Nadia Shabani’s Post

Are you interested in exploring how community foundations across Europe facilitate citizens' participation in community decision-making and the different ways they foster community engagement? Do you want to deep dive into practical tools and examples from practitioners around the continent?     Then our latest guide "Engagement and participation. What, who and how. A guide for community foundations" is the perfect reading for you!     Drawing from the Spectrum of Community Engagement to Ownership, developed by Rosa González of Facilitating Power in partnership with Movement Strategy Center, the publication delves into how community foundations inform, consult, involve, collaborate with, and defer power to their communities, the challenges they face and the results they have achieved.  You can find the whole publication here:   https://lnkd.in/enVahC4W Porticus

Together, we can tackle our most challenging problems. This week I was inspired not by the lofty goals, illuminating research or the theory of change but by the practical, tactical, gritty commitment to get it done. Thanks to the City and partners for hosting the first affordable housing week at city hall and to so many partners in other rooms working on policy change at the state level. A few reflections in the blog linked below.

Third spaces serve as more than just community builders; they are vital hubs for diversity and equity. Locations like public libraries offer open places where individuals can reach a variety of services and foster community within a free, accessible environment.  When people have spaces to come together, they can grow, learn, heal, and connect. Prioritizing third spaces means prioritizing our communities. Read: https://lnkd.in/gkghvaX6

The latest episode of WAHNcast features an incredible conversation with Commissioner Eileen Higgins of Miami Dade. Her candid and insightful discussion was both honest and impressive, showcasing her remarkable confidence and resilience. Here are a few highlights from our chat that I found particularly inspiring: Her Best Advice: On dealing with critics, Eileen says, “Let them have one chance to complain and listen to them. Let them be heard.” It’s a powerful reminder that while it’s important to listen, you don’t have to let negativity consume you. Facing Inequality: Eileen describes the challenge of being treated unequally as a woman as “like swatting flies.” This reminded me a lot of stories I hear at Women's Affordable Housing Network (WAHN) - the ability to continue moving forward with the eye on the end goal. Senior Projects Innovation: Co-living spaces designed for both affordability and sociability. It’s forward-thinking solutions like these that can make a real difference in our communities. I love Eileen’s goal of meeting 50 people a week—it resonates with my own networking goals and underscores the importance of connection and engagement in our professional lives. #WAHncast #Leadership #Networking #WomenInLeadership #CommunityInnovation #Inspiration

I recently began reading 'A New City O/S: The Power of Open, Collaborative, and Distributed Governance' by Stephen Goldsmith and Neil Kleiman. It's encouraging to see the City of Great Falls Planning & Community Development Department and other City departments taking steps to implement the book's recommendations. While there is still progress to be made, I am optimistic about the future of public service! #localgovernment #innovation #publicservice #problemsolving

To mark National Fair Housing Month I'm sharing this video clip (https://lnkd.in/eqtt35MK) that Kadineyse Paz shared with us during a lunch-n-learn presentation to our team. Kadineyse is a Community Planner for Housing & Equity with JM Goldson and recently completed a project with one of her professors at Tufts. The broad purpose of this project was to expand awareness and strengthen the implementation of fair housing in Massachusetts. Outside of just doing research, they sought to identify key and new voices in Greater Boston cities who could help to identify roadblocks to effective fair housing strategies in their areas. The report had four goals: 1) To help raise public awareness about fair housing, and implications for enforcement, especially as it involves people that identify as Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) 2) Broaden discussion about fair housing where fair housing advocates communicate with other civic voices 3) Assist with ensuring that narratives calling for increasing affordable housing are conjoined with a narrative of affirmatively furthering fair housing 4) Encourage greater local government attention to the history of fair housing and how institutional racism has shaped suburban white communities today Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/e8wQvDsv #communityplanning #urbanplanning #equity #fairhousing #affordablehousing #housinghistory

Curious to know what TRU Gaglardi's impact has been on the Kamloops community and beyond? Check out our newest report below!

The key message of this timely report from my colleagues at ADAM Architecture is that to make sustainable places that support the health and wellbeing of communities we need to take a more patient approach. This is more easily said than done in a policy climate that promotes a housebuilder model where developers build homes and then move on; PLACEMAKING TWO suggests some interventions that can make a difference. It's well worth a read 👍

The DC Office of Planning is undertaking a public life study in Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant thanks to an allocation from DC Council. This study is a comprehensive effort to improve the quality and use of public spaces in Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant through data-driven analysis, guideline development, and inclusive community engagement. It includes four components: Inclusive Engagement, a Public Life Assessment, Design Guidelines, and a Sidewalk Vending Study. https://lnkd.in/e7fiNa5T

Researchers: Interested in learning more about considerations and strategies for engaging in the participatory research processes with community members and organizations? CEACR brought experts together from North Carolina CEAL's Regional Team, Westat, and the Alliance for Community Engagement – Climate and Health (ACE-CH) to discuss: ✍ Effective strategies for establishing partnership structures, processes, and agreements 💬 Approaches to establishing bidirectional community involvement, feedback loops, and reciprocity 🤝Examples of community engagement planning and tools to promote and sustain trust and meaningful engagement Check out the latest CEAL newsletter to access this informative webinar: https://bit.ly/3xPuCy3