Welcome

What is Community Development? Community Development is a dynamic field of study that works to improve the economic, social, and environmental qualities of our communities. It focuses on the design and implementation of programs designed to make a community a better place to live and work.

Community Development integrates the following key elements:

• The characteristics of rural, suburban, and urban communities, emphasizing their heritage, built and natural environments, economic and social conditions, and cultural features;
• The issues confronting communities, such as suburban sprawl, rural development, affordable housing, traffic congestion, downtown revitalization, aging populations, heritage preservation, and neighborhood cohesion, to name but a few; and
• Strategies to address community issues, which can combine aspects of community organization, urban & regional planning, citizen participation, community design, economic development, advocacy, and sustainable development.

St. Cloud State University is proud to possess Minnesota's only undergraduate program in Community Development.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Community Development Program at St. Cloud State University is to prepare undergraduate students for careers in Community Development such as city planning, economic development, housing, transportation, downtown development, and community/neighborhood organization.