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SYLLABUS: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 10:762:421:01 FALL 2014
Rutgers University: Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy
Instructor:
Class Loc/Hrs:
Contact:
Office Loc/Hrs:
Dr. Alan Cander
Scott Hall 121
Tuesdays 1:10 PM – 4:10 PM
alan.cander@rutgers.edu 848-932-2757
CSB 259
Wed. 2 PM to 5 PM and Thurs. 3 PM to 5 PM
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Welcome! Community development is a movement, a subfield of the social sciences,
and a governmental and nongovernmental process for empowering and “rebuilding”
disadvantaged communities and increasing their capital (human, social, physical, financial,
environmental, political, and cultural). An overarching goal is to help individuals and groups
build skills and develop relationships that encourage self-determination and positive, agreedupon community change.
The course is divided into two parts – Part I and Part II - each comprising about half
the semester – but some of the preparation for Part II will actually begin during Part I. In Part I,
students will explore the theory and practice of community development through the readings
and class lectures and discussions. We will cover a variety of topics, including:
 history of the community development movement
 different forms of capital and assets utilized in community development efforts – human,
social, financial, physical, cultural, and environmental
 common community development strategies and collaborative efforts between
community-based organizations (CBOs), community development corporations (CDCs),
nonprofits, and other entities to address the problems of disadvantaged neighborhoods
through affordable housing, youth empowerment, and workforce development
 applicable federal regulations and policies
 relevant urban planning concepts and practices, such as land use planning, zoning,
redevelopment, and sustainability.
Lectures will be supplemented with one or two PowerPoint presentations and an excellent
film about a successful community development effort in Boston, “Holding Ground – The
Dudley Street Initiative.
In Part II of the course students will have the opportunity to apply what they have
learned in class out in the field by conducting an assessment of the assets (human capital, social
capital, cultural capital, physical capital, etc.) in an actual New Brunswick neighborhood. The
details of this part of the course are mapped out in this syllabus under the section entitled
“community asset assessment and field work, group reports, and group presentations”. This
year, our target community is the Unity Square neighborhood, which is a residential core of
New Brunswick’s Latino community that also contains commercial land uses (bodegas, bakeries,
salons, variety stores, grocery stores, etc.) along Commercial, Remsen, and George Streets. This
is a fun and interesting class in which you will learn a lot, develop new skills, and gain field
experience!
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COURSE GOALS
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Study the history of the community development movement in the United States.
Learn about the strategies for assisting disadvantaged communities and governmental and
nongovernmental institutions involved in the community development process.
Learn about the forms of capital-building involved in community development: human,
social, financial, physical, cultural, environmental, and so forth.
Learn about federal programs and policies related to community development.
Learn about related urban planning concepts: land use planning, zoning, redevelopment,
and sustainability.
Apply the concepts we have explored and gain exposure to basic community
development field work through an asset assessment of a New Brunswick neighborhood.
Improve critical thinking and writing skills by applying course concepts to written
assignments.
Improve oral and graphic presentation skills.
ATTENDANCE/ABSENCES
 We only meet once per week so attendance is mandatory for all class sessions and it
is part of your class participation grade.
 Attendance will be taken at each class.
 Lateness will detract from your class participation grade.
 The only excused absences are: legitimately too ill to attend class; death in your
immediate family; unavoidable and legitimate personal or family emergency.
If you are legitimately ill you must use the online Rutgers absence form and email me it to
me ASAP. If there is a death in your immediate family or a legitimate emergency that will
necessitate your absence from class please notify me by email ASAP.
CLASS PARTICIPATION
Class participation counts for 15% of your grade and it means ACTIVE participation. That
means: attending class on time, providing your observations and insights about the readings, and
answering and asking questions during the lectures and discussions.
READINGS
Textbook: Green, Gary Paul and Anna Haines. (2008). Asset building and community
development (2nd Ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Available at the RU Bookstore.
Peer-reviewed Articles: On Sakai under Resources.
