The Future of Community Development: The Field and the Society July 17-20, 2022
Deadline for submissions: April 30, 2022
Amidst an ongoing global pandemic, social uprisings, and a divisive political climate, these past few years have invited us all to reckon with our identities, our work, and our futures. Many are seeing with more clarity the vast inequities and injustices of our governments and economies that impact the financial, physical, and mental wellbeing of our communities. Where do we go with this knowledge? How do we leverage this moment to recommit to racial, economic, and environmental justice?
Community Development is a transdisciplinary field of study and practice – having academic homes in planning, public administration, sociology, macro social work, and more – and practitioners across levels of government, nonprofit CDCs, developers, philanthropy, and social entrepreneurs. While our specializations may be vastly different, we come together around commitments to collaboration, community-driven practice, community sovereignty, dignity within diversity, informed practice, liberation and empowerment, social justice, and sustainability. Together, the work of community development is inherently richer and more inclusive; together, we can lean into all forms of justice that ground our work.
Under the theme, there are several focus areas for presentations, which you can learn more about in the form to submit a proposal, as well as the conference page of our website:
- People: the social sphere of community building
- Place: the environmental sphere of community development
- Prosperity: the economic sphere of community economic development
- Reflective Practice: reflections on practice and scholarship
We welcome (1) presentations on a single topic, (2) introductions of new tools and methods, (3) organized roundtable discussions, (4) organized themed panels, and (5) posters at this conference. Outside these presentation sessions, please look forward to main events like the annual business meeting and facilitated brainstorming sessions about the future of the Society.
If you have any questions or any trouble with the form, please contact programs@CDSociety.org. We look forward to reading your proposals and seeing you (virtually) in July!
Mary Emery, Vice Chair of Programs
