深耕社區營造，重視生態環保，乃是二十一紀地方永續發展的重要理念。在行政院提出的「挑戰2008：國家發展重點計畫」中，「新故鄉社區營造」亦被列為十大重點投資計畫之一。本文藉由「桃米生態村」的社區總體營造成功案例，闡明九二一震災重建有不少寶貴經驗，可供相關社造政策借鏡。筆依階段變遷敘述桃米社區從地震前一個老舊凋零農村，經由參與學習過程，蛻化成當今全國知名度頗高的生態旅遊社區；同時歸納四項成功關鍵：震災導致價值觀的轉變、專業團隊的啟發與陪伴、政府與民間的資源支持、社區居民的夢想與學習。本文根據實證研究成果，針對臺灣鄉村型社區的發展困境與創新之道，提出四項具體政策建議：振興活化鄉村基礎產業，乃是落實社區總體營造的原動力；建構公私部門間夥伴關仯，協力推動社區總體營造工程；彙集九二一震災重建成功案例，強化觀摩學習機制；儘速整合村里與社區兩地方自治組織體制。

Community empowerment and environmental protection are very important prescriptions of local sustainable development. The new homeland community empowerment plan is one of the “Challenge 2008-Naitnal Development Plan”, which was approved by Executive Yuan. This article takes a case study on the successful reconstruction of Taomi community after the 921 Earthquake, it has many policy innovations and inspirations to community empowerment. The author describes its changing process form a poverty-stricken rural community to a famous eco-tourism village, and induces four key points: the 921 Earthquake disasters transform people’s values, the assistances and enlightenments received from non-profit organizations, the public and private resources were got involved together, and the dreams and participatory learning of community residents. At last, some policy reconstruction are dedicated: to vitalize the special property of rural village is a fundamental impetus to community empowerment, to construct the governance network and public-private partnership, to review and diffuse experiences of the 921 Earthquake reconstruction, and to integrate the village system and community organizations about local self-government institutions.