| Description |
Faced with the despair and devastation of inner cities, every U.S. administration since the 1960s has proposed some type of urban comunity development program. With each new presidency a new set of ideas and solutions has been proposed. These ideas have lead to frequent restructuring of development systems, but they have produced few innovations. The development platforms of the past quarter century have been characterized by an increasing emphasis on economic development and a growing separation between programs designed to revitilize the environments and economies of inner cities and those designed to help residents. The result has been dollar-driven development that has often lead to the displacement or further marginilization of low income, urban populations. The failure of many governmental initiatives has led to the development of numerous small-scale nonprofit groups dedicated to urban development. The most progressive of these groups are taking a holistic approach to solving community problems. They are integrating economic, physical, and social development goals in development strategies that utlize the ingenuity, dedication and labor of residents. Though quantitave data reflecting the success of these groups is still scarce, all indications are that such innovative development programs are experiencing remarkable success. At this point, there is a critical need for analysis of old and new development programs. Only by understanding the reasons for past failures and the principles guiding current success will policy makers be able to design and implement effective development initiatives for the future. Through examination of current literature, internet resources, and information from organizations working with new development methods, this paper attempts to draw attention to some of the key factors of U. S., urban community development. |
