This paper examines the potential and the limitations associated with
the rise of the community development corporation (CDC) as a vital com
ponent of inner-city development politics, Grass-roots mobilisation in
impoverished American neighbourhoods has sometimes resulted in the de
construction of the high-rise 'growth machine' in those neighbourhoods
and in the defence of 'home turf' against redevelopment and gentrific
ation, Successful turf defence, however, has rarely been followed by a
n alternative, community-sensitive means of inner-city development, Re
cently, this dilemma has been addressed by the rise of an innovative i
nstitution capable of connecting community, capital and government in
the pursuit of sensitive neighbourhood regeneration: the non-profit CD
C, In some inner-city neighbourhoods, CDCs have helped to build an alt
ernative social production process and have advanced elements of a new
, progressive development regime.