Step One in the Community Analysis: Understanding Communities—Their History and Current Conditions Purpose:  This chapter describes the first step of the community analysis, which includes developing an understanding of a community’s history, socioeconomic and political characteristics, assets, and resources. At this stage, a consensus organizer gathers information about the community, including a community’s history, information on current conditions and how the community has changed over time (i.e., demographic, economic, and social characteristics), and prior relationships with neighboring communities. Several methods for gathering and analyzing information are discussed, including conducting walking and windshield surveys of the neighborhood, securing census data on the community available through the U.S. Census Bureau, and using geographic information systems (GIS). A set of strategic questions are provided to help participants conduct this step of the community analysis. In addition, a case study demonstrates how Step One of the community analysis was applied in a consensus organizing project in Palm Beach County, Florida. Learning Objectives: To describe and examine the overall goals and objectives of Step One of the community analysis. To identify and describe the strategies and methods for gathering information on a community’s history and current conditions. To demonstrate how the strategies and methods for gathering information on a community’s history and current conditions were applied in a consensus organizing project. To apply the strategies and methods for gathering information on a community’s history and current conditions to an actual community. Keywords:  community history, socioeconomic characteristics, political characteristics, census data, geographic information systems, windshield survey, assets, resources. Overall Purpose of Step one of the Community Analysis The goal of Step One of the community analysis is to gather information about the community, make initial contacts, and get an overall picture of the community’s history, current conditions, assets, resources, and social, economic, physical, and cultural characteristics. Consensus organizers gather information about a community by interviewing residents, and gathering information such as census data. They also get a visual picture of the neighborhood by conducting walking and windshield surveys. Historical and current information on the community is gathered from community and organizational Web sites, newspapers, and interviews with residents and community organizations. Some of the areas to analyze in Step One of the community analysis include: the community’s actual name and if that differs from the name residents give the community; the physical boundaries and characteristics of the community; when the community began, who the first inhabitants or immigrants were, and important historical events that have occurred in the community; who lives in the communit.

1. Step One in the Community Analysis: Understanding
Communities—Their History and Current Conditions
Purpose:
This chapter describes the first step of the community analysis,
which includes developing an understanding of a community’s
history, socioeconomic and political characteristics, assets, and
resources. At this stage, a consensus organizer gathers
information about the community, including a community’s
history, information on current conditions and how the
community has changed over time (i.e., demographic, economic,
and social characteristics), and prior relationships with
neighboring communities. Several methods for gathering and
analyzing information are discussed, including conducting
walking and windshield surveys of the neighborhood, securing
census data on the community available through the U.S.
Census Bureau, and using geographic information systems
(GIS). A set of strategic questions are provided to help
participants conduct this step of the community analysis. In
addition, a case study demonstrates how Step One of the
community analysis was applied in a consensus organizing
project in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Learning Objectives:
To describe and examine the overall goals and objectives of
Step One of the community analysis.
To identify and describe the strategies and methods for
gathering information on a community’s history and current
conditions.
To demonstrate how the strategies and methods for gathering
information on a community’s history and current conditions
were applied in a consensus organizing project.
To apply the strategies and methods for gathering information
on a community’s history and current conditions to an actual
community.
Keywords:
community history, socioeconomic characteristics, political

2. characteristics, census data, geographic information systems,
windshield survey, assets, resources.
Overall Purpose of Step one of the Community Analysis
The goal of Step One of the community analysis is to gather
information about the community, make initial contacts, and get
an overall picture of the community’s history, current
conditions, assets, resources, and social, economic, physical,
and cultural characteristics. Consensus organizers gather
information about a community by interviewing residents, and
gathering information such as census data. They also get a
visual picture of the neighborhood by conducting walking and
windshield surveys. Historical and current information on the
community is gathered from community and organizational Web
sites, newspapers, and interviews with residents and community
organizations. Some of the areas to analyze in Step One of the
community analysis include:
the community’s actual name and if that differs from the name
residents give the community;
the physical boundaries and characteristics of the community;
when the community began, who the first inhabitants or
immigrants were, and important historical events that have
occurred in the community;
who lives in the community, where they work, their income
levels, and their family sizes and status;
the type and condition of housing and the ratio of renters to
homeowners;
the conditions of the commercial district, the types of
businesses located there, who owns them, and if residents are
employed at neighborhood businesses;
the major institutions in the community, including schools and
hospitals;
places where people gather (e.g., playgrounds, street corners,
community centers); and
political activity in the neighborhood (e.g., involvement of
government representatives, voting patterns).
Gathering Information About the Community

