Planning for Balanced Development: A Guide for Native American and Rural Communities

Community planner Susan Guyette presents the first field-tested model of development planning that addresses the special concerns of Native American and rural communities. These communities increasingly seek to promote economic development that supports the traditions, values, and relationships on which community identity is based. In Guyette's model, revitalizing of cultural traditions becomes the central focus of the economic planning process.

The author demonstrates, step by step, how community planning works, using the creation of the Poeh Center at Pojoaque Pueblo in northern New Mexico as a case study. She offers practical, detailed guidelines on how to develop a strategic plan, assess and document needs, ensure community participation, support business and tourism, and generate funding for community projects. This book provides a unique opportunity for communities, planners, and students to see rural development in action.

"This decade is one of urgency, for unless traditions are preserved and development occurs in a culturally appropriate manner, a cultural way of life will be eroded. Creating a vision of the future and aligning the community in common goals sets a foundation for balancing new development with cultural continuity". -- Susan Guyette