It is widely acknowledged that individuals residing in urban communities are commonly plagued by income inequalities, unemployment, crowding, crime, physical decay, unstable housing, and social disorder. The combination of these social and economic forces typically gives rise to the sources of adversity that policy analysts are familiar with when analyzing the problems of urban blight and decay. We propose that the most effective solution to mitigate these widespread problems are those that are anchored within the communities themselves. The community-based interventions we examine bring to life the processes, challenges, and opportunities involved with undertaking this type of field-based research