3. There are a number of resources relating to communities from
which information can be gathered. Beyond simply walking
around neighborhoods, consensus organizers can collect public
and private publications about the community, including
newspaper articles, historical records, reports on previous
programs, and information from local government, community,
and organizational Web sites. Organizers can also ask
community members about where the best places are to gather
information about the community and where to begin their
search. Information about the community can also be gathered
by connecting with major institutions and agencies in the
community, attending public functions, gathering information
from libraries and local planning departments, and reviewing
census data. The goal is to canvass all available resources to
obtain a diversity of information so that a realistic picture of
the community can be painted.
Conducting Walking and Windshield Surveys
A “walking” survey typically involves choosing a location that
is an active area of the community (e.g., preferably a business
district) and walking through the area during the daylight hours.
A “windshield” survey involves driving through the community
to get a visual picture of the community. Exactly as the name
implies, the organizer drives through the assigned neighborhood
and observes and notes what is visible through the windshield.
Typical windshield surveys will give the consensus organizer an
overall sense of the neighborhood’s physical conditions,
including the condition of the housing, public amenities (e.g.,
parks and community centers), institutions, or businesses in the
area. The physical appearance of a community tells one part of
the story and may help fill in gaps that census data do not
reveal. For example, you might have census data that show the
percentage of homeowners or vacant units in a community, but a
visual picture of the neighborhood tells you the condition of the
housing. Second, census data may be a few years old, so it’s
important to observe demographic patterns. For example, the
census may indicate that 10% of the population is Hispanic;

4. however, when you drive around the neighborhood, it appears as
if there are more Hispanics in the neighborhood than indicated
by the census data. Housing markets and conditions can also
change rapidly, particularly in areas affected by gentrification.
A windshield survey can be done on a regular basis to determine
the status of buildings in a neighborhood. Typically a set of
criteria will be determined up front, so that each time the survey
is done you are comparing “apples to apples.” For example,
government agencies may rate exterior building conditions on a
scale of 1 through 5, with 1 being
excellent condition
and 5 being
condemned
. By understanding the government’s system, you can examine
the ratings on specific buildings, and conduct your own
windshield survey to keep up-to-date information on their
condition. Community organizers use windshield surveys
throughout the organizing process to supplement data and gain
important observations about the community.
While windshield surveys have their place, the best way to get
to know a neighborhood is to explore it on foot. By walking
around the neighborhood, the consensus organizer gets a feel
for the community and will naturally meet people along the
way. An easy way to do this is to begin by visiting business
establishments in the area. You might be surprised at what you
will learn about the neighborhood by having lunch at a local
café or getting a haircut at the local barbershop or hair salon.
You might also find that people you meet at these
establishments can help you make connections to residents and
other groups.
When conducting the windshield and walking surveys, it is
important to use safe practices. If possible, conduct the surveys
with at least one other person. It is also a good idea to conduct
the surveys with a neighborhood resident, or at least get
feedback from people who live and work there (for example,
homeowners, clergy, neighborhood leaders, or local business

5. owners) about when it is safe to explore the neighborhood. In
addition, contact local community police officers to ask for
their advice about when it is safe to explore the community.
You should also consider conducting the surveys during
daylight hours if you are alone. For example, if you do your
tour on a sunny Saturday afternoon, you are likely to see and
meet more people. Consider visiting other public spaces where
people might congregate, such as a public park, the
neighborhood library, or the schoolyard at the beginning or end
of the school day. All are great spots to observe and meet
people. You may also want to start by attending a public
meeting in the neighborhood first, to get feedback from
residents about conducting the surveys.
Organizers for the Neighborhood Development Program of the
Family Service Association in Dayton, Ohio, once worked in a
neighborhood where mistrust was so high it was impossible to
have house meetings. Local institutions also had mixed reviews,
and all were nonsmoking establishments. One of the community
organizers held many of her first organizing sessions in the
local laundromat and a doughnut shop. The owners of both
businesses were open to the organizer and residents having
meetings at their places of business because the organizer had
previously built relationships with these owners during a
walking tour of the neighborhood. Another community
organizer from the Dayton program loved basketball, so he
would always look for a pickup game in neighborhoods he was
working in. He was able to meet many people right away, and
have fun too! One of the other organizers had a sweet tooth. If
the neighborhood had a bakery, candy store, or ice cream parlor,
that’s where she went first! A neighborhood tour can be fun. As
you meet people in the community, your comfort level will rise
and you will find yourself naturally spending more time on the
block level. Remember to make your first interactions count and
build on people’s strengths. Don’t be alarmed that within a
short time of your being in the neighborhood, everyone will
know who

