ABSTRACT
Community development requires collaborations. In many of those collaborations, government is key. In fact, some projects are possible only with the involvement of government, in which case, the community developer who knows how to interface with those in government has a better chance of getting the community development work accomplished. This chapter describes a community economic development endeavor to promote self-employment as a strategy to build community and household wealth through a small business incubator and commercial kitchen. Through this depiction of reflective practice, we draw insights and lessons on how to effectively engage with government while doing community development, providing value to both planning practice and planning education.
