This paper presents a synthesis of a national literature search on community climate and quality of life. Its primary focus is on community development as it affects people, i.e., their relationships and interactions with each other and with institutions. The document addresses five major topics: Section I provides definitions of terms and concepts used to discuss positive climate and quality of life. Section II reviews factors associated with positive community climates, including categories of behavior which contribute to a positive climate, current values and priorities, predictions of future changes, population forecasts, and leisure time. Section III provides a definition of quality of life and summarizes research concerning social indicators (factors such as culture, education, health, and legal justice), which are used to measure quality of life. Section IV explores the concept of a responsive community, primarily in terms of citizen participation, and describes four kinds of citizen participation programs: councils, special task forces, independent community groups, and voluntary neighborhood groups. Section V presents suggestions for creating a more positive community climate, and reviews operating community programs which illustrate the use of these suggestions. (Author/WAS)