6. you
are.
Gathering and Understanding Census Data
Table 6.1
describes the major types of census data that a consensus
organizer might gather in Step One of the community analysis,
including the overall demographic characteristics of the
neighborhood, and social, economic, and housing
characteristics. Make sure you get as up-to-date information as
possible from the U.S. Census Bureau and local government
planning, housing, community development, and social service
departments. The Census Bureau Web site (
www.census.gov
) allows users to get census track as well as block level data,
making it much easier to get specific neighborhood level data.
In addition, you may want to compare data over time to
illustrate changes that may have occurred in the neighborhood.
Table 6.1 Types of Census Data to Gather on the Community
Type of Data
Information to Gather
General Demographics
Total population Population growth rate
Current population and change over time (change over past 10
years—for example, comparing the year 2005 with 1995)
Gender
Number and percentage of males and females
Age
Median age; number and percentage of various age groups
Race/ethnicity
Number and percentage of major racial and ethnic groups
Households by type
Number and percentage of family, married, single female,
nonfamily, living alone, and living alone/over 65 years old
HH/family size
Average household size; average family size

7. Social Characteristics
School enrollment (3 years and over)
Number and percentage in nursery/preschool, kindergarten,
elementary, high school, and college or graduate school
Educational attainment (25 years and over)
Number and percentage with no diploma, high school
graduate/GED, some college/no degree, associate’s degree,
bachelor’s degree, and graduate/professional degree
Marital status
Number and percentage of never married, now married (except
separated), separated, widowed, and divorced
Fertility
Number and percentage of women by age group (married and
unmarried) who had a birth in the past 12 months
Grandparents
Number and percentage of grandparents living with
grandchildren under 18 years old by gender, marital status,
labor force, and poverty status
Residence 1 year ago
Number and percentage in same house, different house, living
abroad
Language spoken at home
Number and percentage by language (English only, other than
English)
Economic Characteristics
Employment status (18 years and over)
Number and percentage in the labor force, armed forces,
employed, unemployed, not in labor force (overall, by gender
and race or ethnicity)
Occupation of employed labor force
Number and percentage by major occupation
Commuting to work (16 years and over)
Number and percentage who drove alone, carpooled, used public
transportation, walked, other, or worked at home

8. Income
Number and percentage by income categories
Poverty
Number and percentage of individuals, families, and children
below the poverty level overall and by race/ethnicity
Housing Characteristics
Housing occupancy
Number and percentage of occupied and vacant units overall
and by rental and owner-occupied status
Housing tenure
Number and percentage of owner and renter occupied units
Occupants per room
Number and percentage by number of occupants
Housing values
Median housing value of owner-occupied housing
Rental values
Median rental rate; and gross rent as a percentage of household
income
RESOURCES:
www.census.gov
; local government planning/community development
departments.
Table 6.2
provides a series of questions a consensus organizer might ask
as he or she analyzes the data. This data, combined with the
information obtained through walking and windshield surveys,
interviews, news clippings, and Web sites, should help to paint
a picture of the community.
Table 6.2 Strategic Questions Regarding Census Data
General Demographics:
What is the size of the population? Is the population growing or
declining?
Are there more males or females?
What is the aveage age? What is the age range? Are there a lot
of children in the neighborhood? Are there a lot of elderly in

9. the neighborhood?
Is the community homogeneous or heterogeneous in terms of
race or ethnicity? What are the major racial and ethnic groups?
What is the major type of household? What is the household and
family size?
What observations can you make about who lives in the
community from this data?
Social Characteristics:
What level of school enrollment is the highest? Lowest?
What is the level of educational attainment for most residents?
What is the marital status of most residents?
Are there a lot of births overall and/or among those who are
unmarried?
Are there a lot of grandparents raising grandchildren? What is
their status?
How stable is the neighborhood based on neighborhood
residency one year ago?
What language is most often spoken at home?
What observations can you make about the social characteristics
based on this data?
Economic Characteristics:
What is the employment status of most residents?
Where do those in the labor force work? How do they get to
work?
What is the income level of most residents? Are the incomes of
residents spread among the income ranges, or are they
clustered? If clustered, how?
What is the poverty level overall, among families, children, and
different racial groups?
What observations can you make about economic conditions
based on this data?
Housing Characteristics:
What is the vacancy rate? Does it seem high or low?
Are the occupied housing units mostly owner- or renter-
occupied? Do the occupancy rates, housing values, and rental
rates seem high or low?

