This dissertation in practice examines the absence of an advocacy framework for Black placemakers in southwest Springfield neighborhoods seeking to transform vacant spaces into vibrant pocket parks, green spaces, and community gardens. This critical community-based participatory research addresses inadequate public policies, resources, and…

The purpose of this paper is to provide an alternative operationalization of amenities that does not privilege certain kinds of natural resources and climatic conditions and that can be used for assessing the quality of life in small towns. The amenity inventory presented here extends previous literature by including a broad range of amenities…

Rural poverty and wide-ranging environmental concerns are some of the problems driving a growing public debate on rural issues across the United Kingdom. This briefing paper assesses the contribution that a community development approach can make to these issues. Rural areas have a long history of collective action, from farm families helping each…

This bibliography was compiled to provide scholars and practitioners with a comprehensive listing of materials related to urban neighborhoods as social, political, or economic units. The bibliography contains more than 200 citations of materials published in the late 70s and 1980. Each entry is accompanied by a summary and content codes which…

"The Quality-of-Life Action" conference was held to: (1) involve more people in activities relating to economic well-being; (2) plan for responsible growth and environmental preservation; and (3) involve people in quality-of-life legislation. Included is the conference's draft of a "Proposed Berkeley Ordinance on Quality-of-Life…

Impact fees significantly reduce the burden on small town governments to pay for capital facilities necessitated by new development. Describes how an impact fee program in St. Albans, Vermont, helped offset costs in providing additional facilities and services related to parks and recreation, law enforcement, the library, fire protection, road…

Organized in a series of logically ordered planning components, this citizen's handbook seeks to develop local expertise for evaluating major economic impacts (economic growth or decline) in nonmetropolitan centers. In each section the user is guided through a set of simple calculations which provide quantitative answers regarding a particular…

In an effort to identify and assess the social, economic, and political effects of nuclear power plant construction and operation upon two host communities (Plymouth, Massachusetts and Waterford, Connecticut), a post-licensing review revealed that the primary impact of the nuclear power plants in both communities was an increase in the property…

Satisfaction with one's community is an elusive quality related to a variety of physical and social factors. As changes in the community become imminent, levels of satisfaction may also change. Residents of two communities were periodically questioned as their personal satisfaction, (happy place, suitable size), satisfaction with services…

An overview is provided of the development of the Dallas County Community College District's (DCCCD's) Community Development Program, highlighting its accomplishments during its first two and one-half years of operation, and the District's plans for the future. Section I offers introductory comments and defines community development as the process…

This article presents a case in which age was isolated as a highly significant factor affecting reported community satisfaction. Authors explain the findings as the result of four factors: (1) selective migration, (2) influence of length of residence, (3) acceptance of one's surroundings as one ages, and (4) rising expectations among the younger…

There is no present consensus regarding long-term consequences of rural industrialization on society. Since 1950, smaller rural communities in the South and Southwestern United States have gained in industrialization due to their generally low-wage non-union labor supply and lower tax structure, both attractive to industry seeking greater profits.…