Neighborhood Initiative Research Articles

Life Cycle Assessment of Consumption Patterns – Understanding the links between changing social practices and environmental impacts

As we are still not on track to achieve environmental sustainability through technological change, we need to further stress the importance of understanding routinized types of behaviour by private households and the environmental assessment of corresponding consumption of resources. Social practice theories allow us to understand the constitution of human activity and its embeddedness in society. In transformation research, the relevance of social practice theories has been recognized. However, there is still a lack of understanding regarding the conditions under which practices change substantially and what kinds of tools and governance approaches are suitable to foster change in social practices. We therefore propose a novel way to address the transformation of consumption patterns of private households by a) connecting social practice theories to life cycle assessment for a quantitative environmental evaluation of transformation processes and b) using narrative approaches to understand the links between several social practices and conditions for change. An illustrative study of a bottom-up neighbourhood initiative shows how specific meanings and values (expressed, for example, through meanings of “enough”) affect several social practices from different consumption categories (nutrition, daily mobility, travelling). Environmental assessments further show that changing social practices across consumption categories can substantially decrease environmental pressures from private household consumption, especially in the field of nutrition. The understanding of how various social practices are connected in a nexus through narratives embodying deeper meanings point to novel ways of fostering change and the relevance of social practices related to urban or neighbourhood initiatives as an entry point to a more sustainable way of living.

Walkability in Riyadh: A Comprehensive Assessment and Implications for Sustainable Community—Al-Falah Case Study

This paper focuses on studying the concept of walkability in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after the implementation of the Humanizing Neighborhoods Initiative. Al-Falah neighborhood was selected as a case study because it was one of the first neighborhoods to implement walkability strategies. By adopting a qualitative critical approach, this research collected data through a literature review and on-site observation to assess walkability in the neighborhood. Analysis of the observations highlighted the challenges and opportunities of walkability in Riyadh and the wider Gulf cities. Recommendations for promoting walkable communities in Riyadh include enhancing pedestrian infrastructure, incorporating mixed-use developments, integrating green infrastructure, implementing smart urban planning principles, and integrating public transportation systems. This paper emphasizes the importance of community engagement, preserving local identity, and involving various stakeholders to transform Riyadh into a pedestrian-friendly city that prioritizes public health and sustainability.

Stakeholders’ longitudinal perspectives on a large public housing redevelopment in Los Angeles, California

The Homeownership and Opportunity for People Everywhere VI programme (HOPE VI) model created a new approach to redeveloping public housing in the US, paving the way for the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI). Unlike traditional public housing redevelopment, CNI aims to revitalise entire ecosystems to create sustainable, thriving communities by focusing on housing, people, neighbourhoods and participatory community planning. This study used qualitative methods to explore the longitudinal perspectives of 12 stakeholders involved in a large CNI-funded public housing redevelopment project in Los Angeles, California. Our grounded theory analysis identified four key themes: (1) persistent community ghosts; (2) growing regeneration rooted in optimism and hope for the future; (3) displacement concerns; and (4) the emergence of a mixed-income dichotomy. These findings underscore the importance of continued community involvement in redevelopment efforts, especially in communities that bear complex historical and social challenges.

Stakeholders’ longitudinal perspectives on a large public housing redevelopment in Los Angeles, California

The Homeownership and Opportunity for People Everywhere VI programme (HOPE VI) model created a new approach to redeveloping public housing in the US, paving the way for the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI). Unlike traditional public housing redevelopment, CNI aims to revitalise entire ecosystems to create sustainable, thriving communities by focusing on housing, people, neighbourhoods and participatory community planning. This study used qualitative methods to explore the longitudinal perspectives of 12 stakeholders involved in a large CNI-funded public housing redevelopment project in Los Angeles, California. Our grounded theory analysis identified four key themes: (1) persistent community ghosts; (2) growing regeneration rooted in optimism and hope for the future; (3) displacement concerns; and (4) the emergence of a mixed-income dichotomy. These findings underscore the importance of continued community involvement in redevelopment efforts, especially in communities that bear complex historical and social challenges.

