Small town renewal

Smalltowners are not as ambivalent about their towns as community developers. This article emphasized the importance of engaging in community analysis — identifying priority problems and needs, and the degree of external penetration; profiling community social, economic, political and value systems while probing the purposes of (re)development. Four distinct orientations — categorical, comprehensive, integrative, and dialogical — are presented. Three orientations were used in an Appalachian town. No one development orientation is the best. Instead, much depends upon how willing; able and how much effort the participants put forth.