In honor of our 125th Anniversary, we will be using our newsletter to highlight 125 projects or initiatives that use civic capital to solve problems and build equitable, thriving communities. These cities have been recognized for engaging community members in collaborative efforts to improve education, health care, economic prosperity and the general quality of life. Today, examples 71-70:
- Lakewood, CO. The Lakewood Sustainable Neighborhoods Initiative aims to promote green living standards through civic engagement and community wellness. Residents enrolled through targeted neighborhoods develop fun and engaging events in the spirit of the city’s sustainability goals, while at the same time building a stronger sense of community.
- Beaverton, OR. The B-SOBR program is an intensive Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) outpatient court program for repeat DUI offenders.
- Tacoma, WA. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s Board of Health passed a Health in All Policies resolution directing the agency to consider health in all their policies. Agency staff now use a health lens analysis tool for all actions of the Board of Health and department.
- Cincinnati, OH. It all started in 2009 when the City of Cincinnati began the process of developing a new comprehensive community engagement plan. After hundreds of conversations with community members, Plan Cincinnati was completed.
- Charlotte, NC. LEVEL UP was started in 2017 to assist Charlotte teens by preventing crime, promoting health and reducing academic summer regression. The initiative is a collaboration of the City, YMCA and an assortment of other nonprofit organizations.
- Pasco, WA. Somos Pasco is a collaboration of a wide variety of community partners to develop a shared vision for Pasco and its economy.
- El Paso, TX. The Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program allows public housing authorities to leverage public and private debt and equity to redevelop their aging public housing stock and prevent the loss of existing affordable housing.
- Mount Pleasant, SC. Properties along Shem Creek were dilapidated and unsightly. The Town of Mount Pleasant – informed by numerous public and stakeholder conversations–supported a series of improvement projects and the development of the Shem Creek Park Master Plan.
- Chula Vista, CA. Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) Action, a grassroots organization, began knocking on doors in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods in Chula Vista, California. The residents identified their concerns, then brought their concerns to city council meetings.
- El Paso, TX. The Neighborhood Leadership Academy (NLA), is a 20-week educational program that informs El Paso residents of the services and programs city departments provide, how they are using tax payer money, how residents can access their services, and, most importantly in many cases, how residents can help those departments to provide the highest levels of customer service.
*Examples 1-10
*Examples 11-20
*Examples 21-30
*Examples 31-40
*Examples 41-50
*Examples 51-60
*Examples 61-70
