“People first”: Factors that promote or inhibit community transformation

ABSTRACT

Residents are key assets in community change. Despite this, little is known about residents’ perspectives regarding factors that facilitate or inhibit successful planning for neighborhood transformation. We conducted focus groups with residents of a low-wealth community involved with a neighborhood planning initiative and examined a planning document to elicit lived experience perspectives. Using Colaizzi’s approach to phenomenology, the following themes emerged: (1) trust; (2) resident-driven transformation; (3) sense of community and cohesion; (4) engagement and collective action; and (5) openness to transformation. Attending to the factors identified by neighborhood residents can inform community development planning and practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Community-based research
• community development
• community engagement

Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of University Partnerships, (Grant Number H-21640SG). Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Office of University Partnerships [H-21640SG].