Community Development and Public Administration Theory: Promoting Democratic Principles to Improve Communities

The concept of community development is often misunderstood, holding different meanings across different academic disciplines. Moreover, the concept of community development has been historically abstracted, not only in the way the concept has been conceptualized in academic studies, but also by the way in which practitioners use the term in the vernacular. Departing from traditional definitions of community development, this volume applies the New Public Service (NPS) perspective of Public Administration to community development to illustrate how public administrators and public managers can engage in community development planning and implementation that results in more equitable and sustainable long-term outcomes.

This book will be of interest to practitioners and researchers in public administration/management, public administration theory, community development, economic development, urban sociology, urban politics, and urban planning.

Ashley E. Nickels is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at Kent State University. Nickels is an interdisciplinary scholar, whose work focuses on urban politics and policy, community-based organizations and organizing, and local democracy. Nickels’ current research investigates the politics of municipal takeovers, focusing on policy design, implementation, and feedback. She is co-editor of Grand Rapids Grassroots: An Anthology (Belt) and co-editor of Feminist Pedagogy, Practice, and Activism (Routledge).

Jason D. Rivera is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science (division of Public Administration) at SUNY Buffalo State. His research focuses on the institutional structures that have historically perpetuated social vulnerability within minority and low-income communities. He is also interested in social vulnerability to natural and manmade disasters with an emphasis on minority experiences. Prior to his arrival at SUNY Buffalo State, Rivera has taught Public Administration and Political Science at Rowan University and Rutgers University-Camden.