PICCED Mission

"True community development is not simply the process of rebuilding the physical infrastructure of our neighborhoods. It is, fundamentally, about social and economic justice; and it builds, not upon bricks and mortar, but upon the vision, energy and aspirations of people who live and work in these neighborhoods. This commitment and vision is often overshadowed by the litany of problems that have become symptomatic of urban poverty. The urge to attack these symptoms diverts us, as a society, from investing the necessary public and private resources in the human foundation upon which genuine and lasting social, economic and physical revitalization must be based.

The mission of the Pratt Center is to use the professional skills of architects and planners to work for social and economic justice by providing low- and moderate-income communities with access to the tools and resources needed to meet the challenges they face in planning and implementing their future."

-- Ron Shiffman, Director

The Pratt Institute Center for Community and Environmental Development (PICCED) supports the efforts of low and moderate-income communities to combat poverty through sustainable development. PICCED seeks to equip these communities with the tools they need to plan and implement comprehensive community development strategies.

PICCED recognizes that while rebuilding the physical infrastructures such as housing can be a catalyst for urban revitalization, the integrative and comprehensive renewal of an area's physical, social, and economic fabric cannot be realized unless the capacities and creative energies of the community's stakeholders - the residents themselves - are enlisted in the process.

Working closely with community-based organizations and their constituencies, PICCED offers an array of education and training and technical assistance services. These programs emphasize coalition building and the empowerment of residents through ownership of the community development process - from planning and decision-making to eventual management of completed projects. Through public policy analysis and advocacy PICCED brings its practical experience to bear on city-wide, state, national, and international community development issues.

PICCED exchanges information and innovative program models with a wide network of community development practitioners, social service providers, lending institutions, philanthropic organizations and others working around the country and abroad to bring about the systemic changes necessary to uproot poverty.

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This page copyright February, 1997, Pratt Institute Center for Community and Environmental Development (PICCED).

Questions, comments, or suggestions should be sent to Mannix Gordon