10. What observations can you make about housing conditions
based on this data?
Overall:
Do some data stand out (i.e., higher poverty rate than you
expected, more elderly, and so on)?
What kinds of patterns do the data present? What conclusions
can you draw from the data?
Using Geographic Information Systems in the Community
Analysis
Geographic information systems (GIS) can help community
organizers track their initiatives better, as well as make this
information more accessible to residents and other key
stakeholders they are working with. GIS allows organizers to
capture, store, manipulate, analyze, display, and integrate
spatial (e.g., geographic) and nonspatial data (e.g.,
administrative data such as census data;
Maguire, 1991
). For example, information on housing conditions, population
characteristics, land use, neighborhood institutions and assets,
social services, and public safety can be stored and analyzed
using GIS (
Coulton, 2005
).
Consensus organizers can use GIS to map and plot the data
collected through the community analysis. Mapping helps create
a visual snapshot of the neighborhood that is easy for everyone
to understand, from financial stakeholders to residents at a
neighborhood meeting. For example, a simple color-coded map
depicting homeowners’ properties and rental properties can
convey a statistic more quickly than presenting raw numbers.
Mapping also becomes a strategic tool in community organizing
efforts. For example,
Figure 6.1
displays hypothetical information a consensus organizer could
collect from his or her initial round of interviews for the
community analysis.

11. Figure 6.1
displays the areas of greatest concerns to residents, including
housing conditions, crime, and out-of-school youth. Each home
in the area is coded to indicate the priority concern of each
resident whom the organizer has interviewed. As the organizer
continues to develop relationships in the neighborhood, other
patterns may emerge; however, the initial snapshot is helpful in
building connections among residents regarding common
concerns and working with residents to develop initial solutions
to address their concerns. For example,
Figure 6.1
demonstrates that residents on Catalpa, Ravenwood, Shelton,
and Auburn Streets are concerned about crime. Perhaps this is
an area where the organizer can begin to bridge relationships
between residents and help them develop a small project, such
as a neighborhood watch group, to begin to address crime
issues.
Figure 6.1 A GIS Mapping—A Tool for Stategic Organizing
Figure 6.2
demonstrates another example, using census data to plot
information about children in the neighborhood. The map
displays households in the target area with children under age 6,
school-age children, and no children. Using this data, the
organizer may be able to help residents work with agencies to
target programs more effectively. For example, organizers from
the Family Service Association in Dayton, Ohio, used a similar
map to work with residents to target school-age children for
summer programs being offered in their neighborhoods as part
of a redevelopment effort. Instead of a generic mailing, a map
was developed to display the homes where youth lived who
were eligible for the program. The agency developed a door-
knocking campaign to get the word out about the program,
targeting the homes with eligible children. These strategies
produced a tremendous response, and the agency was extremely
successful in generating participation in the program.
Figure 6.2 A GIS Mapping—A Tool for Program Planning and

12. Outreach
While data collection and GIS mapping are ongoing strategies
that can help inform the organizer’s work and the development
of specific organizing strategies, nothing replaces information
gathered in “real time.” Neighborhoods are fluid places where
change is constant. It is important for the organizer to continue
to build relationships as a primary method for gathering
information on changes in the neighborhood as they occur, and
for uncovering new concerns and issues that residents care
about.
Strategic Questions for Step One
While consensus organizers are gathering information on
communities, they are simultaneously analyzing the information
and piecing it together, analyzing the community’s strengths
and weaknesses, important historical events that have left an
impression on residents and can influence the current
organizing effort, the major resources inside and outside the
community, its appearance, characteristics, and relationship to
the wider community or metropolitan region.
Table 6.3
presents strategic questions that consensus organizers can ask
as they gather information about a community and piece it
together. Use these questions to sort through and analyze what
you have found out about the community, and determine what
you still need to know in order to understand the community
better.
Table 6.3 Strategic Questions for Step One of the Community
Analysis
Name and Boundaries:
What is the formal name of the neighborhood/community? Is
there a nickname?
Do residents call the neighborhood a different name from city
officials? If so, what name do they call the neighborhood?
What are the boundaries of the neighborhood? Are the
boundaries contested? If so, how? Are they determined by
natural or manmade markers, or are they more psychological?

