Seth Kaplan’s Post

In a society where disconnection and place-based inequality are having a great impact on everything from individual well-being to our growing social problems to city finances, we ought to be looking for ways to ensure all of our neighborhoods promote flourishing lives. This leads to a series of questions: How do we transform neighborhoods from fragile to flourishing? What is the role of partnerships/coalitions in this process? How do we shift the social and economic dynamics from a vicious to a virtuous cycle? Here is a short clip from a talk I gave earlier this year at the California Building Industry Association (CBIA)'s Leader-to-Leader Forum. It touches upon these issues and more. The discussion is also applicable to other industries. If you want me to speak at your event or organization or in your city to a public or private audience, please reach out. We can customize the material to the specific audience. We can run master classes where we go deep into practice as well as big picture keynotes. And we can do multiple talks, meetings, discussions, etc. as you prefer. #loneliness #neighborhood #community #inequality #health Placemaking Education Greg Fuson Tim Sullivan Luke Neilssen BrightSight Speakers #socialmobility

Useful thoughts on enhancing social mobility from the country's leading expert on the subject. Note the importance of neighborhood across all the points. "A successful opportunity economy is built around three core themes. First, start in childhood. Research has shown that the roots of opportunity start at birth. Children who grow up in thriving environments — with good health and nutrition, high-quality education and housing, stable families and positive social influences — are much better positioned to achieve success later in life. Every extra year of exposure to a better environment during childhood improves outcomes later in life.... Second, focus on communities, not individuals, as the unit of change. Children’s chances of rising out of poverty vary dramatically across places.... when conditions in a community improve — for example, if the fraction of parents working in an area increases — children do better, even if nothing changes in their own families. This evidence calls for a place-based approach to improving economic opportunity that targets specific areas and subgroups that lack opportunity rather than attempting to support families uniformly across communities. The third key to an opportunity economy is to build social capital. The strongest predictor of differences in economic mobility across neighborhoods is the degree to which low- and high-income people are connected to one another. In communities where low-income people have many high-income friends, people born into poverty are much more likely to rise up. Connections matter for job referrals, but they’re perhaps more important for guidance in navigating complex decisions like where to live, go to college or start a business. Moreover, people are inspired to follow the paths of those they are connected to, particularly those with similar backgrounds.... Most policies to create economic opportunity focus on providing people with financial incentives and resources, like tax credits for families or small businesses.... But putting social capital at the fore alongside financial supports — a system of “connected capitalism” that brings together those who don’t have opportunities and those who do — may be even more vital for creating opportunity." See the full article at The New York Times or the original research at Opportunity Insights to get the more detailed version. #socialmobility #neighborhood #inequality #place #isolation #children Placemaking Education Cormac Russell Shawn Duncan Carol Naughton David Edwards Danya Pastuszek Sarah Strimmenos Amanda Jamison Dan Baisden Dr. Adriane Johnson-Williams Tate Wilson B. Sutton Mora Aaron Kuecker Tim Soerens Sam Pressler Ron Ivey Frances Kraft De'Amon Harges PlacemakingX Michael Matheson Miller Caleb Whitmer Jason Zylstra Rachel Weaver Ryan Kilpatrick, AICP EDFP Pamela Parriott Rip Rapson Othello Meadows John B. Elizabeth Le'anani Coffee Robert Steuteville Todd Hornback Erin K. Peavey Tim Tompkins David Erickson

In celebration of the Jewish New Year (starting Wednesday evening), here is a podcast recorded several months ago with a Jewish outlet. It not only discusses the themes I work on - including social connectivity, community, and the importance of place-based institutions to these - but also delves into why we can learn so much from traditional and faith. I hope you enjoy listening. Thank you to Tikvah Media and Jonathan Silver. L'Shana Tovah tikatevu. Let's pray for a peaceful and safe 5785 Michael Matheson Miller Caleb Whitmer Stephen Barrows Sam Pressler Ron Ivey Prohuman Foundation Placemaking Education J.P. DeGance Chris Bullivant Jon Pyle Tim Soerens Bion Bartning Lory Warren #faith #community #Jewish #place #tradition https://lnkd.in/eDjCZPV4

