Asset-Based Community Development

Asset-based community development is a methodology that seeks to highlight the potential to make use of the strengths within communities as a means for sustainable development. This method focuses attention internally, identifying internal strengths by helping communities discover, map and mobilize their local assets. This approach becomes important in development efforts, as it looks primarily at a communities needs.

This is the focus of a paper by Coady Institute authors Alison Mathie and Gord Cunningham, “Who is Driving Development: Reflections on the Transformative Potential of Asset-Based Community Development.”

The paper takes a look at some aspects of Asset-Based Community Development. Particularly it offers a set of principles and practices to mobilize and keep sustainable community development. It also makes lines of distinction between these principles and practice — such as the concept of social capital, social psychology, enhancement of capacity to engage communities and so on. Finally, the paper offers challenges to implementing asset-based community approaches to sustainablility.

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