School-Centered Community Development and a Quest for Spatial Justice: Exploring Competing Theories of Action in Baltimore

The role of public education and schools in the struggle for spatial justice is underappreciated because school and neighborhood improvement have largely been viewed as distinct processes. This article builds a conceptual and empirical argument to explore the intersections of spatial and educational justice specifically in community development practice. We draw on qualitative data collected from a study of Baltimore’s twenty-first Century School Buildings Program and center meso-level actors – city agencies and the school district – to analyze how divergent theories of action that undergird community development can challenge cross-section implementation and coordination. We also reflect on potential pathways to align and integrate schools into community development practice. Our analysis contributes to understanding across disciplines by incorporating schools in the constellation of actors in community development practice, and in doing so augments foundational theories of urban justice and community development.