In the current paper I will analyze the role citizens should play in community development programs. The community development ideology emphasizes the important role citizen’s, or the beneficiaries of different development programs, play for the sustainability of community development. Yet, theoreticians from this field in Romania, refer to lack of interest, abilities and networks to explain the the small rates of citizen participation. In this paper, based on data collected through a CEEX research grant “Leaders, participants and followers: determinants of community participation in urban Romania” coordinated by conf. univ. PhD Adrian Hatos, I will investigate the models and rates of citizen involvement, focusing on the link between these and the sustainable development programs. I will also present data regarding the limits of participation in community development programs from the research grant CNCSIS coordinated by lect. univ. PhD Nicoleta Chioncel “Education for active citizenship: community participation.”.