RE: CDC and resident capacity building program

["Alex Lantsberg" <alex@SAEJ.org>]

> Marty,
> It's tough enough to get good developers from our graduate and
undergraduate
> schools. What is it that makes you think that "community" people
> can be taught
> to do land development? Do you perceive land development as a traditional
> "volunteer" activity? I'm confused. It has been one of the glaring
> downfalls of
> U.S. domestic development policy to expect that a large number of poor,
> uneducated, undisciplined community folk to do land development in the
> economically least desireable places for businesses to invest? This is the
> very
> same irony in that accompanies the poor's involvement in
> brownfields. Do they
> have the money, the mind, the motivation to be effectively involved in the
> process? I don't think so.
>
> Emery

after reading many of emery's posts, this is the last thing i would have
expected to come from him.

my limited experience shows that although community folks don't necessarily
have the capacity to do all of the aspects of the devopment process--they
can play an important role throughout it.

community folks--especially those who have been there for decades--have a
deep understanding of what their communtiy needs.  for those who are
active--the motivation is definitely there.  to dismiss them smacks of an
elitist attitude that these folks can only talk, not do.

here in SF, a CDC has partnered with a traditional developer to transform
the oakland army base.  this development will address community needs, build
community wealth, and provide immense enviornmental benefits.  granted that
you still need the technical and finanical capacity to see the project
through, its the community thats in the lead, not the developer

alex lantsberg
SAEJ