The Community Economic Development Project

We at the Center for Community Problem Solving advance a democratic vision of development in which everyday residents – and not just the wealthy and well-connected – can take advantage of opportunities to grasp, track, and shape economic development policies and practices. In stark contrast to New York City’s current approach, our vision reflects and encompasses the views of low-income, of color, and immigrant populations. We insist that those populations most directly affected by economic development proposals must have the opportunity to influence how collectively we frame economic problems, debate choices, and implement decisions.

Our vision entails not just strategies and tactics and not just projects and initiatives. In our view, a practically effective and politically ambitious approach to development must simultaneously focus upon the institutional arrangements and problem-solving practices central to imaginative and helpful possibilities. With the benefit of extensive and continuing empirical research and conversations with a broad range of New York City residents, business leaders, policy makers, funders, and activists, the Center has initiated a range of economic development endeavors directly responsive to the needs and aspirations of low-income, of color, and immigrant communities and openly aimed at changing how together we do development work.

We have been building campaigns (community education workshops, guides, public awareness drives) and pulling together networks of problem solvers (interdisciplinary, public, and private) that in combination help low-income, of color, and immigrant communities take stock of and influence “economic development.” A sample of our community economic development work portfolio includes the following:

• Enforcing relevant labor and environmental laws in low-wage labor markets (The Fair & Just Workplace Campaign)
• Enhancing knowledge about banking, budget, and credit choices (The Streetwise About Money Campaign)
• Targeting the economic challenges facing the formerly incarcerated (The Reentry Project)
• Developing policies requiring “community impact reports” for all proposed development projects
• Expanding investment in human capital (health, education, job training)
• Explaining the impact and opportunities to shape use of government subsidies.