Statement of Purpose

Statement of Purpose: Everyone deserves safe, friendly neighborhoods that nurture families and provide useful government and commercial services. But the obstacles that stand in the way of such neighborhoods are many and complex. I suspect this holds true in wealthy and poor neighborhoods, though obviously the hill is steeper where poverty, lack of education, infrastructure deficits, and racism hold people back. This blog explores the organizing techniquees and tools used by people building strong communities, the forces shaping neighborhood development, and the issues that will be important in the coming years. It is not my intent to teach classical political organizing or take partisan stands. Those are important but I want to address what you can work toward at the neighborhood level, regardless of your situation. I hope to present examples and tools that are universal. However, politics is at the root of many decisions that affect neighborhoods and I won't sidestep those issues. But I will address them from my local experience only.

My Goal: To help other neighborhood organizers become more effective at the job of strengthening communities and preparing them for the future.

On a personal level I believe that good neighborhood organizing means focusing on three things: Trust and a sense of community; Cleanliness and safety; and Developing a neighborhood vision.

1. Trust and a sense of community: Trust is the bedrock of a successful community. Until people know each other and trust in each other they won't devote themselves to activities that enrich the life of the community. 

Trust and a sense of neighborhood identity are created and reinforced by shared activities and rituals. These might include community picnics or events connected to local schools, churches, or athletic leagues. Shared activities help connect all residents, not just activists, to neighborhood identity and community.

Today shared activities that build trust happen online as well. 

2. Cleanliness and Safety: All neighborhoods need safety in order to build trust. This is not just about safety from crime, but also from traffic hazards, litter, graffiti, general blight, and other elements that may be an invitation to misbehavior and crime. Cleanliness and safety issues can be very neighborhood-specific. In one neighborhood it may be speeding; in another overflowing gutters; and, in a third, homelessness and loitering.

3. Development Vision: A vision of where the neighborhood is headed is essential for development and for neighborhood organizing. For all neighborhoods, but especially those with blight issues, sensible development offers a way out of existing problems. Even in the wealthiest neighborhoods, concerns about surrounding development are common, creating a need for citizens to organize in order to be most effective at conveying their concerns. Development issues can be large, as when an urban neighborhood is transformed by high-rises or traffic construction, or as small as repairing sidewalks or installing speed bumps.

All the topics I intend to address are labeled with one of the following, to help you easily find the information you are looking for:

• Tools
• Communciations
• Beautification
• Community Building
• Placemaking
• Third Places
• Blight and Crime
• Fundraising
• Development
• Resilience