A Recipe For Successful Community Development

Creative solutions in disadvantaged communities come from partnerships between all levels of government, business and community groups. The City of Hume's determined community is beginning to reap the rewards in Australia.

1 minute read

March 17, 2004, 11:00 AM PST

By Charlotte Fitzgerald


Broadmeadows, a suburb in the City of Hume (Victoria, Australia), was once described to the chairman of the local Social Justice and Safe City Taskforce as "the biggest failure in a generation of government because of the lack of co-ordination between departments to build the required social infrastructure". Innovative partnerships and funding sources, community determination and a focus on "encouraging a culture of excellence and achievement in education, providing greater employment opportunities and instilling local pride" have underpinned this community's redevelopment. The results include a Global Learning Village with a multi-branch public library, and a maternal and child care centre with an internet cafe so that mums can learn computer skills and help teach their children. Creative partnerships have also developed, for example using a football club to communicate with "young men who would otherwise not go near a library", a bank providing not-for-profit financial advice to residents, and encouragement for local employment of trainees.

Thanks to Charlotte Fitzgerald

Saturday, March 13, 2004 in The Age, Australia

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view image of strip mall in suburban Duncanville, Texas.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall

A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

4 hours ago - Parking Reform Network

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

6 hours ago - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

July 6 - InTransition Magazine