The Church and Proximity

How St. Matthews Episcopal Church in Westerville, Ohio created a new narrative for itself and been radically shaped by the community in which it lives and serves.

Restorative Practices: A Toolbox for Turbulent Times

Transcription of John and Peter's May 8, 2018 conversation with Thom Allena about his work in getting justice out of courthouses and into neighborhoods. Thom is a community and organizational psychologist who for nearly thirty-five years has worked in the fields of community and restorative justice, applying creative approaches to respond to crime, violence and group conflict. In Thom’s community justice work, citizens are invited to play active rather than passive roles in determining the shape of justice and become more directly involved in redressing the quality of life issues that are breached by crime.

Associating Associations: The Power of Convening

While many institutions are interested in enabling neighborhoods, they tend to focus on interventions and see convening as a means to their ends. An even more productive function could be to act as a neutral convener.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR the Open Streets Summit 2018 in New Orleans!

The Open Streets Project is partnering with Walk Bike Places and the City of Gretna to deliver an educational Open Streets Summit in Gretna and New Orleans, from September 15-16 2018. Summit Description The Summit will feature a behind the scenes tour of the City of Gretna’s inaugural open streets program, as well as breakout sessions, networking opportunities, and a World Café with open streets champions and organizers from across the continent. The Summit will provide inspiration and practical tips for both -novice and experienced- open streets organizers and supporters from public health, transportation, planning, public space, and policymaking fields....

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Open Streets Project Revamped

The Open Streets Project has undergone some changes over the last year. We bid a sad farewell to project co-founder, the Alliance for Biking & Walking, who are moving on to other things, and we happily welcomed a new partner, international Open Streets leader 8 80 Cities. We are excited for all the possibilities and energy this partnership will bring.

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Catalyzing Kalamazoo

For 15 years, LISC has been investing in Kalamazoo's historic Edison neighborhood, where decades of deindustrialization and decline had severed residents from jobs, educational opportunities and accessible healthcare. Today, gleaming new community facilities and flourishing small businesses are generating good jobs, and preparing people for employment. And resident-led projects to beautify the district and create social bonds are nudging the neighborhood into a more connected, dynamic future.

SSIR: Groundbreaking study looks at how neighborhood networks anchor community gains

In this week’s Stanford Social Innovation Review, LISC CEO Maurice A. Jones takes a close look at the outcomes from one of the largest single-city community development efforts in the country, the decade-long New Communities Program (NCP) in Chicago. Most notable, Jones writes, is data on community networks and how closely they connect to local growth and opportunity. The evidence confirms what community developers have long assumed but previously never proven: a durable local infrastructure of nonprofits, businesses, and other stakeholders is able to both attract and absorb capital in ways that measurably improve residents’ quality of life.

Helping Americans Live Longer

Why is the U.S. falling behind other wealthy nations when it comes to life expectancy? LISC CEO Maurice A. Jones tells the New York Times that underinvestment in core human needs like housing, education and jobs is damaging the health outlook for millions of Americans. He pointed to innovative partnerships, like LISC's collaboration with Toledo-based ProMedica, as a way to raise standards of living and improve longevity. “Let’s make this the new standard of care…,” he urged.