This book is intended as a resource for elected officials, municipal staff, and citizens who would like to apply the concept of sustainable development in their communities through an ecosystems approach to human settlements management. The subcomponents of human community life and its impact on the environment are explored. Included are tested,…

This booklet is written from the perspective that small towns can survive in changing times with the right leadership. It is intended for use by educators involved with community development or by extension educators. The attitudes and behaviors of leaders are key factors that will help communities cope with change. No longer will a town survive…

Ways in which community "visioning" can be used to generate support and action for community education are described in this paper. Six steps in the community visioning process are discussed: (1) preparing; (2) conducting a workshop; (3) obtaining community feedback; (4) action planning; (5) recruiting, implementing, and following up; and (6)…

A new county extension agent, having community development responsibilities, will be concerned with identifying projects, organizing for action, identifying key people for the projects, and identifying the resources needed to undertake new initiatives. Three methods of community action planning are discussed step by step. The social action process…

Rural economic development depends on implementation of strategies that capture the competitive edge of the total rural environment. It will not succeed by weak duplication of traditional urban development strategies. The historic dependence on the natural resource base that is the common denominator for rural areas must be regarded not as a…

This report describes s a study that examined how seven groups in Edmonton, Alberta, used a community development model called Community Capacity Building and Asset Mapping. The first three sections discuss the model's development and purpose and the methodology used to examine its application in community planning. Presented next are the results…

Although progress has been made in the past decade in dealing with social and economic problems, there are still problems that need to be addressed. These include the need to revitalize decayed urban areas, and to develop human resources in these areas. This paper suggests that a comprehensive community education approach may be part of the…

THE FIRST IN A KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY SERIES DESIGNED TO DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCESS OF URBANIZATION AND TO ESTABLISH A DIALOGUE BETWEEN URBAN PLANNERS AND PLANNING THEORETICIANS THROUGH HIGHER EDUCATION EXTENSION, THIS ESSAY FOCUSES ON THE NATURE AND IMPACT OF URBANIZATION, THE EXTENT OF THE NEED FOR URBAN PLANNING, THE PURPOSES AND…

Two hundred and thirty-nine individual and agency members of the Western Region Council of State Leagues for Nursing and representatives of health-related groups in the West, national health-related groups, and federal government agencies attended the Conference which was planned to provide a process experience which could be a guide to action in…

This book describes the mindshift that is the key to successful community capacity building and to the development of social and economic structures that nurture local sustainability. Its focus is how the development of community, through community capacity building, connects, animates, and informs citizens. Chapter I introduces community building…

This book presents a "bottom-up" action learning and action planning approach to community economic development. It is based on a learning experience for adults to promote community economic development that became the Community Economic Development Program. The book is organized in 11 chapters that cover the following topics: (1) framework for…

Describes Healing Wind, a community wellness and development program on the Passamaquoddy Reservation in Maine. Discusses the grassroots response to community problems such as substance abuse, school vandalism, and suicide; the program's foundation on cultural traditions such as the talking circle; formation of a core group to implement the…

Community colleges in Appalachia are helping boost local economies and expand educational opportunities through the national Rural Community College Initiative (RCCI). At the heart of RCCI is a nine-step strategic planning process in which a community group moves from vision to action. Kentucky's Southeast Community College has promoted…

The evaluation of three Ford Foundation supported Community Development Corporation (CDC) programs with performance relative to output targets (milestones) that are both identifiable and quantifiable are presented in this paper. The milestone targets, developed in 1973 for the following year, are targets over which the CDC would legitimately be…

The systematic, practical ideas presented for improving the quality of life in a community are based on the belief that people, working together, sometimes with and through local government and sometimes through the vigorous efforts of voluntary organizations and associations, can help their communities increasingly become the kinds of places that…