Part II

Mapping Community Assets

6 chapters

  1. 6 Asset-Based Community Development An introduction to Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) as a foundational framework for mapping and mobilizing community strengths, capacities, and resources rather than deficits.
  2. 7 Mapping Physical Assets A comprehensive guide to identifying, documenting, and analyzing the built environment, infrastructure, natural features, and physical resources that support community life and wellbeing.
  3. 8 Mapping Social Assets Explores the social infrastructure of communities — the relationships, networks, informal leaders, and care systems that hold communities together. Emphasizes ethical approaches to mapping human connections without exploitation.
  4. 9 Mapping Cultural Assets Examines culture as community infrastructure — local traditions, festivals, heritage sites, languages, arts, food, music, ritual, and memory. Addresses ethical dimensions including sacred sites, cultural sovereignty, and the protection of sensitive knowledge.
  5. 10 Mapping Economic Assets A comprehensive guide to documenting local businesses, employers, informal economies, main streets, tourism assets, skills inventories, entrepreneurship ecosystems, and economic opportunities — and the gaps that constrain them.
  6. 11 Mapping Institutional Assets Examines how to identify, document, and analyze government, schools, healthcare, nonprofits, libraries, emergency services, and other formal organizations that shape community life — including power dynamics, trust gaps, and collaboration opportunities.