“The chaos of not knowing”: Embodied experiences of waiting for public housing redevelopment and relocation

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development has instituted several successive programs to redevelop aging and distressed US public housing. The current program, the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, aims not only to redevelop housing but also to improve the health of public housing residents through a whole neighborhood transformation, at the cost of privatizing components of housing. In the present case study, we examine relationships and perceptions about public housing redevelopment and health among residents affected by the Sun Valley Choice Neighborhood Initiative in Denver, Colorado. We address how public housing residents experience redevelopment, with particular emphasis on the temporal, physical and embodied mental experience of “waiting” for housing in a community undergoing radical transformation. We understand and conceptualize waiting as the process that generates stressors, and embodiment as the process of internalizing stressors through the mechanism of weathering (Geronimus, 1992; Krieger, 2021). Through repeated interviews with 21 residents, we highlight several themes that tie together experiences of waiting for displacement as well as experiences of stress and uncertainty related to the bureaucracy of public housing redevelopment. We document how participants struggled with the emotional impact of imposed change, found waiting to be destabilizing for their mental health, and how they embodied experiences of displacement anxiety. These findings show how redevelopment projects impose a forced waiting on the state that extends precarity and further destabilizes the lives and mental health of public housing residents.

Making the Case: Exploring the Role of Case Management in Relocation and Return Decisions in Choice Neighborhoods Initiative

Leveraging novel case management data, we present the first comprehensive investigation into the role of case management services in housing relocation and return decisions within the framework of the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI), the current place-based public housing revitalization program. Our study employs multinomial logistic (MNL) regression models to demonstrate that a higher level of involvement in case management services is correlated with an increased probability of moving to a higher-income neighborhood during the redevelopment process, as well as a greater likelihood of returning to the revitalized neighborhood afterward. By achieving these outcomes, case management services play a crucial role in enhancing the chances for original CNI residents to reap the benefits of neighborhood redevelopment—a matter of enduring concern among social scientists. These findings are contextualized with both sociodemographic and neighborhood characteristics associated with relocation and return decisions.

Cross-sector partnerships in the South City Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI): An exploratory case study of collaboration network structure and process in Memphis, Tennessee

ABSTRACT Mixed-income initiatives represent promising anti-poverty strategies that assist families living in public housing in the United States. However, little is known about the extensive cross-sector partnerships required for implementation. We address these knowledge gaps by exploring partnerships within the South City Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) in Memphis, Tennessee. The following research questions guide the study: (1) what is the structure of inter-organizational relationships within the South City CNI partner network? and (2) what collaboration processes emerge within the network structure regarding communication, collaboration, and trust? Utilizing an exploratory case study design that leveraged social network analysis (SNA) and in-depth interviews, we found that the South City CNI was relatively dense and moderately centralized. A core group of partners was central for coordinating information and resources, but roles and positionality changed across each network. The presence of a high-capacity lead organization and multiple bridging organizations aided implementation. We conclude by discussing implications for practice, policy, and research.

Choice and Opportunity: Housing Relocation, Neighborhood Change, and Family Well-Being in the South City Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) in Memphis, TN

Mixed-income development initiatives target distressed public housing for redevelopment and provide support to low-income families. These initiatives involve an involuntary move for families living in the sites targeted for redevelopment. The objectives of this study were to examine housing relocation, neighborhood change, and family well-being among families (n = 383) affected by the South City Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) in Memphis, Tennessee, using longitudinal administrative records merged with census data. Regression analysis and multilevel mixed-effects modeling were utilized to examine quality of life outcomes (e.g., perceived home safety, neighborhood safety, stress). Families who moved out of the CNI zip code improved their neighborhood quality compared to families who stayed. All families experienced improvements to home safety and neighborhood safety, but also experienced increased stress irrespective of decisions to leave or stay in the CNI zip code. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Caring neighbourhoods in Belgium: lessons learned on the development, implementation and evaluation of 35 caring neighbourhood projects.

