic when he or she really just feels there is little that they can do about issues
of concern to them. People must be given situations in which they can learn how to make a
difference. Community development must allow citizens to learn new skills and concepts that
will motivate them to address issues of personal concern.

Community Development Principles

• All people have basic dignity. Communities should banish formal policies and informal practices
that allow racism, sexism, classism and other forms of discrimination.
• People have the right to help make decisions on issues that impact their well-being. The
people’s voice must be heard and honestly considered regardless of their various viewpoints,
interests, or opinions.
• Participatory democracy is the best way to conduct a community’s civic business. Systems
must not only reduce barriers but encourage citizen participation.
• People have the right to strive to create the environment they want. Community development
should focus on what people desire for themselves and not what someone else thinks is right for
them.
• People have the right to reject an externally imposed environment. People have the right to
voice opposition to projects they deem detrimental to their quality of life. Community
development should seek to bring people together so various opinions are heard, especially
from those in the community who will be most impacted by the action.
• The more purposeful interaction and dialogue within a community, the more potential for
learning and development. Attitudes and beliefs tend to change after people spend time with
new, unfamiliar groups. Over time, prejudices and stereotypes can be replaced with respect for
differences in background, interests, and cultures.
• Implied within a process of purposeful interaction is an ever-widening concept of community.
People realize they have access to information outside of the community and consider this when
developing lists of assets and resources.
• Every discipline and profession is a potential contributor to a community development
process. While the basic building block of community is the individual, the resources of
organizations and professions should be identified and relationships developed among them.
• Motivation is created through interaction with the environment. Sometimes a person is
considered apathetic when he or she really just feels there is little that they can do about issues
of concern to them. People must be given situations in which they can learn how to make a
difference. Community development must allow citizens to learn new skills and concepts that
will motivate them to address issues of personal concern.
Community Development Practice

• Community development is based upon the belief that people can work together to shape their
own destiny if given the opportunity to participate in a free, open, non-threatening
environment. Community development is not easy and requires people with specific knowledge
and skills to facilitate the process. The results of the community development process are
outcomes that increase the capital of the community.
• Outcomes: Outcomes build capacity in the community in various areas. These areas need to be
in balance. Social capital is related to other areas. If social capital is fully developed, other areas
will be successful as well. It will be very difficult to build the community without social capital.

Community Development Process

• Steps in the process are explained in detail on the following slides.

• Slides include items to be considered and a checklist of tasks to be accomplished.
• The details of how the process should be implemented are provided as suggestions only.
Communities should develop the process based upon their needs and capabilities; however, the
general framework should be followed and no steps skipped. The process will only be
completely successful if followed entirely.
Introduction to Community Development
United nation’s report states that: “Community Development is the process designed to create
conditions of economic and social progress for whole of community development with its active
participation and fullest possible reliance on community initiative.”

Background & concept of CD

• Community Development seeks to empower individuals and groups of people by providing them
with the skills they need to effect change within their communities. These skills are often
created through the formation of large social groups working for a common agenda.
• It is a broad term given to the practices of civic leaders, activists, involved citizens and
professionals to improve various aspects of communities, typically aiming to build stronger and
more resilient local communities.
• Community development is a process where community members come together to take
collective action and generate solutions to common problems.“
• Community development is a process where community members come together to take
collective action and generate solutions to common problems. Community wellbeing (economic,
social, environmental and cultural) often evolves from this type of collective action being taken
at a grassroots level.

Community development is a grassroots process by which communities:

• Become more responsible  Organize and plan together
• Develop healthy lifestyle options  Empower themselves
• Reduce poverty and suffering
• Create employment and economic opportunities
• Achieve social, economic, cultural and environmental goals

The community development process takes charge of the conditions and factors that influence a
community and changes the quality of life of its members. Community development is a tool for
managing change but it is not:
• a quick fix or a short-term response to a specific issue within a community;
• a process that seeks to exclude community members from participating; or
• an initiative that occurs in isolation from other related community activities.
 Approaches to Community Development
• Community Capacity building
• Social capital
• Nonviolent direct action
• Economic development
• Community economic development
• Sustainable development
• Community-driven development(CDD)
• Asset-Based Community Development(ABCD)
• Faith-based community development;
• Community-based participatory research(CBPR)
• Community organizing
• Participatory planning

Community Development Outcomes

• Outcomes are the results of the community development process, which increased the
community’s capital in a variety of areas—human capital such as a skilled work force, physical
capital such as bridges, financial capital such as micro loan funds, and environmental capital such
as natural resources.
• All of these represent a physical increase in community capital that is visible and easily
identified as a community asset.
• Another element of community capital is less visible but equally important: Social capital.
• Social capital is the extent to which members of a community can work together effectively to
develop and sustain strong relationships; solve problems and make group decisions; and
collaborate effectively to plan, set goals and get things done.
• Define social capital. How does social capital affect the development of a community?

Aspects of Development
Communities must maintain a balanced and comprehensive strategy for development. Leadership
development creates skilled citizens with the desire to implement a community development process that
prepares a community to take advantage of economic opportunity.
I think a healthy community is one where people are not just out for themselves, and they are not just
working on their individual pursuits, but where they understand their relationship and responsibility to
other people. Wilma Mankiller, former chief of the Cherokee Nation

ELEMENTS OF COMMUNITY STRUCTURE

Kevin Lynch:
The Image Of The City (1960)

FIVE ELEMENTS OF COMMUNITY STRUCTURE:

1. Paths- are the channels in which people travel. Thet arrange space and movement between
space
• Streets
• Trails
• Sidewalks
• Pathways
Importance:
o Organizes mobility
o The pattern of a city’s street network defines and distinguishes it
2. Edges- are the linear elements not used or considered as paths by the observer.
• boundaries between two faces
• linear breaks in continuity
• shorelines
• curbstones
• railroad cuts
• walls
Importance: Functionality and usage of the spaces are clearly defined by edges
3. Districts- relatively large section of the city distinguished by some identity or character:
• spatial form
• topography
• colors
• texture
• urban fabric
4. Nodes- the strategic spots in a city into which an observer can enter, and serves as the foci of the
city, neighborhood, district, etc.
• focal points
• intersections or loci
Importance: In order to promote more walk space and a perception of active urban corridors
5. Landmarks- objects that are easily identified and serve as an external point of orientation.
• Building
• Sign
 • Store
• Mountain
Importance: Functionally prominent structures have a huge impact on the aesthetics of their
immediate urban landscape

DUALITY: have more than 1 element in 1 area

COMMUNITY PROCESSES, DYNAMICS AND EMPOWERMENT

The word "community" comes from the latin word "communis, " which means common or shared.

A community is a social system composed of people living in some spatial relationship with one another,
who share common services and facilities and develop a common psychological identification with the
locality symbol. And together frame a common communication network.

Communities may be formed in two ways:

• Geographical - where members of a community share the same geographic vicinity.
• Non-geographical - the community is formed based on their needs, ideas, interest, identity,
practices, and roles in social institutions.

Communities may be formed in two level:

• Micro level - group formed based on personal social ties or pursuing common interests or goals.
• Macro level - large group affiliations are formed such as natural communities, international, and
virtual communities.

A community is a socially operative whole. It is a body of people bound to a common social structure
that function as a specific entity and is unique from each other. People gain a sense of belongingness
as the community accepts them.