It is widely believed that assisting young people to participate in community affairs is a potent way to contribute to both youth and community development. One way in which youth can become involved in their communities is through participatory budgeting (PB) processes. This study investigates young people's understanding of, and experience with,…

While considerable research exists on school availability, education deserts, and school choice, "geography of opportunity" emerges as a theoretical framework to support new solutions towards equality. Intersections between Freirean theory and discourse analysis surface in existing evidence-base, as "availability" emerges as…

There is a broad consensus that the corporate sector has an active role in facilitating community development through corporate-community investment. However, there remains uncertainty as to how much the sector should invest without taking on responsibilities and influencing decisions which are traditionally within the realm of the state. This…

This paper examines perceptions of quality of life in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada from the perspective of residents and key community stakeholders. A series of eight focus groups were conducted. Six sessions were held with residents of neighbourhood "hubs", areas characterized by high levels of poverty. The following themes were…

Given increasing political and financial commitments to wildfire preparedness, risk policy demands that risk identification, assessment, and mitigation activities are balanced among diverse resident groups. Essential for this is the understanding of residents' perceptions of wildfire risks. This study compares wildfire-risk perceptions of…

Residents of East Cleveland are fighting to improve the quality of public education and access to vocational opportunities. "White flight" (Frey, 1979, p. 425), economic disinvestment, and ineffective political leadership have led to the disadvantages faced by East Cleveland (Kathi & Cooper, 2005). Nearly 1,200 vacant structures…

The purpose of this research was to explore and explain the role housing plays in rural community vitality. Community vitality refers to economic strength and social well-being. In spring 2002 we collected primary interview data from informants in 134 small rural communities in nine north-central states and identified related secondary data from…

Three years' observation of a community development project on a council housing estate in England, focusing on housing issues, produced a qualitative assessment of the process of the project at the management and community level. (JOW)

This article reviews research into the genesis and spread of both neighbourhood houses and learning centres in Victoria and community-based men's sheds in Australia to identify some similarities and differences. Our article asks questions about the gendered communities of practice that underpin houses for women on the one hand, and sheds for men…

Focusing upon the developmental changes that have taken place among the Lummis of Washington between 1966 and the present, this case study of an American Indian tribe experiencing an economic renaissance emphasizes the fact that success can and does bring unintended risks. Specifically, this study presents information re: (1) the present (emphasis…

The Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas consists of three counties: Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy. Poverty pervades in the Valley, especially in the colonias ("a poor, rural unincorporated community with 20 or more dwelling units, where home ownership is the rule"). Colonia residents are almost exclusively Mexican Americans.…

State progress reports on the 4-H/Community Development program, a 1973 nationwide Federally sponsored program facilitating youth in community decision-making processes, indicate that the program appears to be evolving into a viable and integral part of the total 4-H program. Although the report describes unique program features of various States,…

As part of a continuing effort to assess the social impacts on communities of energy facility planning, construction, operation, and decommissioning, a May 1977 survey of 37 community leaders in Hartsville, Tennessee (site of a nuclear power plant) establishes major local issues (past, present, and future) which leaders feel are important to…

Monumental changes have occurred in the South, i.e., the loss of many farm and nonfarm residents to urban areas, farms becoming larger and more mechanized, the growth of manufacturing employment, and the narrowing of income gaps between rural and urban areas, and between the South and the non-South. Political and social changes have accompanied…

The report presents case studies of 7 community action projects which were undertaken by New York communities with populations under 10,000 and which show how local leaders can improve the quality of life in their communities. The report describes the background, initiation, expansion, implementation, consequences, and highlights of the projects,…