In recent years, there has been a rise in international (care) movements that prioritise community-centred initiatives such as age-friendly communities, compassionate communities or integrated community care. Although these movements have different focal points, they share common features: seeking to address systemic failures in (care) services, value the participation of end-users, focus on unmet (care) needs, through a local, neighbourhood-oriented approach. In the Flemish and Brussels regions notably the concept of Caring Neighbourhoods is experiencing rapid growth. The objective of the present study is to examine the development and implementation of 35 Caring Neighbourhood initiatives in Flanders and Brussels (Belgium) to explore the added value of such projects, as well as the crucial elements for creating Caring Neighbourhoods. Thirty-five caring neighbourhood projects were examined by means of five focus group interviews with project coordinators (n = 34) and five focus group interviews with neighbourhood residents (n = 27), using participant-generated photo elicitation. The focus group sessions were recorded, transcribed and data were labelled using an inductive analytical framework, following the steps of reflexive thematic analysis. The analysis of the 35 Caring Neighbourhoods showed that fostering connections was key in building Caring Neighbourhoods: connections among residents, connections between residents and care and support services and among care services themselves. The three primary ways to connect people were through activities, places and people. Also, the role of the Caring Neighbourhood coordinator is highlighted as key, which should focus on weaving existing resources, facilitating and coaching instead of organising. Altogether, the projects brought meaning and value to participants' lives, enhancing overall life satisfaction and well-being, with an emphasis on physical and psychosocial care and support. Through critically reflecting on our results and other research, we call on researchers to pay increased attention in research on community-centred care initiatives to death, dying and grief, equity and social justice and the need for both warm and cold solidarity.

Neighbourhood civic engagement around serious illness, death, and loss: results of the development of initiatives in two neighbourhoods in Flanders

Introduction/background: Worldwide, civic engagement initiatives concerning serious illness, caregiving, and bereavement are gaining momentum, as a result of the increasing interest in communities addressing challenges around these topics. In Flanders too, a diverse range of civic engagement initiatives are being developed, among which two research-initiated neighbourhood initiatives in municipalities in Herzele and Sint-Kruis (Flanders, Belgium). Most of the existing civic engagement initiatives around serious illness, death and loss have not been evaluated thoroughly, though this would generate important knowledge about community development on these topics. 
 Aim: To offer insights into the facilitators and barriers in the development process of neighbourhood civic engagement initiatives in two municipalities in Flanders (Belgium), e.g., the municipality context of development, stakeholder engagement, complexity and compatibility of developed initiatives.
 Methods: To study the development process of the initiatives, we performed observations (n=159) of all meetings between stakeholders, interviews and focus groups (n=72) with the different stakeholders, and a document analysis of all the relevant written materials (n=32). The results were iteratively analysed using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR).
 Results: The studied civic engagement initiatives were both initiated by the municipality, which facilitated the co-creative process with formal and informal stakeholders in the neighbourhood. We identified a lack of leadership engagement to formulate and support clear goals for the project, as a barrier. These goals and interests should be compatible with existing municipality projects and with the interests and needs of the people in the neighbourhoods. Non-compatibility decreases stakeholder engagement since stakeholders do not wish to conduct new initiatives but want to strengthen the topics of illness, death and loss in their regular activities. A challenge is to not just include stakeholders who already have a core formal function around wellbeing, illness, death and loss, but also include stakeholders that are indirectly involved with these topics (e.g. neighbourhood police, local merchants, neighbourhood committees). Sufficient resources, especially in terms of staffing, seem to be a facilitator for starting neighbourhood civic engagement initiatives. Results suggest that having a neighbourhood worker on the ground for engaging neighbourhood stakeholders, facilitates network formation around illness, death and loss in the neighbourhoods.
 
 Conclusion: Leadership engagement, compatibility and sufficient resources are three key concepts in facilitating neighbourhood civic engagement initiatives around serious illness, death and loss. Non-compatibility between existing workflows in the municipality and the needs of stakeholders can lead to decreased stakeholder engagement. We suggest the goals of the city be adjusted to the interests and needs of the neighbourhood. Sufficient resources need to be provided to realise these goals.

Co-creating and evaluating the potential of digital neighborhood platforms for healthcare and social professionals.

