URB 323 - Community Development (4 Credits)

Prerequisite: None
Community development is a term used to describe strategies for improving the standard of living in low-income communities, often, but not always, in urban environments. The term is used widely and in varied contexts–sometimes applied to physical infrastructure; sometimes to quality-of-life issues. In this course, topics covered under the rubric of community development include: housing and infrastructure, economic activity, education, commercial outlets, access to healthy food, and public safety. The course will examine the way the term “community development” has been defined and used historically in the U.S. It will address the role of government and policy in community development, including the role of Community Development Corporations. Students will explore concepts of community development, focusing on current theories and empirical data to evaluate the effectiveness of different strategies for community development. They will seek to answer central questions, concerning community development: who sets goals; who has agency; how are diverse interests and needs balanced-or not balanced. Students will analyze case studies of specific community development projects. These case studies will provide the basis for a final research paper.