the potential of neighbourhoods _jim diers
DESCRIPTION
PowerPoint presented by Jim Diers during his tour of New Zealand August 2012. Arranged by Inspiring Communities www.inspiringcommunities.org.nzTRANSCRIPT
BUILDING STRONG COMMUNITIES
POWER OF COMMUNITY
Power to Care for the Earth
Ballard Neighbourhood, Seattle
Power to Prevent Crime
SODO Neighbourhood, Seattle
Wodonga, Australia
Power to Care for One Another
Power to Demand Justice
London, England
Power of Community:• Care for the Earth• Prevent Crime• Care for One Another• Demand Social Justice• Create Great Places• Emergency Response• Health and Welfare• Happiness• Democracy
YOUR TURN:Share your own story
about the power of community
COMMUNITY IN CRISIS
Single-purpose land useIncreased mobilityLonger work days
FearElectronic screens
ConsumerismGlobalizationSpecialization
Professionalization
Ballard Neighbourhood, Seattle, Seattle
Keys to Opening Your Communityto Greater Participation
#1 – Have Fun!#1 – Have Fun!
Fremont Neighbourhood, Seattle
#2 - Start where people #2 - Start where people are:are:
►Their blockTheir block►Their language and cultureTheir language and culture►Their networksTheir networks►Their passionsTheir passions►Their callTheir call
#3 …but don#3 …but don’’t leave them there:t leave them there:
Strive for Results!
#4 – Don’t sit on your assets:
Every individual has gifts of the head, heart and hands
YOUR TURN:What are your skills,
passions & knowledge?
Labeled People:• Homeless• Unemployed• Poor person• Non-English speaking• Single parent• Addict• Offender• Disabled• Old person• At-risk youth
What Young People have to Offer:
• Creativity
• Time
• Energy
• Impatience
• Greatest stake in the future
• Expertise on what young people think
Toppenish, Washington
DISCOVER BURIED TREASUREIN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD
Every place has:
• Gifts of individuals
QUESTION TO PONDER:
Whose gifts are underutilized in your
community?
Adelaide, South Australia
Every place has:
• Gifts of individuals
• Voluntary associations
Individuals share their gifts when they are in association with one another
QUESTION TO PONDER:
What are the community associations where you live?
Columbia City, Seattle
Every place has:
• Gifts of individuals
• Voluntary associations
• Built and natural environment
QUESTION TO PONDER:
Where you live, what are…-the bumping places?-the visible treasures?-the buried treasures?
Riverina, New South Wales
Phinney Neighbourhood, Seattle
Eastlake Neighbourhood, Seattle
White Center, Washington
Every place has:
• Gifts of individuals
• Voluntary associations
• Built and natural environment
• Local economy
QUESTION TO PONDER:
How could your community assets strengthen your local economy
and how could your economy better support your community?
Lake Street, Minneapolis
Yackandandah, Victoria
Every place has:
• Gifts of individuals
• Voluntary associations
• Built and natural environment
• Local economy
• Culture and identity
QUESTION TO PONDER:
-What is the unique identityof your community?-What are your cultural and historical assets?
Eritrean Community
Every place has:
• Gifts of individuals• Voluntary associations• Built and natural environment• Local economy• Culture and identity• Local agencies
Agencies vs. Associations
STAFF & BUDGET VOLUNTEERS
CLIENT CONSUMER
CITIZEN
NEEDS ASSETS
QUESTION TO PONDER:
What are the underutilized assets
of agencies where you live?
Columbia School, Seattle
QUESTION TO DISCUSS:
What could you accomplish by
mobilizing community resources?
STEPS TOWARDS AGENCY-COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Do No Harm:• Don’t distract the community from its own
priorities.
• Don’t force the community into the bureaucracy’s silos.
• Don’t take people’s time without showing results.
• Don’t make the community dependent.
• Don’t undermine the community. Follow the Iron Rule.
Remove Agency Barriers to Partnership:
• Centralized decision making• Cookie cutter programs and
regulations• Inaccessibility (location, language,
hours, runaround)• Bureaucratic red tape• Know-it-all attitude
Build Community Capacity:• Offer leadership training
• Assist with outreach tools like translation
• Work with associations of all types
• Provide forums for networking
• Offer non-meeting options for engagement
• Share stories of successful communities
• Highlight community strengths
• Move beyond citizen participation to community empowerment
Department of
PARADIGM SHIFT NEEDED
Move from Siloed Thinking
To Holistic Approaches
Little City Halls and Coordinators
Move from Starting with Needs
To Starting with Strengths
Neighbourhood Matching Fund
What makes Matching Fund unique?
• Community matches with its assets, including volunteer labour
• Community determines priorities
• One time projects only
• Any group of neighbours can apply
• Proposals reviewed by peers
• Quantity and diversity of participation
key to selection and evaluation
High Point Neighbourhood
Alki Neighbourhood
Carkeek Park
Alki Neighbourhood
Duwamish Tribe
International District
Keys to Success• Ownership by community
• Outreach beyond usual suspects
• Volunteer match
• Small amounts of money
• Training and technical assistance
• Minimal red-tape and paperwork
• Support by the council as a whole
• Sharing of stories
Move from Top-Down
To Community-Driven
Neighbourhood Planning
Keys to Neighbourhood Planning
• Comprehensive plan provides framework
• Community initiates the planning
• Community engagement must be broad and inclusive
• City provides funding & technical assistance
• Community hires its own planning expertise
• Community defines its own scope of work
• Community drives plan throughout process
Delridge
Value of community-driven planning:• Implementation happens – plans don’t sit on the shelf
• Resources are multiplied – government resources leverage community’s
• Appropriate development occurs – respecting unique character of neighbourhood and culture of community
• More holistic and innovative solutions result
• A stronger sense of community is built
QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS
-What are local agencies doing to move towards more place-based, strengths-focused, community-led ways of working?-What more could they do?
TOOLS FOR BUILDING STRONG COMMUNITIES
Learning Conversations
CREDENTIALWARM UP TALK
MOTIVATION TO ACT● Gifts/talents to contribute
● Dreams to realize● Concerns/needs to addressWILL THEY PARTICIPATE?
WHO ELSE DO THEY KNOW?
Visioning
King County Senior Services
Photos of Central Area Gathering by Max Wells
Actions from Initial Gatherings
Neighborhood walking mapPlanning for senior co-housing
Gay/lesbian community projectsA one-stop lifelong learning website
Peppi’s Woods Maintenance Project
Time bank from Shoreline to Edmonds
Intergenerational, multicultural dance party
Summit
High Point Neighbourhood, Seattle
Open Space Technology
Time Banking
Timebank UK
Tea Vans
Portland, Oregon
Edmonton, Alberta
Welcoming
Waterloo, Ontario
Melbourne, Victoria
Big Lunch, UK
Vashon, Washington
WELCOME VASHON PROJECTSRestorative Justice Program
Amigos en VashonFerry Dock Welcoming Signs
Challenge Day at Vashon High SchoolCheckers in Town
Breakfast at Sally’sCross-Ability Friendship for Students
Stone SoupWelcome Wagon
Hire VashonTime Bank
HomesharingCreate Community Center
Establish Free ClinicThe Wave Campaign
Port Phillip, Australia
QUESTION TO DISCUSS:
What ideas from this workshop do you plan
to implement?