Background: The governmental Caring Neighborhoods initiative in Flanders (Belgium) is a driver for the exploration of collaboration between informal actors (citizens, families, neighbors, informal caregivers, ...) and professional actors (healthcare, social care, housing, culture, ...). Several neighborhoods advance a digital neighbourhood platform as a means of communication, participation, and matchmaking between people who want and offer neighborly support. Healthcare and social professionals often meet people who could use neighborly support. In this project, we explore the potential to integrate digital neighbourhood platforms in daily practices together with these professionals.
 Target group: Healthcare and social professionals.
 Involved and engaged stakeholders: Citizens, families, neighbors, informal caregivers, housing, culture, ...
 Intervention: The researchers become active partners in the development of five caring neighborhoods, co-creating and evaluating the potential of the platforms through the participation in project meetings, work groups, partner meetings, workshops, steering committees, ... Content analysis is performed to distinguish themes and patterns in the data, answering the realist evaluation question: what works for who, in which circumstances?
 Results: The potential of the digital neighbourhood platforms depends on the functionality of the platform, the fit with the neighbourhood needs and context, the pre-existing collaborative dynamics in the neighbourhood, and the willingness and capability of professionals to integrate the platform into daily practices. Platforms have different goals (e.g. sharing economy vs. social community) and functions (e.g. neighborly support matchmaking and/or communication). Platforms have a limited potential for vulnerable citizens, groups and neighborhoods. 'Offline' community organizing, both informally and professionally, remains important in any case, but especially for the most vulnerable. Several caring neighbourhood projects are experimenting with hybrid combinations of 'online' and 'offline' community organizing and neighborly help, but both knowledge and skills as well as collaborative processes have to be further developed to better address the individual and community needs and for professionals to integrate the platforms in daily practices.
 Lessons for international audience:
 - The potential and limitations of digital neighbourhood platforms are tied to the needs and contexts of different neighborhoods, and to the pre-existing informal and professional networks and their ongoing collaborative dynamic.
 - A co-creative, participative research methodology helps to shed light on the intricate differences between different neighborhoods, caring neighbourhood projects, and their respective dynamics.
 Next steps: The lessons learned are translated into accessible information and services for local governments, healthcare and social care. Future research should further look into the potential of digital neighbourhood platforms in the context of caring neighborhoods from the citizen perspective.

More private than public: the choice neighborhoods initiative as another tool for state-led gentrification in the Sun Valley neighborhood of Denver CO

ABSTRACT Through the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI), private investors and developers replace distressed US public housing with new mixed-income and mixed-use developments. Although these projects promote community involvement and are purported to prioritize community input and to benefit residents, private investors have disproportionate power and often modify redevelopment to favor the market-rate units while receiving tax incentives, extremely low-cost and long-term land-leases, and government funds for demolition, construction, maintenance, and management. Through a CNI program in Denver (US) we identify and examine the hardships experienced by its residents. CNI transitioned residents toward modern living amenities and mixed-income arrangements but with a loss of community and negatively impacted residents’ mental and physical health. Our initial findings highlight how this regeneration process can lead to degeneration, displacement, fragmented communities, and poor health outcomes for residents. Federal and local agencies should commit to programs that ensures collaborative community-centred planning from beginning to end.

Genetic Risk, Neighborhood Characteristics, and Behavioral Difficulties Among African American Adolescents Living in Very Low-Income Neighborhoods.

Behavioral difficulties among African American youth are disproportionately detrimental to their future well-being compared to when demonstrated by White American youth. The majority of gene-environment studies of behavior have been conducted with European ancestry samples, limiting our knowledge of these processes among African Americans. This study examined the influence of positive and negative neighborhood conditions, in the context of genetic risk, on behavioral difficulties among low-income African American adolescents. Data were from the Genes, Environment, and Neighborhood Initiative study of African American youth in high-poverty neighborhoods, n = 524, M age = 15.89, SD = 1.42. DNA samples were collected using the Oragene Discovery 500 series, and polygenic risk scores for behavioral difficulties computed. Neighborhood informal social control, social cohesion, physical disorder, and social disorder were assessed. Adolescent alcohol use, hyperactivity/inattention and conduct problems were examined as outcomes. After controlling for polygenic risk, lower levels of neighborhood social disorder and higher levels of social cohesion were associated with fewer youth-reported hyperactivity/inattention and conduct problems. Less social disorder also was associated with fewer parent-reported behavioral difficulties. Neighborhood characteristics did not moderate associations between genetic risk and the outcomes. Higher levels of positive and lower levels of negative neighborhood characteristics can be associated with lower levels of behavioral difficulties among African American youth living in poverty, even after taking into account genetic risk.

Illness, Metaphor, and Bells

Throughout 2020 and 2021, bells have rung in a variety of COVID-related rituals in the West, ranging from large-scale religious and civic rites, to ad hoc neighborhood and hospital initiatives, to anti-racist memorials that simultaneously spoke to the health crisis at hand. Taking stock of how these COVID bell-ringing rituals were formalized, their structures and actions, and the historical precedents from which they drew their meanings, this article investigates what the sounds of bells and the rituals of bell-ringing communicated about COVID, how they shaped our personal and collective experiences of the crisis, and what functions they were expected to serve during this liminal period. It reveals how, owing to the historical polysemy of bells on the one hand and the social uncertainties of living with COVID on the other, those rituals generated vivid symbolisms and mobilized powerful emotions that sometimes brought about unintended consequences.

