An “Option for the Poor”: A Research Audit for Community-Based Regionalism in California's Central Coast

Community-based organizations are increasingly interested in tackling issues of regional economic development to address the inequality and resource shortfalls that plague their constituents. Some groups have conducted regional audits to understand the economic and political terrain and select entry...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Economic development quarterly 2003-05, Vol.17 (2), p.175-192
Main Authors: Pastor, Manuel, Benner, Chris, Rosner, Rachel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Audits
California
Collaboration
Community development
Community organization
Community studies
Economic development
Economics
Housing
Inequality
Initiatives
Leadership
Local communities
Neighborhoods
Power
Regional development
Regionalism
Social justice
Trends
U.S.A
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Community-based organizations are increasingly interested in tackling issues of regional economic development to address the inequality and resource shortfalls that plague their constituents. Some groups have conducted regional audits to understand the economic and political terrain and select entry points that will maximize their impact. This article reports on a collaborative effort between university and community partners in California's central coast that involved the development of a researchbased audit, and explains how the complex interplay of economic clusters, environmentalist traditions, and demographic changes led to an initial emphasis on housing. The authors note how the conscious power-building aspects of this approach can help with economic and community development and draw lessons for community-based regionalist efforts in other parts of the country.
ISSN:0891-2424
1552-3543
DOI:10.1177/0891242403017002005