Northwest Indiana Forum’s Post

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Empowering and collaborating with Samoan, Tongan, and Pacific Islander communities in San Francisco District 11, who are facing the challenges of gentrification, is critical to preserving their cultural heritage and fostering community resilience. These vibrant communities contribute richly to the cultural fabric of our cities, yet they often bear the brunt of displacement and economic pressures. Samoan Assembly Of God (1819 San Jose Avenue) and First Samoan Congregational Christian Church (260 Sagamore) have thriving communities, but they won't be here for long if we don't advocate and empower them. By partnering with these communities, we can amplify their voices, protect their neighborhoods, and support initiatives that honor their traditions while addressing systemic inequities. This collaboration includes creating spaces for cultural expression, providing resources for economic empowerment, and advocating for policies that ensure equitable access to housing, education, and healthcare. Together, we aim to build a future where Samoan, Tongan, and Pacific Islander families not only remain rooted in their communities, but thrive as integral contributors to our shared prosperity. Empowering these communities means strengthening their ability to overcome challenges, and ensuring their legacy is celebrated and sustained for generations to come. ✊🏿✊🏿✊🏿

Empowering and collaborating with Samoan, Tongan, and Pacific Islander communities in San Francisco District 11, who are facing the challenges of gentrification, is critical to preserving their cultural heritage and fostering community resilience. These vibrant communities contribute richly to the cultural fabric of our cities, yet they often bear the brunt of displacement and economic pressures. Samoan Assembly Of God (1819 San Jose Avenue) and First Samoan Congregational Christian Church (260 Sagamore) have thriving communities, but they won't be here for long if we don't advocate and empower them. By partnering with these communities, we can amplify their voices, protect their neighborhoods, and support initiatives that honor their traditions while addressing systemic inequities. This collaboration includes creating spaces for cultural expression, providing resources for economic empowerment, and advocating for policies that ensure equitable access to housing, education, and healthcare. Together, we aim to build a future where Samoan, Tongan, and Pacific Islander families not only remain rooted in their communities, but thrive as integral contributors to our shared prosperity. Empowering these communities means strengthening their ability to overcome challenges, and ensuring their legacy is celebrated and sustained for generations to come. ✊🏿✊🏿✊🏿

Magazine issue on how megaevents, mass tourism and hostile architecture displace vulnerable and homeless people from city centres. Cities should be for all!

#Swansea city centre's emerging community hub Y Storfa is to be the new home of a facility that helps celebrate the region's industrial, social and cultural #heritage. City & County of Swansea https://lnkd.in/e43tsKNE Swansea University

Back in 2020, Andreas Papallas and I had a dream— (okay, that’s a bit sentimental, but this *has* been a long time coming). Our special issue of Migration Studies on ‘Urban Encounters’ - co-edited with the wonderful and ever-supportive Susanne Wessendorf - has finally been published. It draws from a graduate symposium Andreas and I organised at Oxford to explore the question of how we can live together in cities, bringing together researchers across disciplines. Here’s our intro, with background on the conversations we wanted to add to: https://lnkd.in/dNUrEX4H First, Jeni Vine uses the concept of chronic urban trauma to conceptualise long-established residents’ reactions to newcomers in Sheffield - showing how they're shaped by decades of withdrawal of state support for housing and community development: https://lnkd.in/dBMYdeeG Next, Nadine Khayat, PhD and Clare Rishbeth zoom in on the Beirut seafront, and explain how it functions as both a leisure space and one where hierarchies of privilege and patterns of inequality frame urban encounters—and thus also the migrant experience: https://lnkd.in/dSTs8ZxU Then, Tamlyn Monson reflects on her fieldwork in the informal settlement of Mshongo, South Africa, and poses questions about the knowledge-power relations implicit in the encounters we analyse, considering directions towards epistemic justice: https://lnkd.in/d7U2cYqn Following this, I address how urban space is socially constructed between new- and oldcomers in Greece, using the specific example of arts education spaces for young refugees run by solidarity initiatives: https://lnkd.in/d5QZ53Zf Luise Vormittag then reflects on the possibilities of creative and participatory methodologies as encounters in themselves - describing the collective map-making workshops she organised with Latin Americans in the London neighbourhood of Elephant and Castle: https://lnkd.in/dn_Z_NK5 Last but not least, Martin Lundsteen takes us to the small Catalan town of Salt, to show how economic uncertainty and instability are translated into spatial appropriations among long-established residents: https://lnkd.in/dhUnT2hg Overall, we aimed to show the nuances of encounters across difference - looking at various geographical sites, and different scales - and how they’re shaped by individual positionalities and deep socio-economic inequalities. We hope this inspires many new conversations. Finally: we're incredibly proud of the PhD and ECR researchers who've been involved, and of the network of likeminded folks this has created. Thank you!