Impact of Regional integration on Trade and Economic Cooperation – a key study of Georgia and Azerbaijan

The South Caucasus is a unique small and densely populated region in the southern part of the Caucasus. It consists of three independent states - Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. Georgia is actively engaged in the Peaceful Neighborhood Initiative in the South Caucasus and strives to deepen political and economic relations with the countries in the region based on sovereign interests. In these processes, strengthening mutually beneficial, trust-based cooperation with the Republic of Azerbaijan is of special interest to Georgia. After the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and the regaining of independence by Georgia and Azerbaijan, a completely new phase of diplomatic relations began between the two countries which grew into a strategic partnership. Territorial proximity and the establishment of diplomatic relations have prompted the dynamic development of trade and economic relations between the two countries, which increases the degree of urgency of the study. The presented paper focuses on the priority areas of trade and economic cooperation between Georgia and Azerbaijan. However, at the present stage economics and politics are so closely interrelated that it is impossible to draw a line between them. Therefore, in order to achieve the purpose of the paper, the first chapter focuses on the development of diplomatic relations between the two countries, while the following chapters study trade and economic cooperation between Georgia and Azerbaijan and analyze the development of bilateral cooperation in trade in services; in addition, the trade intensity index is calculated; the importance of investments from Azerbaijan in the Georgian economy is assessed; the transnational energy and transport projects proposed by the Georgian and Azerbaijani governments are discussed; and the growing role of Georgia as trade and transport hub in the Caucasus in both the offshore and onshore components of these projects is assessed. It is noted that trade and economic relations have growing dynamics and show readiness to further develop cooperation. In addition, some suggestions that will be helpful for Georgia to increase the scale of cooperation with Azerbaijan and assist deepening the involvement of the two countries in the world integration processes are proposed. We believe that the paper will enhance further research and discussion on trade and economic cooperation between Georgia and Azerbaijan and, most importantly, ensure support for this kind of cooperation.

Negotiating Vertical Urbanization at the Public–Private Nexus: On the Institutional Embeddedness of Planning Committees

<p>While the planning and development of dense and high-rise neighborhoods are commonly perceived as primarily technical procedures, the past several decades have highlighted the growing social complexity of these processes. Neighborhood initiatives opposing development, as well as an increasing variety of public and private stakeholders involved in these processes, have led to the continual emergence of organizations that facilitate the production of urban density and verticality. Committees are founded to operate at the nexus of public and private development, while simultaneously promoting urban growth and public interests. Although they often are not formally recognized as political entities, they are constituted by political acts and hence influence planning processes. However, despite all the research into dense and high-rise neighborhood developments, academic interest has so far neglected the role of committees in these processes. This article aims to fill this gap by presenting an analysis of 23 committees engaging with high-rise housing and neighborhood developments in the three German-speaking countries of Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. First, it reveals the heterogeneity of committees, delineating four components for the institutionalization of committees. This is followed by an in-depth analysis of two committees in Austria and Switzerland, to demonstrate how these structural components influence the development of neighborhoods.</p>

Co-Education/Co-Research Partnership: A Critical Approach to Co-Learning between Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative and Tufts University

Community–university partnerships that purport to promote the public good are often fraught with institutional and cultural challenges that can contribute to the injustices they seek to address. This paper describes how one partnership has been navigating these tensions through a critical approach to power. The Co-Education/Co-Research (CORE) partnership has been built over the last decade between Tufts University and Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, a community organizing and planning group in Boston. We have been co-producing knowledge and action to further community control over development, and we have found that institutional shifts, such as co-governance and the equitable sharing of funding, are leading to longer term impacts for the community partner and breaking down the boundaries between university and community. However, using a relational view of power, we have also found that some of our everyday practices can subtly maintain and reinforce inequities, such as valuing academic knowledge over that of community residents and practitioners. Addressing these cultural and ideological challenges requires critical and reflexive practice. It is messy relational work that requires a lot of communication and trust and, most of all, time and long-term commitment.

