Getting It Done Summary of Proceedings
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New Communities Program GETTING IT DONE: NEW TOOLS FOR COMMUNITIES SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS AT LISC/CHICAGO’S NEW COMMUNITIES PROGRAM CONFERENCE ON COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MARCH 26-27, 2008 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS “ The goal isn’t all that mysterious. What oftentimes is mysterious is how we get there … and stay there. That’s the purpose of our two days together, to find out from each other how we’re getting where we want to go.” ANDREW J. MOONEY, executive director, LISC/Chicago 2 GETTING IT DONE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER This meeting was about the “how” of What’s so new about NCP? community development. For one thing, its core approach of The “why” was never an issue among neighborhood-led, comprehensive the neighborhood leaders and community development has never development professionals, foundation been attempted on so large a scale, executives and corporate funders who across so many diverse neighborhoods, gathered March 26-27, 2008 at the with so deep a variety of governmental, UIC Forum of the University of Illinois philanthropic and political support. at Chicago. “Grassroots” and “comprehensive” are not new ideas in the community They know all too well the stakes have development lexicon (a similar approach never been higher for America’s urban helped redevelop New York’s South neighborhoods. There is a new urgency, Bronx in the 1980s), but the what with “left behind” public schools empowerment of local groups to work and failed federal immigration policies, simultaneously on all aspects of a faltering national economy and, most neighborhood health — from schools to immediately, an epidemic of home shopping, from cultural arts to public foreclosures. safety — is only now being expansively tested and evaluated for potential use And so they came, 900 strong, from across urban America. dozens of Chicago neighborhoods and more than 50 cities across the nation, Folks came also to contribute their own seeking fresh approaches to familiar yet insights about what works and what vexing problems. They came, in doesn’t in places such as Duluth and particular, to learn about the new tools San Diego, Miami and Providence. being developed in the 16 Chicago Because while every city has its own neighborhoods of the New Communities context, the how-tos of community Program (NCP). Now in its sixth year, renewal — planning, leadership, NCP is coordinated by the Chicago communications, measurement — are office of the Local Initiatives Support universal. And fascinating, too, judging Corporation (LISC) and by non-profit by the high energy level sustained “lead agencies” in each neighborhood. across 17 hours of general sessions, Principal funding is by The John D. and workshops, roundtable discussions, bus Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation with tours … even “nightlife” forays to supplemental investments by more than special neighborhood places. 20 other sources. What follows are highlights and sidelights from “Getting It Done.” 3 GETTING IT STARTED PRACTITIONERS FROM NEAR AND FAR The hallways of the UIC Forum were “ This is the first national gathering packed solid by 11 a.m. as the of comprehensive community conference opened with a “virtual tour” development professionals!” of the NCP neighborhoods. Each of the lead agencies had prepared their tables JESUS “CHUY” GARCIA, president to catch the attention of visitors, with of the Little Village Community Development everything from dioramas and pretend Corporation community gardens to a customized Monopoly board, balloons and hanging signs. But the real action was in the conversations as hundreds of “ We’ve got a lot of people here participants moved from table to table today … more than 900 to learn what others were doing and to registered from 56 cities across exchange business cards. The tables the country and at least 23 continued as a major attraction Chicago neighborhoods.” throughout the conference. But first, it was time for the opening luncheon. ANGELA HURLOCK, executive director of Claretian Associates, NCP lead in the South Chicago neighborhood ROLL CALL NCP NEIGHBORHOODS Auburn Gresham Little Village South Chicago Chicago Southwest Logan Square Washington Park East Garfield Park North Lawndale West Haven Englewood Pilsen Woodlawn Humboldt Park Quad Communities 4 “ Whether you’re from South “ The NCP process begins here. It Chicago or South Rhode Island, steps into the world as it is, with a you are all part of a new and vision of how it should or could exciting movement in our country be … How could a relatively to re-build our neighborhoods, to unknown Muslim man from New re-build our cities and, in the York come to Chicago’s long-run, to re-build our nation.” Southwest Side and help start a health clinic at 63rd and ANDREW MOONEY, executive director of LISC/Chicago and conference host California? There are many reasons, but