The readings in this section provide a general overview of CCIs. CCIs build on the foundations of community development theory and practice represented by previous generations of social reform initiatives, including the Gray Areas Program, the Community Action Program, the Community Development Corporation movement, and other related efforts. CCIs employ the lessons from those experiences not so much as "models" for action but as a set of basic guiding concepts-including comprehensiveness, coordination, collaboration, and community participation and empowerment-and then use a wide range of organizational and programmatic strategies to promote positive community change. They represent a departure from more recent practice in the social welfare and economic development fields because they seek to replace piecemeal strategies with more "comprehensive" efforts that cross programmatic boundaries and attempt to build on the interconnections among economic, social, and physical needs and opportunities.

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