Ingredients for community development, renewal

Across the past four decades I've given considerable thought to the entire process of community development both in groups of people and in physical locations within urban geographies. 

I'm certainly no expert.  But, of course, I have a few ideas after all this time. 

While I haven't had extensive, formal, academic training on the subject; I do have an understanding about the essentials or the ingredients necessary for community development and renewal to occur. 

Here's a brief list of essentials:

Interdependent individuals who form a group.

Willing workers who pursue a common mission.

Alignment of existing community assets.

Leveraging of additional, needed, outside resources for the work.

Youthful exuberance no matter what the age of those involved!

Of course, there are other essential factors to bring to the process, but, in my view, nothing happens without these five building blocks of community development.