in Mississippi

shown in table 2, each approach has different strengths and weaknesses. The secret is to pursue
most – if not all of them – at different times during the process. A comprehensive approach,
mixing approaches at different points in time, is the desired strategy for any community pursuing
community development.
Table 2. Community Development Approaches
CD Approach Advantages Disadvantages
Technical Assistance • Provides expert • Can generate dependency
know-how
• Top-down
• Solve technical issues
Self-Help • Focuses on assets
• Builds community
capacity
• Strengthens networks
Conflict • Spurs creativity
• Redistributes power
and resources
• Short-term time horizon
• Lengthy
• Complex
• Assumes potential and
motivation exist
• Requires efficient
manager
• May make things worse
These are general approaches, theoretical concepts that help in the understanding but when it
comes to where the rubber meets the road seem too broad. What then can help with identifying
and actually implementing these approaches? For that, we turn to specific frameworks and
strategies that in the practical world blend and become part of the CED process.
CED FRAMEWORKS & STRATEGIES
Now that we have theoretically understood that community and economic development are
similar but distinct concepts, we return to joining them into a single CED process. The following
CED frameworks and strategies are discussed: community capitals, intelligent community,
creative class, CARE model, and cluster-based economic development. Not meant to be
comprehensive. Rather, these are just some examples of a large list.
You will note that some frameworks and strategies gravitate more towards community
development or economic development or both. In addition, you may have heard of some or
have been implementing them without realizing they were part of a broader strategy or
theoretical concept. Regardless of the framework or strategy, they all fall under one or more of
the broad community development approaches discussed above. Keep in mind we will begin
with the more general or frameworks moving into more specific or strategies.
Community Capitals Framework
First up is the community capitals framework. This CED framework is perhaps the broadest and
most comprehensive. At its core, this framework describes any community with seven capitals:
natural, financial, built, social, political, human, and cultural (Emery and Flora 2006); (Flora and
Flora 2012). When properly connected, mobilized, and leveraged these community capitals result
in healthy, vibrant, prosperous, and empowered communities.
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