A powerful anecdote about care and proximity has been attributed to the anthropologist Margaret Mead. There is doubt, but the story is so powerful that I will tell it here on the anniversary of her death, 15 November. The first sign of human civilisation? What marks the start of civilization? Anthropologist Margaret Mead answered with a simple yet profound story: a fractured and healed bone. In nature, a broken bone meant death. Healing required care and solidarity—the first true sign of civilization. This care was more than survival; it was proximity. Someone had to carry the injured and provide water, food, and safety. Without physical and emotional closeness, healing wouldn’t happen. Civilization begins with empathy in action, with showing up for others. The healed bone story is a metaphor for how humanity thrives through closeness. It's not enough to coexist; we must care, support, and build solidarity networks. Proximity is the soul of human care. This lesson resonates today. Cities must reimagine themselves to foster proximity: essential services nearby, connected neighborhoods, and supportive communities. Just like in early civilization, care within reach transforms lives. On Margaret Mead’s anniversary (Nov 15), let’s remember her wisdom: being human means more than surviving—it’s about caring, healing, and thriving together. The future of our cities and humanity depends on rediscovering the essence of care through proximity. #HappyProximity

Quindaro Boulevard is a central corridor in Northeast Kansas City, Kansas (KCK). It embodies a significant chapter in the struggle for freedom and equality in American history, while also representing the ongoing challenges and efforts to build strong, vibrant communities in historically marginalized areas. FUSE Executive Fellow DeWayne Bright, Sr. is supporting the revitalization efforts of Quindaro Boulevard. In partnership with the City, FUSE, and Medici Road, Bright brought together local stakeholders in an Innovation Lab to discuss a strategy for this central corridor in the historic Northeast KCK. Revitalizing Quindaro Boulevard is important for several key reasons: 1. Economic development: The boulevard and surrounding areas have faced decades of economic decline. Revitalization can bring new businesses, jobs, and economic opportunities to the community. 2. Community pride: Many residents and entrepreneurs with deep roots in the area are working to restore Quindaro Boulevard to its former vibrancy. This fosters a sense of community pride and ownership. 3. Correcting past injustices: Discriminatory practices like redlining and blockbusting negatively impacted the area around Quindaro Boulevard. Revitalization efforts can help address some of these historical injustices. 4. Cultural preservation: The boulevard reflects the rich history of African American settlement and Native American history. Revitalization efforts can honor and showcase these intertwined histories. By investing in the revitalization of Quindaro Boulevard, the community can bridge its past and present, creating a more vibrant and prosperous future while honoring its rich and complex history.

📢 #Cities are on the front lines of addressing humanity’s most pressing challenges, from #climatechange to migration as well as natural disasters and socioeconomic inequalities.  City leaders from across the globe will convene in #Geneva for UNECE's 4th #ForumofMayors (📅 30 September – 1 October) to discuss the implications for local #governments of the Pact for the Future, which will be agreed upon by United Nations Member States at the upcoming #SummitoftheFuture in New York. At the Forum of Mayors, cities will collaboratively draft an outcome statement on the Future of Cities. This statement will emphasize the vital role of cities and local actors in driving a sustainable and brighter future for all. It will then be transmitted to the Secretary General of the United Nations as a contribution to strengthening the engagement of local and regional governments in UN intergovernmental bodies and processes. As a unique platform within the United Nations system, UNECE's Forum of Mayors connects local and national authorities within a normative intergovernmental framework, contributing to a more networked and inclusive #multilateralism.  The Forum will be chaired by Ms. Danela Arsovska, Mayor of #Skopje (#NorthMacedonia), with Vice-Chairpersons Mr. Ricardo Rio, Mayor of #Braga (#Portugal), Ms. Susan Aitken, City Leader of #Glasgow Council (#UnitedKingdom) and Mr. Sami Kanaan, Deputy Mayor of Geneva (#Switzerland). The keynote address will be delivered by renowned architect Lord Norman Foster. Learn more 👉 https://lnkd.in/d-sJdwaf UNECE Housing and Land Management Unit Paola DEDA Mia Alibegovic Global Cities Hub #MayorsAction #CitiesSummit

Shelburne Economic Development is crafting a 5-year Action Plan to guide our community's Economic Development. We need input from everyone who works or lives in Shelburne. Share your insights and help shape our future by completing our survey at https://ow.ly/iyEv50UIGI0