How can foundations take a neighborhood approach in their funding? I often get asked this question and so have drawn up a few key ideas for anyone considering what to do. 1.Build citywide maps tracking neighborhood health 2.Develop a spatial strategy prioritizing the neighborhoods best primed to improve 3.Invest in neighborhood quarterbacks/anchors in priority locales 4.Establish small grant initiatives that boost families, collective efficacy and momentum across all neighborhoods 5.Adjust funding/evaluation criteria to incorporate a neighborhood lens; shift resources from servicing siloes to enhancing places 6.Convene a citywide brain trust of top leaders to advance a neighborhoods approach to governance across institutions Each of these require the right approach. Neighborhood health, for example, has many factors, but tracking population, relative real estate prices, vacancy rates, and transient rates over time will tell you a lot quickly. Over time, you can develop a more comprehensive scorecard. I could write a book on these issues (and actually did - Fragile Neighborhoods). Please reach out if you want to discuss any of them in more detail offline. #health #loneliness #neighborhoods #community #cities #foundations #philanthropy #placemaking Placemaking Education Danya Pastuszek Sarah Strimmenos Amanda Jamison Dawn Martz Dan Baisden Dr. Adriane Johnson-Williams Tate Wilson B. Sutton Mora Aaron Kuecker Tim Soerens Shawn Duncan Jennifer Prophete Sam Pressler Ron Ivey Frances Kraft De'Amon Harges PlacemakingX Michael Matheson Miller Caleb Whitmer Jason Zylstra Rachel Weaver Ryan Kilpatrick, AICP EDFP Pamela Parriott Rip Rapson Othello Meadows Cecilia Gutierrez John B. Anna Scott Daron Babcock Thomasina (Tomi) Hiers Wendy Stewart Lisa Greenwood John Olson Elizabeth Le'anani Coffee

How can a single building contribute to a socially flourishing neighborhood? How can the way we design the physical support the social?   Here are some great ideas on how a single building can adopt a neighborhood approach: 1.       PLACE IDENTITY – Help strengthen the local culture and character of the area. 2.       DESIGN – Focus on human scale designs that encourage social connections and safety. 3.       FACILITIES – Provide services or spaces that meet unmet needs in the neighborhood. 4.       TARGET GROUP – Understand the neighborhood's population and how certain groups can benefit or drive positive change. 5.       SOCIAL SPACE – Make shared indoor and outdoor areas available for community gatherings and activities. 6.       GATHERING – Open up certain activities or spaces to the entire neighborhood to encourage social interaction. 7.       URBAN SYNERGIES – Work with local businesses to promote social responsibility and build community ties. 8.       NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD – If possible, create a network of property owners, the municipality, and residents to identify needs, share responsibility and coordinate common actions.   Thank you, to Neighborhood Lab and Ofri Earon for gathering this list. Great ideas that we can all use in different contexts. Robert Steuteville Mallory Baches AICP, LEED-AP, CNU-A Todd Hornback Erin K. Peavey Kevin Ervin Kelley, AIA Tim Tompkins Bart Mitchell Egbert Perry Frances Kraft Majora Carter Ethan Kent PlacemakingX Placemaking Education Madeleine Spencer Ryan Smolar Nathan Storring David Erickson David Edwards Carol Naughton Ron Ivey Sam Pressler #community #neighborhood #loneliness #urban #design #health

How can you make your neighborhood more a home where you have relationships, find support, and get a bit of joy? How can we as a society reduce isolation and mistrust and restore the social fabric? As JOHN DONNE wrote, "No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main." Good Neighbor Day is on September 28th. Are you ready? Remember everyone can play a role. Here are some suggestions. Do you have additional ideas to share? Please do so! These were prepared with great care by Jennifer Prophete and her colleagues at the The Hopeful Neighborhood Project. You can learn more (and get access to guidebooks for what local governments, libraries, churches, coffee shops, and associations can do) at the National Good Neighbor Day website. Placemaking Education Cormac Russell Danya Pastuszek Sarah Strimmenos Dawn Martz Dan Baisden Tim Soerens Shawn Duncan Adam Barlow-Thompson Sam Pressler Deborah Tien David Burton Frances Kraft John B. De'Amon Harges Ethan Kent Ryan Smolar Madeleine Spencer Michael Skoler PlacemakingX Noah Baskett Tate Wilson #neighborhood #community #socialprescribing #loneliness #health

SUCCESSFUL STOREFRONTS: 10 MUST-HAVES Here are ten must-haves for your storefront: 1. Brand with a strong local identity: Storefronts should reflect the local culture and community stories. A well-branded storefront serves as an extension of the area's narrative, making the business memorable. 2. Engage with visual appeal: The use of color, art, and creative elements, like murals or thematic displays, can make storefronts stand out and invite curiosity. This visual engagement helps attract foot traffic and creates an inviting atmosphere. 3. Bring the inside out: Expanding the interior of the store onto the sidewalk by incorporating outdoor seating, displays, and interactive elements increases engagement. This allows customers to experience the store’s offerings even before stepping inside. 4. Design in a narrative: Every storefront should tell a story that aligns with the broader theme of the downtown area. This narrative can be conveyed through the design, decor, and window displays, enticing customers to explore. 5. Stage for experiences: Like staging a house for sale, storefronts should be staged to present an experience that reflects the lifestyle or values of the brand. This enhances the emotional connection with customers. 6. Add interactive elements: Adding interactive features such as QR codes or story pods in front of storefronts can deepen the customer’s journey. These elements not only guide visitors but also provide educational or storytelling experiences. 7. Utilize local art and collaborations: Collaborating with local artists or designers to create unique storefront elements, like murals or installations, fosters community engagement and gives the store a distinct local touch. 8. Highlight key local assets: Storefronts can emphasize their connection to local landmarks or cultural assets, making them part of a larger community experience. This positions the store as a gateway to exploring the town. 9. Create temporary installations for events: Pop-up events or temporary installations can refresh the storefront’s appearance and draw attention during special occasions, helping to build buzz and foot traffic. 10. Use consistent visuals for customer recognition: Storefronts should maintain a consistent design theme that aligns with their brand. This creates a recognizable identity for customers, making it easier for them to remember the business and return. Consistent use of colors, fonts, and other design elements helps reinforce the store’s message and attract repeat customers. Thank you to Jaime Izurieta, who gathered these ideas based on his many years of experience in this space. #placemaking #retail #loneliness #mainstreet #community What is your favorite storefront? Why? Where have you seen a retailer nurture better neighborhoods? Please share stories/ideas. Main Street America The Main Street Journal Mainstreet Australia Placemaking Education Cormac Russell #community Frances Kraft John B. Ethan Kent PlacemakingX

