[2] Its first editor was Peter du Sautoy, a lecturer at the University of Manchester and former director of social welfare and community development in Ghana.

[2] He initially founded an all-male editorial board compromised primarily of individuals who had formerly worked in British colonies.

[3] A struggle over the identity of the journal took place in the 1970s, as former colonial figures were gradually replaced on the editorial board by community workers and lecturers with experience of urban community development in the United Kingdom.

[3] [4] In 2015 the journal held a 50th Anniversary Conference in Edinburgh, with participants attending from across the world.

The event included a reception hosted by the International Association for Community Development, and a keynote address by Marjorie Mayo.