Cities across Canada are recognizing the need to invest in the social well-being of citizens who live, work, and play in their communities in order to strengthen a sense of belonging, connection and citizenship leading to happier, healthier, safer and more engaged neighbourhoods.
Vibrant Communities – Cities Deepening Community is a collective impact movement and network aimed at deepening a sense of community in our cities. Through place-based efforts of multi sector roundtables and the alignment of strategies at the municipal, provincial/territorial, and federal levels we are creating a movement that creates the conditions that make deepening community a priority. Cities are joining this growing movement, thereby strengthening our ability to collectively learn from one another and effectively build healthier, safer more vibrant communities.
The Journal is a free bi-monthly online magazine that offers the latest resources and articles on collaboration and neighbourhood development as well as information for all of our upcoming events.
Check out our latest editions:
Learn how small, rural and remote communities along the east shore of Kootenay Lake in BC brought residents together using an Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach.
Learn how the Lighthouse Project strengthened social connectivity within their neighbourhoods through three models of building climate resilience led by the municipality, community organizations, and residents.
The City of Hamilton celebrated their Neighbourhood Action Strategy’s first seven years by doing an in-depth evaluation of the outcomes and impacts of the strategy.
We are working with communities and organizations across Canada and the United States since 2016 and have built a momentum connecting communities and supporting learning by bringing leaders together who are deepening community resilience and creating the necessary foundation for positive community change.
This collection of neighbourhood strategies provides a glimpse into the work of seven cities involved in solutions to enhance community well-being. Cities Deepening Community is a network of people who are partnering with Tamarack Institute to explore the unique role that neighbours, neighbourhoods and communities play in creating positive futures.
Cities are now developing neighbourhood strategies that help guide the departments, organizations and residents to work together to build healthy vibrant neighbourhoods. This guide is for municipal staff or community groups interested in building the case for the development of a neighbourhood strategy.
If you are looking to build a neighbourhood strategy, this guide will provide you with tools and resources to assist you in engaging the community and, ultimately, developing a meaningful, actionable strategy.
Over the last couple of years Jonathan Massimi has had the opportunity to work with a number of communities. This work has involved a great deal of listening; giving ear to people’s stories, dreams and laments. As he reflects on these experiences, he has come to see two impulses at work, the nostalgic and the utopic
If collective impact efforts have any certainties, one surely is the ever-revolving (one might hope ever-evolving) door of community partners coming to the table. Our efforts for inclusivity, the reality that multi-sector coalitions invite instability as people leave jobs and new people come in: it’s inevitable that we will be regularly on-boarding new partners.
“First, do no harm.” This dictum is frequently but mistakenly associated with the Hippocratic Oath. Although it was disconcerting to learn that our physicians are not guided by this rule, Jim Ders is suggesting that it be adopted by community workers as the basis for our own code of conduct.
This group of neighbourhood leaders is mobilizing a growing number of leaders who are advancing neighbourhood strategies in their municipalities. Together we share resources and experiences that are advancing comprehensive approaches for creating strong neighbourhoods.
This CoP is made up of a group of peers committed to sharing and learning from one another to accelerate their collective understanding of the role of citizens and communities in preparing for emergencies; to enhance their practice; and, to share their knowledge and insights across the field.
This Community of Practice goes deeper into ABCD practice and explores helpful tools and resources by bringing together practitioners and residents who are are applying or are seeking to apply an ABCD approach to their community development work.
March 4-5 | Toronto, ON
This 2-day workshop will include a step-by-step approach to designing inclusive collaborative gatherings that meet the needs of your community, an exploration of best practices in community engagement and innovation, and a set of principles and techniques to guide facilitation and help troubleshoot tough situations.
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