How might health companies move from supplying health to preventing it? Is there a model for bolstering population health by catalyzing community building? The Greater Rochester Health Foundation offers an example of what is possible. It aims to boost heath outcomes by focusing on enhancing #community capacity to produce #health in both urban and rural #neighborhoods. Importantly, it takes long-term view (10 plus years) and does not impose specific predefined outputs or outcomes. Instead, the Neighborhood Health Improvement Initiative supports resident groups and community animators to reweave the neighborhood social fabric--increasing collective efficacy and social support networks in the process. The foundation explains why it adopts an "asset-based, grassroots efforts to improve the physical, social, and economic environments of neighborhoods" in the Greater Rochester area as follows: "Our daily lives and the neighborhoods in which we live them—where we raise our families, work, and play—along with our personal health habits, affect health in countless and complex ways. Some neighborhoods support health and healthy behaviors better than others. In healthy neighborhoods, we feel safe walking outside, can access green space for recreation and physical activity, and we can purchase and eat healthy, affordable food. Healthy neighborhoods are free of abandoned housing that attracts crime and are places with trusted neighbors to turn to when in need." Deborah Puntenney offers more detail: "an inner-city community....The people who are involved are neighborhood residents, individuals, families. They’ve come together in block clubs, they have a neighborhood council. But these are informal groups, none of these are 501(c)3s except for the organization that actually received the grant, which is a CDC.... They finished their asset map and then they met as a community and they had identified several issues that they wanted to work on. Healthy eating, healthy exercise, and doing something about the open air drug market that had plagued their community for about 30 years.... Today when you go through the neighborhood, people comment all the time, this neighborhood group has managed to build community gardens, it has a developed a park and playground, it has completed a major trail going all the way through Rochester and right through the neighborhood. It has launched educational opportunities, it’s got numerous activities for seniors, for youth. It has developed major partnerships, and by that I mean between neighborhood residents, the mayor, the police, the courts, the judges, the district attorney, anybody you can think of they are partnering with. There’s been massive community change in this area. Thanks to Cormac Russell for suggesting this example. #rochester #relationships Placemaking Education Danya Pastuszek Sarah Strimmenos Amanda Jamison Shawn Duncan Sam Pressler Frances Kraft PlacemakingX Reyn Archer MD

For those who want to hear a great conversation on Fragile Neighborhoods and what each of us can do to bolster them, let me recommend this conversation with Coach Bill Courtney of "Undefeated" fame on the "An Army of Normal Folks" podcast. We covered everything from social #poverty to what ails our country to social entrepreneurship. Being in person in #Memphis was a great plus. Thank you Alex Cortes and Iron Light for arranging. #community #relationships #neighborhoods #podcast Placemaking Education Danya Pastuszek Sarah Strimmenos Amanda Jamison Dawn Martz Dan Baisden Tim Soerens Shawn Duncan Jennifer Prophete Sam Pressler Ron Ivey Frances Kraft De'Amon Harges Ethan Kent PlacemakingX Stanford Social Innovation Review

FROM BLOCK PARTIES TO NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERTS While there are many great ways to gather your neighbors, here is a first for me: a neighborhood backyard concert. One of my neighbors organized just such a concert as a gift for our #community this past Sunday night. Simply fantastic. Leveraging three backyards and a couple of great musicians with ties to the neighborhood, he set up food and hundreds of chairs along with all the musical equipment. Very professional, with neighbors helping out with the equipment and loads of small details. About 300 people came, of all generations, including over 100 children. The event went on for three hours, with lots of dancing and happy kids (and adults). As the main singer said, our #neighborhood is always “familiar faces, wonderful relationships.” Ever done something similar in your neighborhood? #relationships #socialprescribing #loneliness Placemaking Education Cormac Russell Danya Pastuszek Sarah Strimmenos Dawn Martz Dan Baisden Amanda Jamison Tim Soerens Shawn Duncan Jennifer Prophete Adam Barlow-Thompson Sam Pressler Ron Ivey David Burton Frances Kraft De'Amon Harges Ethan Kent PlacemakingX Sam Melamed Dr. Elissa S. Lee, OTD Rheya Pawar Matthew Quevedo Caroline Bryk Nichole Argo, PhD Scott Hutcheson Tim Carney