The Latest

Investing to Create a Network of Community Change Agents - A Case Study

For more than 100 years, the Lehigh Valley, a metropolitan region in northeastern Pennsylvania, was renown as an industrial powerhouse, and manufacturers like Bethlehem Steel, Mack Truck and Coplay Portland Cement were its heart.  But by the 1980's, these industries had closed, moved out of the region or were downsized due to national and global competition.  The urban areas- Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton- went into a sharp economic decline, which lasted for nearly three decades.

By 2014 however, the city of Allentown was gaining global recognition for its “innovative, forward-looking approach to design and development.” The economic renaissance of Allentown is a testament to the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of its ancestors.  The establishment of a Neighbourhood Improvement Zone (NIZ) in Allentown’s downtown core was the spark that launched the city’s economic revitalization, which has included: a 10,000-seat multipurpose arena, several office towers, restaurants, green spaces, restored historic buildings as well as residential and retail spaces.  Downtown Allentown is now “a regional centre of excellence for business, culture and metropolitan living."  In 2011 only 9,000 people worked downtown but by 2018, that number had grown to 16,000.

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An Action Plan to Build Community Readiness

Achieving success is not about wishing for the best future, but being prepared to do the difficult work of getting ready. Ready Set Go: Building Readiness for Collaborative and Community Impact is a brand new paper designed to help community change practitioners set into place all the conditions required to move from idea to execution to impact.

Many of us jump into collaboration without considering the context of the community or the issue that we are hoping to change. We gather around collaborative tables and look to the future, often without considering how to leverage what already exists, how our community might respond and where potential synergies might be which could be the launch pads toward impact.

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Community Building:  The Short and Long Views

When we are in the deepest, darkest days of community change work, our sightlines are narrow and our focus usually ends up on the microscopic parts of the process that are frustrating us. We want to move faster. We want to see bigger impact, bigger results. We become impatient with the process recognizing that even our best work may only have limited impact.

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Global Changemakers Build Community in Israel

It started in 2011 with a small group of changemakers and grew into the Global Roundtable for Community Change.  These passionate leaders were interested in the intersection between citizen voice and community impact.  They also explored the differences and similarities of community change efforts across different country experiences. 

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The (Mostly) Certitudes of Change

All things considered, I prefer sameness in my personal life. Okay, actually, I really like the comfort of my personal routine when I am at home.

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Why the human sector needs to care about the environment

My good friend Walter Hossli cares for this earth. In a recent conversation he shared with me some of his thoughts. He is an Albertan  and cares deeply for his country and province.  Read More