Editors’ Comments
Effective community development involves many players and groups, but empowering residents and engaging them in the development process is the heart of community development planning and activity. Of special importance is identifying, encouraging, and involving minorities or other groups who otherwise may be overlooked in the development process even when they have special talents and contributions to make. Working with these groups usually takes a special effort and/or strategy, but there is evidence that their active involvement can reap substantial benefits for the future of the community.
This special issue on Participation, guest edited by Robert Mark Silverman, makes a significant contribution to the literature. The topic was selected by Ted Bradshaw, in conjunction with Robert Silverman, and was well underway when Ted died. Ted valued this topic highly, and he would be proud of the results. The authors address the need for Citizen Participation as they provide conceptual frameworks for understanding its importance and describe successful implementation strategies along with several case studies to illustrate the outcomes.
It is our hope that this issue will foster new research and discussion within the Journal and other outlets that will lead to advancements in promoting citizen engagement and participation. We think that you will find that these articles challenge some of the current thinking on this topic, and they will provide insights into ways to advance the state of community and economic involvement, resulting in higher quality of life for everyone in communities.
The editors thank Michael Peter Smith, Professor and Chair of the Department of Community Development, Department of Human & Community Development, and the University of California, Davis, for providing financial support during the transition process. The co-editors thank Marilu Carter, Managing Editor, for her diligence and hard work in compiling and preparing this issue for publication. She spent many more hours than expected to produce a high quality product, and we all owe her a debt of gratitude for these efforts. We appreciate the technological skills and meticulous concern for detail by the Journal’s layout designer, Raymond Park.
Finally, the staff of Community Development: Journal of the Community Development Society appreciates the diligent assistance of the following reviewers who reviewed manuscripts in 2006. You are indispensable in helping the Journal maintain its rigorous standing, encouraged by Ted Bradshaw’s pursuit of excellence. If during the transition of editors, we have omitted your name from this list, we sincerely apologize for the omission.
Steve Aigner
Theodore R. Alter**
Mahyar Arefi
Susan Baer
Fabricio Balcazar
Robert Blair
Gayann Brandenberg
Jeffrey C. Bridger
Janice Bockmeyer
Nathan Brightbill
Arthur Brooks
Mary Brydon-Miller
Anthony Cahill
Rachel Connelly
Laura D. Crank
Sarah Dewees
Alexandra Enders
D. Merrill Ewert
Esther Farmer
Frank Farmer
David Fasenfest
Celia S. Feinstein
Peter Fisher
Cornelia Butler Flora
Dana Friedman
Katherine Froehlich-Grobe
Steven Brian Garasky
**reviewed two or more manuscripts
Norman Walzer
Interim Co-Editor
Western Illinois University
Ron Hustedde
Interim Co-Editor
University of Kentucky
Rina Ghose
Gary Paul Green
Cathy Haarstad
Anna Haines
Heidi Hartmann
Lauren C. Heberle
Mark Henry
Anthony Hickey
David Holland
Deborah Howe
Joyce Jacobsen
Stephen Jeanetta
James Jennings
Thomas G. Johnson
Ginny Junk
Stephen Kauffman
H. Gibbs Knotts**
Gus Koehler
Peter F. Korsching
Greg Laudeman
Joan Lombardi
Jonathan London
Scott Loveridge
Christopher D. Merrett
Jane M. Mosley
Dorothy E. Nary**
Jan Nisbet
Domenico Parisi
Mark Peterson
David E. Procter
Curtis Richards
Laurel Richards
Carol B. Roskey
Anna M. Santiago
Jeff Sharp
Martin Shields
Sigmund C. Shipp
Robert Silverman
Randy Stoecker
John Sylvestre
Ann R. Tickamyer
Gene Theodori
Meg Ann Traci**
Kim Walker
Knut Westeren
Glen White
Robert Weiner
Scott Wituk
Brett Zollinger**