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This is the first in a series of short pieces advocating for a collaborative approach to improving the quality of community life, and helps to illustrate the rationale behind a bottom-up, holistic community development movement. I welcome any comments you care to share. *** It seems that many of our major social and intellectual institutions… Continue reading Trust

Dysfunctional Community Love it, hate it, or just don’t care: the place where you live—your local community—will have good points and bad. All communities have some dysfunctional aspects, but of course the level or type of dysfunction matters. What is a dysfunctional community? “Dysfunction” refers to abnormal functioning, and a “dysfunctional community” is a neighborhood… Continue reading Dysfunctional Community

Institutional Framework Community development programs typically address issues affecting individuals, as well as a community’s overall health and well-being. Comprehensive programs can employ a wide range of strategies that may refer to defined beliefs and philosophies. An alternative approach includes customizing management structures within local government, encouraging community social engagement, and improving the networking of… Continue reading Institutional Framework

Collaboration A 2024 Gallop pole states that twenty percent of U.S. adults report feeling loneliness “a lot of the day yesterday.” Yet, a recent Pew Research study indicates that 75% of Americans are active in one kind of group or another. From a distance there appears to be a disconnect between people reporting they feel… Continue reading Collaboration

Community Boundaries I live in a village of about 8,000 people, surrounded by other similarly-populated villages and towns. My village is my community, and to some extent I can appreciate that the resources available to me have a border defined by the village. In some cases borders are necessary, as when my local taxes pay… Continue reading Community Boundaries