2022 CDS Virtual Conference
July 17 – July 20
The Future of Community Development: The Field and the Society
2022 CDS Virtual Conference | July 17-20, 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.
Registration Discount
In an effort to maximize accessibility and participation from students and practitioners working with small nonprofits, CDS is offering a $50 reduction in registration fees for up to 20 students and 20 small nonprofit practitioners (the first to apply and qualify).
Because registration for student Members is only $25, we are limiting this discount to students seeking the conference registration + 1 year CDS Membership bundle (originally $100).
For practitioners, both existing and new Members qualify, so long as the nonprofit organization they work for has an operating budget of less than $500,000 USD.
Register
Bundle: Conference Registration + 1-year CDS Membership
For non-members, conference registration includes 1 year of CDS membership.
If you are an active CDS Member, please log in to your account and return to this page to view conference-only registration options.
Conference Program
The 2022 conference program centered on two major foci: (1) the future of the field and (2) the future of CDS. There will be plenaries and sessions to explore these two themes. We will have traditional conference concurrent sessions of presentations and discussions as well as several opportunities to learn more about how to get involved in the Society. We will conclude with the Annual Meeting of the Members and small celebration on Wednesday.
As details are available for the conference program, they will be added here.
Monday, July 18, 10am – 5pm Eastern Time (US & Canada)
This day will focus on Community Development as a field, featuring an opening plenary and several concurrent sessions.
Tuesday, July 19, 10am – 6:30pm Eastern Time (US & Canada)
This day will focus on the Community Development Society, featuring a Society-focused plenary, more concurrent sessions, several participatory planning sessions with CDS working groups, and ways to get involved in the future of the Society.
Wednesday, July 20, 10am – 1pm Eastern Time (US & Canada)
This final half day will feature the Annual Meeting of the Members and an address from our 2021-2022 Chair, Ron Hustedde.
Conference Theme Focus Areas
Under the theme The Future of Community Development: the Field and the Society, there are four focus areas, each with several sub-categories. These help us achieve coherence among breakout sessions as well as the conference overall. We look forward to engaging these topics with you in July!
People: the social sphere of community building
- Community organizing and building collective power
- Building and enhancing human and social capital
- Navigating changing demographics due to migration and displacement
- Building communities of interest/identity/practice (as opposed to communities of place)
- Participatory practice, self-governance, and community control
Place: the environmental sphere of community development
- Equitable planning and development of built environment
- Planning, stewardship, and restoration of natural environment
- The rural/urban divide, and the future of cities and rural communities
- Environmental justice
Prosperity: the economic sphere of community economic development
- Small business development and financing
- Solidarity economies, alternative economies, or market-based solutions
- Community financing for social, economic, and physical infrastructures
- Creating and connecting to robust employment opportunities in changing economies
Reflective Practice: reflections on practice and scholarship
- Community development education
- Critical approaches to community development practice and research
Who's coming?
57 people are attending 2022 CDS Virtual Conference
