Community stories & examples

Artist and planner Candy Chang captured the dreams, aspirations and stories of neighbours in this New Orleans neighbourhood using wall writing. Click here to read a story about Candy Chang’s…

The South Hill Neighbourhood of Vancouver developed a website that shows how digital technology can be used to help connect people in the place they call home. Click here to…

Eagle Island is a small-scale example of how leadership can result in action on climate change. Eagle Island is a community of 30 homes, located within the municipality of West…

This four-minute video lightly “dramatizes” a party where people get together and have fun while reducing energy usage and GHGs. Click here to watch the video.

This two-minute animation summarises some of the key messages from the handbook ‘Exploring Community Resilience’, available for free download from fieryspirits.com Click here to watch the video.

The City of Edmonton has produced a short toolkit that has been created to provide you with tips and tools for bringing the people in your neighbourhood together. Click here…

Engaging Queenslanders: A Guide to Community Engagement Methods and Techniques is a report from the State of Queensland, 2005. Click here to read the guide.

Victoria Foundation’s annual “check-up” report evaluates the Capital Region as a place to live, learn, work and grow. It measures the health of the city and assigns grades in a…

Vancouver Foundation’s report on their Metro Vancouver survey of connection & engagement. It also includes A Closer Look, a series of mini-reports that detail the survey findings around particular themes….

Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam. Based on vast data, Putnam shows how we have become increasingly disconnected from family, friends, neighbors, and…

Community: The Structure of Belonging by Peter Block explores the ways communities can transform fragmentation, and six kinds of conversations that can create communal accountability and commitment. Block also describes…

Forward thinking local authorities have been testing innovative models to involve citizens, support local councillors and devolve powers to communities for many years. This report highlights the work of the…