RESPONSE PAPERS
Students will write 2 response-type papers on specific questions on specific assigned readings not to exceed four spaces pages double-spaced in 12-point font. You must bring your response
papers to class in hard copy on the days they are due. Papers will be graded on a 100-point scale
based on content (organization, flow, grasp of material) but grammar, sentence structure, usage,
and spelling also count. You may only use the assigned readings in answering the questions for
these papers. You must provide citations for all sources within the text, including for direct
quotes from the readings.
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MID-TERM EXAM
The Mid-term Examination will consist of short answer and essay questions.
COMMUNITY ASSET ASSESSMENT AND FIELD WORK, GROUP REPORTS, AND
GROUP PRESENTATIONS (DURING PART II OF THE SEMESTER)
As noted above, students will apply what they have learned in class out in the field by
conducting an assessment of the assets (human capital, social capital, cultural capital, physical
capital, etc.) in an actual New Brunswick neighborhood. This is referred to as asset inventorying
and asset assessment. This year, our target community is New Brunswick’s largely Latino Unity
Square neighborhood, which is roughly bounded by Livingston, Morris, George, Commercial,
and Sandford Streets. Under my supervision and instruction Part II of the course will occur in 4
basic steps:
Step 1: Neighborhood Walk-Through (actually occurs September 30)
Class does a walk-through of major sections of the Unity Square neighborhood.
Step 2: Group Reconnaissance and Data Collection
Students work in Groups based on asset type (human capital, social capital, cultural capital,
physical capital, etc.) and conduct asset inventories and assessments. This includes field work in
which each Group walks through and observes the neighborhood, focusing on inventorying and
assessing the Group’s chosen asset/form of capital. Each Group collects relevant demographic
and economic data, reviews relevant city reports and plans, and interview relevant major
neighborhood stakeholders.
Step 3: Group Reports
Each group prepares and submits a written 15-18 page, double-spaced, 12-point font Group
Report of their Findings and Recommendations. Group Reports must credit all sources, provide
a bibliography, and indicate which section each student wrote. Each student must write at least
one section of the Report, themselves. Each Group Report shall contain the following
elements:
A. Introduction to the asset your Group inventoried and assessed and how you
accomplished that inventory and assessment.
B. Findings:
1. Inventory of the asset: What? Who? Where/Location? Extent/How much?
2. Assessment of the asset: Current conditions? Existing institutions and
agencies? Opportunities? Problem areas/issues? Barriers to full development
of the asset as a community development tool?
C. Recommendations for maximizing the asset as a community development tool
Step 4: Group Presentations
Each Group presents their findings and recommendations in front of the class and
stakeholders/interviewees we have invited from the target community. Group Reports and
Presentations are due at the end of the semester – per the syllabus. I encourage each Group to do
a dry-run of their Presentation with me!!
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Students receive individual grades for the section of the Group Report they write and for
their portion of the Group Presentation. Each student must write at least one section of the
Group Report by himself/herself. There only individual grades; there are no group-based
grades.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Please refer to the information on academic integrity contained at academicintegrity.rutgers.edu
Please note that cheating and plagiarism, including not giving proper credit to sources, are
violations of academic integrity. Additionally, the following are violations of academic
integrity: 1) turning in a paper for this class that you already wrote for another class or are
simultaneously writing for another class; and 2) including whole sections of papers you already
wrote or are writing for another class into the assignments and papers for this class. Violations
of academic integrity, you will – at the very least – result in a grade of “0” on that assignment.
HOW IS YOUR GRADE DETERMINED?
The breakdown of your grade for the course and grading scale are listed below. All assignments
and exams are graded on a 100-point scale.
Breakdown
Class participation
Response Paper 1
Response Paper 2
Mid-Term Exam
Group Reports
Presentations
15%
10%
10%
20%
30%
15%
Grading
A = 90 to 100
B+ = 87 to 89
B = 80 to 86
C+ = 77 to 79
C = 70 to 76
D = 60 to 69
F = 59 and below
LATE ASSIGNMENTS
 All assignments must be turned in on time. Late assignments will be penalized one half
letter grade per for each day late. Thus, a paper one day late would receive a B instead
of a B+, and so forth.
