Synopses & Reviews
In Asset Building and Community Development Gary Paul Green and Anna Haines provide an engaging, thought-provoking, interdisciplinary overview of the community development field. They explore the history of the community development movement in the United States and in international settings. Using an asset-based approach that considers human, physical, social, financial, and environmental capital, the authors skillfully demonstrate how local organizations are better able to meet community needs than governmental programs or market strategies.
Synopsis
This is a very hands-on book, rich with both information and examples . . . what makes the volume especially readable is the insertion of brief case studies into most chapters . . . a productive read for both students of community development and the general public. --Deborah Puntenney, AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION JOURNAL
Can residents work together to improve the quality of life in their communities? There is continued skepticism about community-based efforts to overcome the problems of concentrated poverty and racial segregation in the inner city, underdevelopment in rural areas, and social isolation. Yet, there are numerous examples of residents helping their local communities provide affordable housing, job training, and financing for businesses.
In Asset Building and Community Development Gary Paul Green and Anna Haines provide an engaging, thought-provoking, interdisciplinary overview of the community development field. They explore the history of the community development movement in the United States and in international settings. Using an asset-based approach that considers human, physical, social, financial, and environmental capital, the authors skillfully demonstrate how local organizations are better able to meet community needs than governmental programs or market strategies.
Lively and informative, this well-crafted introduction to community development will appeal to students and to practitioners who want an understanding of the basic concepts and theories behind their activities.