13. Are they determined by differences with neighboring
communities (e.g., in racial or ethnic composition, income, or
housing stock)?
Is the neighborhood isolated or is it linked to a larger
community in a significant way? Explain.
History and Current Conditions:
When was the neighborhood founded? Who were the first
immigrants or its earliest inhabitants? Who are the most recent
immigrants? How has the population changed over time?
What historic events have occurred in the neighborhood? What
effects have they had on the community (positive and negative)?
What prior efforts (by government, agencies, institutions,
and/or other community groups) have occurred in the
neighborhood? What impact did they have? How do people feel
about those efforts?
What are race relations like in the community? What
perceptions do insiders and outsiders have about race relations?
What is the employment rate? Is it high, low? Where do people
work and how do they get there? Are there visible public
transportation outlets?
What types of families live there? Are there a lot of
grandparents raising grandchildren?
What is the major political party? Is it active? Are people
registered to vote? Do they vote?
Gathering Places/Sense of Community:
Where do people seem to gather?
Are there playgrounds or parks or other places people meet?
What activities take place there? What kinds of crowds do they
draw?
Is there a strong sense of continuity and identification with the
locale? Are there formal and informal mechanisms for
communication?
Is there a sense of community? Is the neighborhood transitory,
fragmented, or more cohesive?
Resources, Institutions:
Institutions and Organizations:

14. What major community institutions and organizations are
located in or very near to the neighborhood, including schools,
hospitals, major employers, large community centers, public
libraries, cultural organizations, religious organizations, and the
like? What are their service boundaries?
Housing:
What type of housing exists in the community? Is it mostly
composed of single-family units, apartments, townhouses,
public housing, or some other type? Are homes mostly renter-
or owner-occupied? What condition is the housing in? Are there
a lot of vacant units?
Commercial District:
How active and diverse is the commercial district? Is there one
or two major employers? Is it identified with the neighborhood
or removed from it? Do many residents work there? What kind
of commercial activity is there? Is it a gathering place for
residents? Is there a lot of foot traffic? Is there adequate
parking? Are there many vacancies and boarded-up storefronts?
Discussion Questions
1.
What is purpose of Step One of the community analysis? How is
this purpose the same and/or different than other types of
community studies, including conducting a needs assessment?
2.
What strategies does a consensus organizer use to gather
information for Step One of the community analysis? How are
these strategies the same and/or different than how information
is gathered for other types of community studies, including
needs assessments?
3.
What are the most important things that you would want to learn
during this step? How do you think these things could help you
as you begin to meet with community residents?

15. Case Study Exercise
Instructions:
Read the following case study on the Consensus Organizing
Demonstration Program (CODP) and the Palm Beach County,
Florida Development Team, which utilized consensus
organizing to expand the community development industry in
areas where it had not previously existed. This case study will
also be used in
Chapters 7
and
8
and in the Wrap-Up for
Section III
. Break into small groups to complete this exercise, and then
have a large group discussion to share your answers.
Step One of the Community Analysis: Palm Beach County
Development Team
The Consensus Organizing Demonstration Program (CODP)
grew out of Mike Eichler’s work with the Local Initiatives
Support Corporation (LISC) in the Mon Valley, Pennsylvania
and in Houston, Texas (
Eichler, 2007
). LISC is an intermediary that raises funds nationally from
foundations and corporations for community development. LISC
uses these funds to match funds that are raised locally by
corporations, financial institutions, and foundations. The CODP
was designed to test the consensus organizing model in other
areas of the country and expand the national community
development industry into places where it had not previously
existed (
Chaskin, Brown, Venkatesh, & Vidal, 2001
). The three initial CODP sites included Little Rock, Arkansas,
New Orleans, Louisiana, and Palm Beach County, Florida
(Eichler). Eichler assisted LISC in selecting these cities by
making a series of site visits to conduct a preliminary
community analysis, speaking with residents and other