 The only acceptable excuses for late papers are your legitimate and documented
illness or a legitimate and documented family emergency, such as a death in the
immediate family. Please refer to ATTENDANCE, above.
 Assignments will not be accepted after one week (7 days) and will receive a 0. If you
simply fail to ever turn in an assignment you will receive a 0 for that assignment.
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EXTRA CREDIT
There are no extra credit opportunities in this class.
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE
 Please keep all CELL PHONES TURNED OFF during class time. You may use them
during class breaks but if you must make a phone call please do so out in the hallway.
 You may use your laptops during class time only for note-taking purposes and for
looking up material that pertains directly to our class. You may use them during
breaks for non-class activities (emailing, etc).
 Please remember, using electronic media for non-class purposes during class time is
rude and distracting to the other students and unfairly interferes with the learning
environment. If I catch you violating this class rule I will immediately ask you to
shut it down. It will also negatively impact your class participation grade.
 Classroom discussions will be conducted in a civilized manner that is respectful of
everyone and relevant to the course topics. I respect and anticipated reasoned differences
of opinion and I expect you to do the same.
 There is no such thing as a dumb question. Chances are very high that the other
students have the same questions. Besides, we all make mistakes – including me!
CONTACTING ME
The best way to contact me - to schedule a meeting, ask for individual assistance, discuss a
problem interfering with your performance, etc. – is via email at alan.cander@rutgers.edu.
PROBLEMS INTERFERING WITH YOUR PERFORMANCE
If you are having personal or family issues that are interfering with your performance in class
please contact me as soon as possible so that we can work something out to help you. These
conversations are completely confidential. We are all human. I am nonjudgmental and very
understanding – but again - you need to contact me early. If you wait until late November to
tell me about a problem that has interfered with your performance since the beginning of the
September there is often little, if anything, I can do to assist you.
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CLASS SCHEDULE, REQUIRED READINGS, AND ASSIGNMENTS
PART I: LEARNING ABOUT THE FIELD OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
September 2
 Required: Green and Haines, Chapter 1
 Go over syllabus, class requirements, and so forth.
September 9
 Required: Green and Haines, Chapters 2 and 3
 Required: Vidal, A. & Keating, W. D. (2004). Community development: current issues
and emerging challenges. Journal of Urban Affairs, 26(2), pp. 125-137 (on Sakai as
Vidal).
 Recommended: 1) Ferris, J., Norman, C. & Sempik, J. (2001). People, land and
sustainability: community gardens and the social dimension of sustainable development.
2) Social Policy & Administration. 35(5), pp. 559-568. (on Sakai as Ferris)
 Shaw, Mae. (2008). Community development and the politics of community. Community
Development Journal, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 24-36. (on Sakai as Shaw)
September 16
 Required: Green and Haines, Chapters 4 and 5
 Required: Lennertz, B. & Lutzenhiser, A. (2006). A charrette is the best way to share.
Planning, 72, 44-47. (on Sakai as Lennertz)
 Recommended: Gittel, R. & Wilder, M. (1999). Community development corporations:
critical factors that influence success. Journal of Urban Affairs, 21(3), pp. 341-362.(on
Sakai as Gittel)
 First Response Paper due in class in hard copy. Topic: Briefly define the concepts of
community development and sustainability as you understand them from the readings
and our early class discussions. Discuss what is meant by sustainability in the context
of community development.
September 23
 Required: Green and Haines, Chapters 6, 7, 8
 Required: DeFilippis, J. (2001). The myth of social capital in community development.
