Community Development and Democratic Practice

Paul Lachapelle is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Montana State University-Bozeman, USA, and serves as the Extension Community Development Specialist. Working in partnership with the Local Government Center, his responsibilities involve providing research, technical assistance, and training on various community development topics in communities across the state. Specifically, he provides resources and programs in many areas including community strategic visioning, local governance, and leadership development training.

Michael Rios is Associate Professor in the Department of Human Ecology and past Chair of the Community Development program at the University of California, Davis, USA. He is affiliated with several academic programs including landscape architecture and environment design, geography, cultural studies, and community development. He has written numerous articles and essays on the topics of citizen participation, placemaking, and the social practice of planning and design.