16. individuals familiar with low-income neighborhoods in the area,
including corporate, government, social service, and
philanthropic leaders (
Gittell & Vidal, 1998
). The two most important criteria for inclusion in the program
were “demonstrated need for community development to give
the program credibility, and a pool of motivated prospective
volunteers with leadership potential—to permit the program to
achieve the desired scale” (
Gittell & Vidal, 1998
, p. 71). In addition, the potential sites had to have corporate
sector leaders who would support the initiative with their time
and resources.
Core Strategies and Program Design
The core strategies of the Consensus Organizing Demonstration
Program included (
Chaskin, Brown, Venkatesh, & Vidal, 2001
):
broad-based involvement from the neighborhoods selected and
activities designed to achieve tangible results in those
neighborhoods;
teaching real estate development to volunteers in neighborhoods
in a clear, straightforward manner;
engagement and leadership development of members from the
neighborhoods and the external power structure;
parallel organizing in the neighborhoods and among members of
the external power structure;
connections and relationships developed among neighborhood
stakeholders and external players; and
the potential for success (versus the extent of neighborhood
needs and problems) was used to motivate residents and build
their confidence.
Each CODP site had a local coordinator and three community
organizers, whose first job was to conduct a community analysis
of nine to 12 potential neighborhoods for the local program (
Gittell & Vidal, 1994

17. ). The community analysis was intended to create “healthy
competition among neighborhoods, establish momentum for
organizing efforts in the neighborhoods selected, and further
[community]-wide support and enthusiasm for Development
Team efforts” (
Gittell & Vidal, 1994
, p. 7). Six neighborhoods would be selected based on the
potential to engage and develop diverse, indigenous leaders, the
community’s interest in the program, and residents’ willingness
to volunteer to improve their neighborhoods (
Gittell & Vidal, 1994
). In addition, potential red flags were assessed, including
identifying other competing community development efforts and
recent negative experiences with community development that
would make it difficult to engage volunteers. Other red flags
included a blatant lack of public investment in the community.
Step One of the Community Analysis: Findings From Palm
Beach County
When the demonstration program began in 1991, Palm Beach
County had a strong economy, a very low unemployment rate
(5%), and rapid population growth (
Gittell & Vidal, 1998
). However, there were significant income and racial disparities
among the population between the wealthier areas (e.g., Palm
Beach Island along the Atlantic Ocean) and most of the older
neighborhoods located along the railroad tracks running parallel
to the Intracoastal Waterway. These poor communities had
suffered historically from racism and neglect, had the highest
concentration of poverty and minorities, and lacked affordable
housing, infrastructure, and other community resources (
Gittell & Vidal, 1998
).
Each consensus organizer was assigned three neighborhoods in
which to conduct the community analysis. During Step One, the
organizers gathered information about the history and
characteristics of the following nine Palm Beach County

18. neighborhoods: Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Lake Worth,
Limestone Creek (located in unincorporated Palm Beach
County), Northwest Riviera Beach, Lake Park, Pleasant City,
Grandview Heights/Flamingo Park, and Northwood. (The last
three neighborhoods are located in the city of West Palm
Beach.)
Table 6.4
highlights the main demographic characteristics of the nine
neighborhoods from the 1990 and 1992 census data. And, by the
way, back in the early 1990s the organizers had to look up the
census data by hand—it wasn’t accessible on the Internet yet!
Compared to the county as a whole, the nine neighborhoods had
significantly lower median household incomes, and a higher
minority population. Furthermore, they had higher percentages
of renter-occupied and vacant housing and were much poorer
than the county as a whole. Pleasant City had the highest
percentage of individuals on public assistance (55%) versus the
county as a whole (11%).
Table 6.4 Demographic Information—Step One—Community
Analysis—Palm Beach County
County Data
Grandview/Flamingo
Northwood
Pleasant City
Limestone Creek
NW Riviera Beach
Lake Park
Lake Worth
Boynton Beach
Delray Beach
General Demographics

19. Population
863,518
3,506
13,704
2,084
1,944
*
4,643
6,704
7,278
8,442
10,126
Race/ethnicity
White
87%
53%
42%
17%
2%

20. 1%
76%
53%
14%
9%
Minority
13%
47%
58%
83%
98%
99%
24%
47%
86%
91%
Social Characteristics
Age 25+ no diploma
21%
38%
34%
55%
22%
*
27%

21. 23%
38%
40%
64%
Economic Characteristics
Median HH income
$32,524
$24,030
$24,159
$14,845
$38,723
*
$17.590
$29,159
$20,540
$22,600
$22,141
Unemployment rate
5%
14%
11%
10%
17%
*
10%
19%

22. 21%
10%
8%
Labor force part. rate
43%
71%
65%
61%
65%
*
69%
61%
65%
63%
69%
Very low income
N/A
N/A
17.4%
40%
16.5%
*
30%
N/A
N/A
25%
25%
Low income
N/A
N/A
28%
40%
20%
*
30%
N/A

