Publication

This paper discusses the Volunteer Action and Local Democracy: A Partnership for a Better Urban Future (VALD) project from Chicago. The authors describe the social, political and economic forces that tend to limit the influence of community organizations on decision-making processes in the city. The paper presents three case studies on the interaction between Chicago authorities and community organizations around urban redevelopment issues in Chicago’s Near South Side neighborhoods of Chinatown, South Loop and South Armour Square, as well as the reactions to the main themes of the study by a Chicago Department of Planning and Development official and a prominent NGO activist.