it is the NCP process that made the connections, provided the resources, and now, “ This (NCP) is our best hope for lets an entity like ours become a economic and cultural partner in our community’s sustainability … to provide the redevelopment.” resources necessary to create and sustain communities of RAMI NASHASHIBI, executive director of the Inner-city Muslim Action Network (IMAN) choice. This is a dream no longer and founder of an NCP-backed community deferred. … Granted there is still health clinic a great deal of work to be done. The 2000 Census found that Woodlawn remains over 90 “ Most of our (LISC) cities percent African-American with a represented here are currently median family income of just implementing a strategic $21,000 … Yet we have now the approach to comprehensive tools to make Woodlawn a community development. It’s an community of choice. Can we do approach that we at national LISC this? Yes we can.” call ‘sustainable communities’ BISHOP ARTHUR BRAZIER, chair of NCP/ and it is based on Chicago’s Woodlawn, pastor of the Apostolic Church of New Communities model.” God and a 50-year veteran of community development work MICHAEL RUBINGER, president, national LISC CITIES IN ATTENDANCE St. Paul, Detroit, New York, Cincinnati, Bloomington (IL), Columbus, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Aurora (IL), Huntington (IN), Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Covington (KY), Washington (D.C.), Joliet (IL), Providence, Woonsocket, Minneapolis, Houston, West Palm Beach, San Diego, Brooklyn, Kalamazoo, Waukegan (IL), Des Moines, Richmond, Florence (KY), Vincennes (IN), San Francisco, Flint, Evanston (IL), Tamaqua (PA), Atlanta, Crown Point (IN), Normal (IL), Miami, Duluth, Rio Rancho (NM), Rockford (IL), Seattle, Batavia (OH), Oak Lawn (IL), Newark, Boston, Albuquerque (NM), Hartford, Pittsburgh, Wheaton (IL), Grand Rapids, Spokane, Little Canada (MN), Hazel Crest (IL), Uniontown (PA), Bethesda (MD) 5 KEYNOTE: lot. We know that energy must A MOMENT FULL OF PROMISE come from neighborhoods, not from Washington; that strong Jonathan Fanton is no stranger to community organizations are the the problems and complexities of critical drivers of change; and cities. A Yale-educated professor of that both public and private American history, he once led investment are necessary. institutional planning at the University We know that success requires of Chicago and later, for 17 years, work across all the issues in a served as president of the New School community — housing, health, of Social Research in New York City. jobs, public safety and all the rest. In 1999 he was named president of The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur “ Most of all, we have learned that Foundation, which soon thereafter neighborhoods, once described stepped up as the principal funder of as ‘blighted,’ are sources of NCP, committing more than $50 million untapped economic and human to the NCP neighborhoods over potential, ready to respond to 10 years. real opportunity. Together we can provide that opportunity … we can together take advantage of “ We meet at a moment in history this promising moment and help full of promise. I think we are on realize this nation’s highest the cusp of another era of aspirations of a just and humane domestic reform … A younger, society where everyone has an less cynical, more politically opportunity for a secure and engaged and optimistic decent life.” generation is forming. JONATHAN FANTON “ And I believe we are ready to move. Over the years and through NCP we have learned a 6 WORKSHOPS NEW TOOLS FOR COMMUNITIES Much of the heavy lifting at this conference was done Wednesday afternoon at a battery of eight how-to workshops, all repeated so attendees could participate in at least two. Each workshop examined a community development “tool” used by NCP practitioners. Participants also received a 44-page “Toolkit” explaining each community-building device, along with real-life examples of how they are used. Susana Vasquez, LISC/Chicago’s director of the New Communities Program, explained that neither the tools nor the communities of NCP are all that new. “ These tools aren’t really new … “ For LISC/Chicago, this means What is new is how we got here. understanding the neighborhood LISC/Chicago’s decision in 1997 as a whole system. We try to to change the way it was doing build deep relationships, to be things when it became clear a responsive to local plans, to be bricks-and-mortar approach respectful of local leadership. … wasn’t enough. The commitment We value that $15,000 grant to by the MacArthur Foundation in launch a local basketball league 2002 to work through LISC to as much as the $1.5 million loan support 16 neighborhoods over to leverage a major commercial 10 years to create community development. change. And the willingness of “ As for our lead agencies, they’ve our 14 lead agencies and their learned to move their own partners to experiment with us on mission as well as a collective this approach that we now call vision. They’ve learned to be local NCP.