23. N/A
45%
40%
HH with public assistance
11%
7%
18%
55%
4%
*
41%
10%
16%
51%
53%
Housing Characteristics
Vacancy rate
9%
13%
15%
24%
9%
*
12%
13%
21%

24. 13%
15%
Renter occupancy
25%
50%
45%
84%
16%
*
42%
42%
52%
35%
49%
Note: The first four neighborhoods are located in the City of
West Palm Beach; HH = household.
*
Limestone Creek combined with higher-income area of Jupiter,
FL.
Sources:
Gittell and Vidal, 1998
; U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1990 and 1992.
The consensus organizers discovered that two of the
communities (Pleasant City and Lake Worth) both had
organizations that were formed to do community development;
however, these organizations were relatively new (
Gittell & Vidal, 1994
). Pleasant City’s group was formed by local pastors and was
composed primarily of nonresidents. Lake Worth’s group was
formed by the Lake Worth Concerned Citizens, who were
primarily white homeowners concerned about the physical
deterioration of the community.
None of the other communities had a community development
corporation (CDC). Residents and business owners in Delray

25. Beach were very active in local organizations, and were most
interested in improving the West Atlantic Avenue area of the
city. Residents in Riviera Beach were developing programs to
help neighborhood youth stay away from drugs, and were
interested in improving the northwest area of the city. The
census data on Limestone Creek was skewed because if its
inclusion with the higher-income area of Jupiter; however, the
organizer was able to better understand the area when he visited
and conducted walking and windshield surveys in the
community. Limestone Creek was a very small, unincorporated
community in northern Palm Beach County with approximately
200 to 300 families, many of whom were longtime residents.
While there was clearly a blatant lack of public investment
(e.g., lack of paved roads, water and sewer), several residents
and church leaders wanted to improve their neighborhood and
were interested in the program. Residents and business owners
in Boynton Beach were interested in improving a deteriorated
section of the community along Martin Luther King Boulevard.
The Grandview Heights and Flamingo Park neighborhoods had
strong neighborhood leaders working on efforts to fight crime
and improve housing; however, these neighborhoods were
undergoing a process of gentrification. Northwood was a
deteriorated community, but past conflicts among residents and
existing groups continued to fester over time. Lake Park was a
primarily white community and was brought to the attention of
the development team because of its proximity to deteriorated
sections of Riviera Beach.
Historically, migrant and domestic workers lived in the lower-
income and minority neighborhoods along the railroad tracks in
Palm Beach County. For example, many of the domestic
workers for the wealthy families in Palm Beach lived in
Pleasant City because of its location directly across from Palm
Beach. In Limestone Creek, the original settlers were migrant
workers for the local orange grove, who decided to make the
community their home.
Questions About the Case Study on Palm Beach County

26. 1.
What criteria were used to select the three main sites for the
Consensus Organizing Demonstration Program (CODP) in Palm
Beach County, Little Rock, and New Orleans?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
2.
What were the core strategies of the CODP?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
3.
What were the overall goals of the community analyses
completed in the neighborhoods in Palm Beach County?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
4.
What did the consensus organizers do in Step One of the
community analysis in Palm Beach County?

27. _____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
5.
What preliminary observations can you make about the nine
potential communities, based on the information presented in
this case study? What else would you want to learn about these
communities? What would you do to get this information?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
In-Class Exercise: Getting Started on Step one of the
Community Analysis
Instructions:
Select a community that you are familiar with (e.g., the
neighborhood you grew up in, the one where you live or work
now). Use Worksheet 6.1 to start thinking about what you
already know about the community, and what you would still
like to learn about. Approach this exercise as if you were a
consensus organizer who was recently hired to work in this
community. Afterwards, answer and discuss the following
questions in a large group.
1.
What aspects of your community are you most familiar with?
Why?
_____________________________________________________

28. _____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
2.
What do you still want to learn? Why?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
3.
Where and how would gather information about your
community? What steps would you take?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
4.
Why do you think the information gathered in Step One of the
community analysis is important for community organizing?
How would you use this information?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________

29. _____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
Worksheet 6.1 Community Analysis Step One—Community
History, Culture, and Characteristics
Instructions:
Select a neighborhood (one you live and/or work in). What
knowledge do you have about the neighborhood? What areas do
you still want to learn about? Please complete the following
table and describe something you know about the
neighborhood’s history and characteristics and what you would
still like to know.
Name of Neighborhood:
_____________________________________________________
___
History, Culture, & Characteristics
Describe one fact about this neighborhood regarding the
following areas:
Describe something you would still like to learn about this
neighborhood:
Neighborhood history, such as:
What is the history of the neighborhood?
What are some of the strengths and challenges it has faced?
How has the neighborhood changed over time?
Current residents, such as:
How many people live in the neighborhood?
What are their ages?
Are there many children? Elderly?
What is the racial or ethnic composition of the neighborhood?
Physical conditions, such as:
What is the vacancy rate for housing?