Housing Policy Debate, 12 (4), pp. 781-806. (on Sakai as DeFilippis)
 Recommended: Jacobs, R. (2002). Human resource development and the emergence of
workforce development: practical and philosophical implications. In Advances in
Developing Human Resources, Chapter 2, pp. 65-69. Sage Publications.(on Sakai as
Jacobs)
 Video: Holding Ground: The Rebirth of Dudley Street (1996) – one of the most
acclaimed community development efforts in the country, which took place in the
Roxbury section of Boston.
September 30
 Required: Green and Haines, Chapters 9 and 10
 Required: Bockmeyer, J.L. (2003). Devolution and the transformation of community
housing activism. The Social Science Journal, 140, pp. 175-188. (on Sakai as
Bockmeyer)
 Second Response Paper due in class in hard copy. Topic: Discuss the concept of social
capital in the context of community development? What does it mean or entail? In your
opinion, is it a valid concept? Why or why not?
 Walk Through of Unity Square Neighborhood
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October 7
 Required: Green and Haines, Chapters 11, 12, 13
 Recommended: Turner, R.S. (1999). Entrepreneurial neighborhood initiatives: political
capital in community development. Economic Development Quarterly, 13(1), pp. 15-22.
(on Sakai as Turner)
 Required: Phillips, R. (2004). Artful business: using the arts for community economic
development. Community Development Journal, 39, pp. 112-121. (on Sakai as Phillips)
 Recommended: Pothukuchi, K. (2005). Attracting supermarkets to inner-city
neighborhoods: economic development outside the box. Economic Development
Quarterly, 19(3), pp. 232-244. (on Sakai as Pothukuchi)
 Class divides into Groups based on types of assets/resources/capital they wish to
inventory and assess (Human, Social, Cultural, Physical, Financial,
Environmental/Open Space, etc.)
 Study Guide handed out for the Mid-Term
October 14
 Mid-Term Examination 1:10 PM to 3:20 PM
 Orientation on the remainder of the term and to 1) the Community Asset Inventory and
Assessment; and 2) the Final Report
 Short PowerPoint on Asset Assessment (aka Asset Mapping)
 Handouts on Asset Inventory and Assessment
 Handouts on Unity Square Neighborhood and Review of Neighborhood Online
PART II: PUTTING WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED INTO PRACTICE
October 21
 Mid-Term examinations returned
 Each Group conducts their own Tour of Unity Square Neighborhood to begin data
collection and reconnaissance
October 28
 Quick Recap of Asset Inventory and Assessment Process
 Quick Recap of Groups and Report and Presentation Requirements
 Work in Groups: Groups Walk the Neighborhood, Groups Start Preparing Outlines for
their Group’s Asset Inventory and Assessment
 Work on Group Work Outline:
 Specific Resources, Groups, Institutions, Agencies to Inventory and
Assess
 Specific Stakeholders, Groups and Agencies to Contact and Interview
 List of interview questions – What is working for you and for the
community/Strengths? What is not working?/Weaknesses? Why is it not
working? What have you tried to rectify the problems? What needs to
change to make a better community? How should that change happen?
 Kind of Graphic Materials [Maps, Tables, Charts, Photos, Illustrations]
Needed for Group Report and Presentation
 Which Student will do what? How will you all work together?
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November 4
 Work with your Groups:
 Walk Neighborhood
 Gather demographic or document-type data/information
 Determine who to Interview and Contact them to Set up Interviews
 Outlines due
November 11
 Work with your Groups:
 Walk Neighborhood
 Gather demographic or document-type data/information
 Determine who to Interview and Contact them to Set up Interviews
 Conduct Interviews
November 18
 Continue Group work
 Start writing process for Group Report and start preparing the Presentation
November 25 NO CLASS – WE ARE ON THANKSGIVING WEEK SCHEDULE
December 2
 Work on Final Report and Presentation
 Schedule Dry-Run of Presentation with Dr. Cander (me)
December 9
 Presentations in front of Class and Invited Stakeholders, Community Leaders, and
Other Interviewees
December 13
 Group Reports Due submitted onto class Sakai site by 6:00 PM