Profiling the variability and inequity in the residential environment in Cyprus according to citizens\u2019 ratings: a cross-sectional internet-based \u201cPlace Standard\u201d survey

BackgroundThe “Place Standard Tool” (PST) offers a practical framework for structuring conversations about physical and social dimensions of Place which impact on health and well-being. The aim of this study was to survey citizens’ perceptions of Place across diverse settings in Cyprus. While the PST has been extensively used in the context of community engagement, its properties as a measurement tool haven’t been explored.MethodsAn open call was addressed to citizens to rate their neighbourhood environment across the 14 PST items (1: large to 7: little room for improvement). Exploratory factor, cluster and regression analyses were used to explore the dimensionality of the scale, depict neighbourhood profiles and explore differences in ratings according to socio-demographic characteristics, area-level census indicators and residents’ assessment of neighbourhood social position (10-step ladder).ResultsWith the exception of safety (M = 4.4, SD = 1.7), 492 participants (mean age 42, 50% residents for > 10 years) from 254 postcodes (21.7% islandwide) did not rate other features favourably, with lowest scores for “influence and sense of control” and “public transport”. A stepwise pattern of dissatisfaction was observed along the social position continuum both for features rated less as well as more favourably (e.g. social contact). For instance, among participants who placed their neighbourhood at the three top steps of the ladder, 48.8% gave a low rating for “influence and sense of control”, while the equivalent figure was 81.0% at the bottom three steps (OR = 4.5, 95% CI 2.3, 8.6). A clear dimensionality of Built (6 items, Cronbach’s α = 0.798), Physical (3 items, α = 0.765), Social (2 items, α = 0.749) and Service (3 items, α = 0.58) environment was identified. A social gradient was evident according to census measures of socio-economic disadvantage (e.g. pre-1980 housing, single-parent households) with larger differences in terms of the built than the social environment.ConclusionsThe study profiled the variability and documented the inequity in the health-related neighbourhood environment across Cypriot communities. The readily interpretable dimensionality of the scale supports its construct validity, allowing calculation of composite scores. The PST can be used as measurement tool in research as well as public health practice to advocate for neighbourhood initiatives which support and enhance citizens’ participation.

Investigating the Impact of Saudi QoL Program on Neighbourhoods’ Public Spaces: Riyadh neighbourhoods

“Humanization of Neighborhoods Initiative” was launched in 2020, under the QoL program aiming at improving and adapting public spaces in the city of Riyadh into pedestrian-friendly ones and fewer cars' dependent which can help accomplish the Saudi Vision 2030. This research aims at investigating the reflections of the QoL program on the urban and social life in Riyadh neighborhoods focusing on the streets to promote social activities and walkability into a prime physical activity in neighborhoods.The research follows mixed methods; a qualitative approach is in the literature review and quantitative analysis in the research survey. It provides recommendations for city planners for developing pedestrian infrastructure. Keywords: Saudi Vision 2030, Quality of Life, QoL, Public Space, walkability, community design, Placemaking eISSN: 2398-4287© 2021. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v6i18.3024

A Relational Approach to Transforming Power in a Community-University Partnership

We use a relational understanding of power to analyze power dynamics at the institutional and interpersonal levels in our multi-year Co-Education/Co-Research (CORE) partnership between Tufts University Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning (UEP) and Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI). Power in community-university partnerships is often examined only at the institutional level, conceiving of power as a resource to be balanced and shared. Indeed, CORE has advanced institutional shifts through co-governance, equitable funding, co-production of curriculum and cross-flow of people. While institutional policies and practices are critical, they alone do not transform deep-seated hierarchies that value university knowledge, practices and people over community. To understand how intertwined interpersonal and institutional practices can reproduce or transform these cultural and ideological dynamics, we use a relational approach, understanding that power flows in and through all relations. As community members, students and faculty, we reflect on the contradictions we have encountered in CORE. We examine how we reinforce the dominance of academic over community knowledge, even as we leverage institutional power to further community goals. These tensions can be opportunities for shifting, disrupting and transforming towards more equitable relations, but they can also reproduce and reinforce the status quo. Through reflective practice and a relational ethic of care, we can try to recognize when we might be shifting power relations and when we might be reproducing them. This is messy work that requires a lot of communication, trust, reflection and time. A relational approach to power provides hope that we can be part of the change we seek in all of our relations, every day. And it reminds us that no matter what we have institutionalised or encoded, our individual beings, organizations and communities are always in a process of becoming.