Although most countries in the world are rapidly urbanizing, the majority of the global population - particularly the poor - continue to live in rural areas. This Handbook rejects the popular notion that urbanization should be universally encouraged and presents clear evidence of the vital importance of rural people and places, particularly in terms of environmental conservation. Expert contributors from around the world explore how global trends, state policies and grassroots movements affect contemporary rural areas in both developed and developing countries.Rural development policies have historically focused primarily on increasing agricultural productivity, but this volume demonstrates the need for a much broader approach as rural producers become increasingly integrated into the global economy. Following a comprehensive discussion of rural development theory and policy, the contributors tackle a number of diverse topics, including resource dependence, migration, entrepreneurship and microfinance, tourism and gender issues. The book concludes with detailed explorations of rural development in different areas of the world, including Africa, China and Latin America. Professors and students of development studies, agricultural economics, environmental studies and sociology will find this Handbook an indispensable resource, as will practitioners and policymakers working in rural areas around the world. Contributors: A. Bonanno, I. Carrillo, K.J. Curtis, M. Dougherty, S. Gasteyer, R. Goe, S. Goetz, S. Golding, G.P. Green, C. Herman, T.G. Johnson, D. Kraybill, L. Lobao, D. Marcouiller, A. Mukherjee, C. Sachs, J. Sharp, R. Stedman, E. da Via, L. Zhang, J.A. Zinda

Rural areas face numerous challenges in building a high-wage, high-skilled workforce. In response to these obstacles, many regions have established workforce development networks that provide stronger linkages between employers, schools, training institutions and community-based organizations. Gary Paul Green examines in this book how these networks are organized, why employers and training institutions participate in them and whether they are effective. Drawing upon data from training institutions, employers and other organizations in rural areas, the author takes a multi-method approach to examining workforce development networks by combining qualitative and quantitative data, as well as considering various actors. Collaborative models of training are found to provide a strong incentive for employers to increase their investment in job training, reduce the risk and cost of training, and improve the flow of information in local labor markets. The author also describes the critical role community-based organizations play by broadening the available training and providing stronger ties with employers and workers. He concludes that workforce development policy needs to recognize the importance of grassroots organizations in job training and build institutional support for their activities. The new data and analyses will be of great interest to academics working in the area of rural and workforce development. Community and workforce development practitioners as well as human resource managers will appreciate the concrete suggestions for policy and practice.

Food has become an essential component in community development practice. Whether in reference to building a local or regional food system or addressing food insecurity, food has become a focus in community development approaches in many localities. Farmers markets, community gardens, farm-to-school programs, and other food-centered initiatives have been used to foster community development processes across a spectrum of desired outcomes. The surging interest in food for fostering community development draws attention to numerous applications, ranging from grassroots efforts to formal programs sponsored by the public or nonprofit sectors. These efforts are often in conjunction with local private businesses, helping create micro-businesses and supporting the small farm movement. Some regions are even considering economic development strategies of "food clusters" to promote speciality food businesses and supporting programs. This volume explores the relationships between food and community, and the various approaches for development through a selection of chapters illustrating a wide range of applications. This book is a compilation of articles published in the journal Community Development.

While many rural areas continue to experience depopulation and economic decline, others are facing rapid in-migration, as well as employment and income growth. Much of this growth is due to the presence and use of amenity resources, broadly defined as qualities of a region that make it an attractive place to live and work. Rather than extracting natural resources for external markets, these communities have begun to build economies based on promoting environmental quality. Amenities and Rural Development explores the paradigmatic shift in how we view land resources and the potential for development in amenity-rich rural regions. Amenity-based growth can lead to several paths, based largely on proximity to urban areas and the type of development that occurs, whether it be seasonal residents, retirees, or tourism. The distributional implications of amenity-led development are an important consideration for policy, both within and between communities and regions. The contributors conclude that public policy needs to focus on maximizing complementary and supplementary uses while minimizing antagonistic uses of amenities. Scholars and policymakers concerned with economic development and natural resource management will find this comprehensive volume of great interest.

Food has become an essential component in community development practice. Whether in reference to building a local or regional food system or addressing food insecurity, food has become a focus in community development approaches in many localities. Farmers markets, community gardens, farm-to-school programs, and other food-centered initiatives have been used to foster community development processes across a spectrum of desired outcomes. The surging interest in food for fostering community development draws attention to numerous applications, ranging from grassroots efforts to formal programs sponsored by the public or nonprofit sectors. These efforts are often in conjunction with local private businesses, helping create micro-businesses and supporting the small farm movement. Some regions are even considering economic development strategies of "food clusters" to promote speciality food businesses and supporting programs. This volume explores the relationships between food and community, and the various approaches for development through a selection of chapters illustrating a wide range of applications. This book is a compilation of articles published in the journal Community Development.

A comprehensive approach focused on sustainable change Asset Building and Community Development, Fourth Edition examines the promise and limits of community development by showing students and practitioners how asset-based developments can improve the sustainability and quality of life. Authors Gary Paul Green and Anna Haines provide an engaging, thought-provoking, and comprehensive approach to asset building by focusing on the role of different forms of community capital in the development process. Updated throughout, this text explores how communities are building on their key assets-physical, human, social, financial, environmental, political, and cultural capital- to generate positive change. With a focus on community outcomes, the authors illustrate how development controlled by community-based organizations provides a better match between assets and the needs of the community.

Historical context, theoretical grounding, critical issues perspective, and the "how-to" for community development This collection of work by leading community development scholars presents students with a theoretical and practical introduction to the field. The text progresses seamlessly from a theoretical overview to a historical overview to three approaches to community development (ecological, interactional, and structural-functional), then explores the practice of community development along with technical assistance, action research, evaluation research, and the role of local organizations, local leadership, and coalitions. The book concludes with critical issues, such as rural development, inner-city development, youth in community development, health care, public schools, and sustainable development. Key features include: New community development intervention models, using examples from recent events to demonstrate the strengths and challenges of such models Community service-learning activities, providing useful examples and case studies of successful service-learning programs in communities A hierarchy of learning activities and exercises within each chapter, ensuring that students learn how to apply concepts to real-world issues Relevant cases of successful community development interventions, giving students examples of 'best practices' Major trends, challenges, and prospects for the future in community development, helping students identify key issues and opportunities Instructor Teaching Site: Password-protected resources contain learning modules, developed by the authors, which include exercises and activities which reinforce chapter content, and demonstrate application of concepts in real-life communities. Student Study Site: Open-access study materials include chapter self-quizzes to aid content learning. This comprehensive, introductory survey text is designed for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in Community Development, Urban Studies, Rural Development, and Introduction to Service Learning found in departments of sociology, public administration, management, and social work.

As communities face new social and economic challenges as well as political changes, the responsibilities for social services, housing needs, and welfare programs are being placed at the local government level. But can community-based organizations address these concerns effectively? The editors and contributors to Mobilizing Communities explore how these organizations are responding to these challenges, and how asset-based development efforts can be successful.