National Civic Review

One of the Nation’s Oldest and Most Respected Journals of Civic Affairs

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• Newark, New Jersey: Using Community Engagement to Improve Public Safety

  National crime rates in most urban areas have fallen considerably since the 1990s, but some cities have experienced greater improvements in public safety than others. One of those cities is Newark, New Jersey, where innovative community engagement strategies have helped make a difference in reducing the rate of crime.

• Communities Collaborating to Reduce Homelessness

  In a 2024 study on how communities are handling the seemingly intractable problem of homelessness, three elements of success emerged: Strong leadership from civic and political figures acted as a catalyst for uniting communities, collaborative efforts engaged stakeholders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, and the development of networks helped integrate service delivery.

• Citizens’ Governance Spaces

  For those of us concerned about democratic conditions today, there is much to learn from the nimble, innovative, participatory, and practical governance initiatives that ordinary citizens are creating and leading.