This thesis explores the challenges of local governance in the community of Roxbury, Massachusetts through a case study of the Roxbury Strategic Master Plan Oversight Committee (RSMPOC). The focus is on the development history of Roxbury, including models of civic engagement employed in response to key public programs during the 1960's, the development of Parcel 18, the Dudley Master Plan, and the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI). These examples provide valuable insights into the emerging concept of community participation in Boston's planning process that ultimately led to the development of the RSMPOC as an instrument of the Roxbury Strategic Master Plan. Many of the successes and failures of earlier planning initiatives helped set the agenda for the document's economic and planning goals. By incorporating these events into an extensive examination and evaluation of the first three years of RSMPOC activity, the challenges facing a community governance body in Roxbury become apparent. This thesis utilizes the case study of the RSMPOC as a lens to evaluate the advantages and possible limitations of empowered participatory governance as an economic development strategy. Recommendations for the ongoing implementation and continued evolution of this process are offered in order to improve the RSMPOC as an effective tool for the continued economic development of Roxbury.