The Community Development Reader is the first comprehensive reader in the past thirty years that brings together practice, theory and critique concerning communities as sites of social change. With chapters written by some of the leading scholars and practitioners in the field, the book presents a diverse set of perspectives on community development. These selections inform the reader about established and emerging community development institutions and practices as well as the main debates in the field. The second edition is significantly updated and expanded to include a section on globalization as well as new chapters on the foreclosure crisis, and emerging forms of community .

The control and utilization of urban spaces remains a highly contested issue. Much of the debate centers on issues of economic development versus the maintenance and support of already existing communities. As a number of urban areas are in the throes of gentrification and economic development projects, there is a dearth of information on not only the use of private power in this process, but also the response of the community members. This anthology responds to a growing concern about urban and community development, and the role of corporate power. These essays focus on key themes of land ownership and management, community resistance against corporate agendas, and public discourse over these issues. These themes are presented and developed within an interdisciplinary framework which includes information and commentary about history, contemporary politics, economic development, and ideology. Most of the chapters include case studies that provide concrete examples of contemporary developments in urban areas, and each chapter includes discussion questions and a list of key words and terms to help guide the reader.

In an effort to counter the argument that cities and communities are always powerless in the face of footloose corporations who think nothing of leaving localities in the lurch, Unmaking Goliath asks two key questions: What can localities do in the face of heightened capital mobility in order to retain an autonomy that furthers egalitarian social justice? And, how do we go about accomplishing this in practical terms? To answer these questions, DeFilippis analyzes four related matters: the feasibility of local autonomy in an era of mobile capital, whether local-control institutions improve the lives of ordinary citizens, whether local collective institutions provide more control to communities, and whether collective ownership at the local level has the potential to transform the larger American political economy. He shows that local institutions, if organized properly and guided by the right motives, can indeed foster autonomy within communities. This book will be welcome news to anti-globalization activists across the world.

Contents:
Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Understanding Capital Mobility, the "New Urban Politics," and Local Autonomy 2. Collective Ownership, Community Control and Community Development: The Long View 3. Collective Ownership of Work 4. Collective Ownership of Housing 5. Collective Ownership of Money 6. Conclusions Epilogue Bibliography

The Community Development Reader is the first comprehensive reader in the past thirty years that brings together practice, theory and critique concerning communities as sites of social change. With chapters written by some of the leading scholars and practitioners in the field, the book presents a diverse set of perspectives on community development. These selections inform the reader about established and emerging community development institutions and practices as well as the main debates in the field. The second edition is significantly updated and expanded to include a section on globalization as well as new chapters on the foreclosure crisis, and emerging forms of community .

What do community organizations and organizers do, and what should they do? For the past thirty years politicians, academics, advocates, and activists have heralded community as a site and strategy for social change. In contrast, "Contesting Community" paints a more critical picture of community work which, according to the authors--in both theory and practice--has amounted to less than the sum of its parts. Their comparative study of efforts in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada describes and analyzes the limits and potential of this work.

Covering dozens of groups, including ACORN, Brooklyn's Fifth Avenue Committee, and the Immigrant Workers Centre in Montreal, and discussing alternative models, this book is at once historical and contemporary, global and local. "Contesting Community" addresses one of the vital issues of our day--the role and meaning of community in people's lives and in the larger political economy.