Community-driven development (CDD) is an approach that emphasises community control over planning decisions and investment resources. A rigorous evaluation process helps determine CDD’s effectiveness in various settings and highlights areas that need strengthening for second-phase programs or new projects. The note ‘Social Development Notes – Community Driven Development’ (2013) of the World Bank [PDF ] summarises the findings of a study entitled ‘What have been the impacts of World Bank Community-Driven Development Programs?’. See also information on the joint EC – World Bank Exchange Workshop (of 8 Nov 2014, Brussels).

The EU is working together with countries, regions and other partners to promote urban-rural linkages. A truly integrated approach to development must go beyond intra-city policy coordination and traditional rural issues. The integration with surrounding areas, both urban and rural, needs also to be considered. The benefits of stronger urban-rural cooperation include more efficient land use and planning, better provision of services (e.g. public transport, health) and better management of natural resources.

RURBAN (Partnership for sustainable urban-rural development) is a preparatory action agreed by the European Parliament in 2010 and managed by the European Commission.

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In a recent draft regulation, the European Commission has proposed that four major funds should work together in the next period to support “community led local development” following the lines of the LEADER model. The Commission argues that community led local development (CLLD) “will be a powerful tool… as it can mobilize and involve local communities and organizations as well as citizens to fully contribute to national and European wide objectives”. Right now, over a hundred of Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs) are already working hand in hand with LEADER local action groups (LAGs) to promote more sustainable paths of development in their areas. Their experience offers many lessons for the future.

This article was also translated for the Italian National Rural Network. To read the Italian version, click here.

How can community-led local development (CLLD) become a powerful tool for improving our cities? Drawing on URBACT’s experience, experts in urban development have put forward their first answers in an article entitled ‘Implementing “community-led” local development in cities. Lessons from URBACT’.

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