本文介紹美國社區發展學會2004年年會之主要內容與進行過程。並從年會內容及參與成員之組成分析美國社區發展學會對社區發展內涵之界定，與關注重點。 臺灣社區發展之源起曾相當程度受美國及聯合國1950年代以來之社區發展潮流影響，因此早年社區發展工作內容與現今美國社區發展學會年會討論主題相接近。但近年臺灣所強調之福利社區化則與美國社區發展學會之關注相距較遠。今日臺灣之社區總體營造所強調之各主題反而接近美國社區發展之各項議題。本文最後強調，臺灣近年社區工作之進展相對於受美國禮遇之中國大陸領先甚遠，宜運用各種場合與美國及世界社區工作專業接軌以貢獻國際社會。

This paper is a report of writer's participation of the 36th annual conference of Community Development Society of USA, which was held in Cleveland OH. Beside giving a descriptive report about the process of the conference, the author argues that the early stage of community development in Taiwan, due to its been influenced by the US, has many in common the what the annual conference been emphasized. However, the decentralization and localization of delivery of social welfare that the social welfare sectors in Taiwan has been emphasized is not the US community development profession's interest. The author also propose that Taiwan should have more participation and be visible in the world community development profession, since community development in Taiwan has gain a lot of attention inside of the country and made a great deal of progress for more than a decade.