ABCD + E: The Evolution of Asset Based Community Development to Address Equity and Displacement

Abstract

Asset based community development (ABCD) is a theory of practice developed in response to economic, social, and political landscape shifts that emphasizes assets currently present in the community: the capacities of the residents or workers, the relationships built between people, and the power of local associations, and institutions. Countering traditional community development strategies that focus on neighborhood deficits, this approach focuses on strengthening intangible connections and advancing community self-determination. However, ABCD has received significant criticism towards its inattentiveness to power dynamics, as the core principles and strategies were locally focused without account for structural barriers throughout history, such as displacement. Seattle is facing a gentrification crisis, with the Central Area continuing to face displacement pressures that disproportionately impact low-income residents of color. Utilizing an equity-oriented framework drawing from existing ABCD principles, this thesis assesses how ABCD principles evolved to assist current equitable neighborhood development and anti-displacement efforts. An equity oriented ABCD framework (ABCD+E) is created and utilized to analyze the 23rd Ave Action Plan with the goal of continuing the efforts of original ABCD principles while accounting for displacement and other structural barriers facing neighborhoods today.