What is Community Economic Development?
Our CED 101 series provides a variety of materials to answer this question for a variety of audiences. Explore our slides, videos, and other materials on this page.
To support our partners, communities, and UC ANR professionals, we are launching CED 101: A Learning Series—a forthcoming webinar and resource collection that introduces the foundations and frontiers of Community Economic Development.
Upcoming CED 101 Webinars
Our interactive webinar series will introduce essential topics in economic development, with guest speakers, case studies, and tools you can use. Each session will include live discussion and downloadable resources.
Topics will include:
- What is Community Economic Development?
- Traditional and Innovative Economic Development Models
- Community-Led Approaches to Growth and Resilience
- Building Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
- Triple Bottom Line Strategies for Inclusive Business Development
- Financing Models for Community-Rooted Enterprise
Explore the CED 101 Learning Library
This page will serve as a growing library of materials designed to answer the question, “What is CED?” for a wide range of audiences—from local governments and nonprofits to new UC ANR staff and educators.
We break it into two major learning tracks:
Understanding Traditional CED Models
Learn the foundational strategies of community economic development and the role of local infrastructure and institutions.
Core Topics:
- Workforce Development: Building skills and pathways for meaningful employment
- Small Business Development: Supporting main street businesses, startups, and rural enterprises
- Industrial Attraction & Retention: Understanding traditional models of job creation and retention
- Connecting to Support Infrastructure: The role of purchasing co-ops and buying groups
- Arts & Cultural Development: How creative industries enhance community vitality
- Community Organizations & Strategic Planning: Tools to align community goals and resources
- Effective Meetings: Facilitating inclusive, outcome-oriented convenings
- Resiliency: Preparing communities to adapt and bounce back from crises
Innovating the Future of CED
Explore how we are rethinking economic development to meet today’s challenges—climate change, inequality, and structural disinvestment—by designing systems rooted in justice, sustainability, and inclusion.
Innovative Focus Areas:
- Triple Bottom Line Business Strategy: Aligning economic, environmental, and social goals
- Supporting Public and Purpose-Driven Firms: Tools and infrastructure for PBCs, co-ops, and ESOPs
- Entrepreneurial Support Systems: Building the ecosystem for values-aligned entrepreneurs
- Capitalization Strategies: Expanding access to capital for community-rooted businesses
- Innovative Finance: Leveraging philanthropy, public funding, and reinvestment for community wealth