30. What is the percentage of renter- versus owner-occupied
housing?
What does the community look like?
Are there parks or other areas for recreation?
Economic Conditions
What is the unemployment rate?
Where do people work?
What is their average income?
Is there a business district? What types of businesses are
located there? Are they owned or run by residents?
Is there a large employer in the area? How many residents work
there?
Social Conditions
How well do people know each other?
What clubs and activities do people participate in?
Are there places where people gather? Where are they?
Is there a sense of community?
Political Conditions
Do people vote?
What party do they belong to?
Who are the local, state, and national representatives for the
area? How responsive are they to local concerns?
You can find some of the above information at the following
locations:
City or county planning departments, local libraries,
organizations, chambers of commerce
U.S. Census Bureau, community and organizational Web sites
Interviews with community residents, businesses, organizations,

31. and agencies
Walking and windshield surveys
Field Exercise
Instructions:
For this field assignment, select a neighborhood in which you
will conduct an actual community analysis, and subsequently
work with residents to design a consensus organizing
intervention. You will use the same neighborhood to complete
Steps Two and Three of the community analysis in field
exercises in
Chapters 7
and
8
. Potential neighborhoods could include:
the neighborhood where you are doing an internship or field
placement,
the neighborhood where you live and/or volunteer,
a neighborhood where your employer is located or provides
services,
a neighborhood in which you currently work, and
a neighborhood you are interested in learning more about.
At this stage of the community analysis, gather census data,
information on community resources, and historical
information. In addition, conduct both a “walking” and a
“windshield” survey of the targeted neighborhood. For the
walking survey, choose a location that is an active area of the
community (e.g., preferably a business district) and walk
through the area during the daylight hours. For the windshield
survey, drive through the community and get a visual picture of
the community. Create your own tables to present the
demographic information from the census data comparing the
data over time (e.g., the year 2005 with 1995). Use
Tables 6.1
,
6.2
, and

32. 6.3
to assist you in conducting this step of the community analysis.
Suggestions for Students
Students completing this assignment could use it for a number
of purposes, including:
To assist your field or internship agency to reach out to a
neighborhood they currently work in, and/or a new
neighborhood to develop and/or expand programs and services
To assist a community organization located in the target
neighborhood to reach out to the community to engage new
members
To become involved in a neighborhood organization located in
your own community.
Suggestions for Practitioners
Practitioners could use this assignment for a number of
purposes, including:
to develop community-based programs in the neighborhoods you
are already working in,
to engage and develop relationships in a new neighborhood, and
to expand current programs in existing and new neighborhoods.
Use the following questions to write up an overall summary of
your findings, including:
1.
What tentative inferences or conclusions can you draw from the
information you have gathered so far?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
2.
How does the factual data (i.e., census data) compare with what
you observed?

33. _____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
3.
What do you think are the potential strengths of the community?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
4.
What are some of the issues that residents and other community
stakeholders might want to address?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
5.
Are there important institutions or organizations that you should
consider in addressing community problems? If so, which ones?
What makes these institutions important?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________

34. _____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
References
Chaskin, R. J., Brown, P., Venkatesh, S., and Vidal, A. (2001)
Building community capacity.
New York: Aldine De Gruyter.
Coulton, C. (2005). The place of community in social work
practice research: Conceptual and methodological
developments.
Social Work Research, 29
(2), 73–86.
Eichler, M. (2007).
Consensus organizing: Building communities of mutual self-
interest.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Gittell, R., & Vidal, A. (1998).
Community organizing: Building social capital as a
development strategy.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Gittell, R., & Vidal, A. (1994).
Community organizing as a development strategy: Interim
report on Palm Beach County.
New York: Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy,
New School for Social Research.
Maguire, D. J. (1991). An overview and definition of GIS. In D.
J. Maguire, M. F. Goodchild, & D. W. Rind (Eds.),
Geographic information systems: Principles and applications,
Vol. 1, Principles
(pp. 9–20). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
U.S. Bureau of the Census. (1992).
Census of population and housing, 1990.
STF3A. Washington, DC: Author.