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Build-Com, Website: http://www.libertynet.org/nol/build-com.html. Build-Com is an email list of a growing network of people involved directly in neighborhood and community organizations or working with public agencies that serve them. Its website provides links and other avenues for information exchange.
Center for Living Democracy, 289 Fox Farm Road, P.O. Box 8187, Brattleboro, VT 05304-8187, Tel: 802.254.1234, Fax: 802.254.1227, Email: info@livingdemocracy.org, Website: http://www.livingdemocracy.org. The Center's mission is to accelerate the emergence of Living Democracy, the broad awakening to the essential role of regular citizens in solving America's toughest problems.
Civic Practices Network (CPN), Center for Human Resources, Heller School for Advanced Studies in Social Welfare, Brandeis University, 60 Turner Street, Waltham, MA 02154, Tel: 617.736.4890, Fax: 617.736.4891, Email: cpn@cpn.org, Website: http://www.cpn.org/. CPN is a collaborative, nonpartisan project commited to bringing practical methods for public problem-solving into every community and institutional setting in America.
Community Building Resource Directory, National Community Building Network (NCBN), 672 13th Street, Oakland, CA 94612, Tel: 510.893.2404, Fax: 510.893.6657, Email: network@ncbn.org , Website: http://www.ncbn.org. This website provides extensive links to community building resources, in-depth information about community building practitioners, and published materials on community building.
Community Stories Index: "Creating Civic Infrastructure," Website: http://www.ncl.org/anr/creatinf.htm. This section of the Alliance for National Renewal website gives case studies which emphasize how the processes of creating civic infrastructure, such as visioning, strategic planning and public participation, improve community life.
Idealist Kids and Teens, Website: http://www.idealist.org/kt. The Idealist Kids and Teens web site introduces young people (18 and younger) to the world of nonprofit organizations and encourages them to get involved in their communities and in the activities and issues that nonprofit organizations pursue.
Indivisible: Stories of American Community, Center for Documentary Studies, Duke University, Tel: 919.660.3654, Email: llm@duke.edu, Website: http://www.indivisible.org. Indivisible is a national documentary project that uses photographs and recorded voices to explore stories of struggle and change in twelve communities throughout the U.S. It includes a traveling museum exhibition, a book, an educators' guide, and a web site.
Institute for the Study of Civic Values (ISCV), 1218 Chesnut Street, Room 702, Philadelphia, PA 19107, Tel: 215.238.1434, Fax: 215.238.0530, Email: edcivic@libertynet.org , Website: http://libertynet.org/~edcivic/iscvhome.html. ISCV works to apply America's historic civic values to contemporary issues and problems, to develop both theory and practical strategies aimed at building community, and to promote civic literacy through conferences, workshops and seminars.
League of Women Voters (LWV), 1730 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036, Tel: 202.429.1965, Fax: 202.429.4343, Email: lwv@lwv.org, Website: http://www.lwv.org. The LWV is a multi-issue organization whose mission is to encourage the informed and active participation of citizens in government and to influence public policy through education and advocacy.
National Congress of Neighborhood Women, 249 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211, Tel: 1.888.777.5776 This network is committed to helping low-income women help themselves by encouraging leadership and participation in their communities and increasing opportunities for grassroots activity.
Sustainable Oahu Initiative, 200 N. Vineyard Boulevard, Suite 415, Honolulu, HI, Tel: 808.521.3861, Fax: 808.539.3555 This collaborative project between the Oahu Economic Development Board and the Hawaii Community Services Council seeks island solutions for the economy, the environment, and quality of life.
Sustainable Racine, P.O. Box 725, Racine, WI 53401-0725, Tel: 414.632.6440, Website: http://www.sustainable-racine.org. Sustainable Racine is a comprehensive sustainable community initiative established to help bring to reality a vision of what the residents of Racine, WI, would like Racine to be.
Tahoe Center for a Sustainable Future (TCSF), 301 Pheasant Lane, P.O. Box 32, Glenbrook, NV 89413, Tel: 702.588.2342, Fax: 702.588.1519, Email: 70740.3231@compuserve.com , Website: http://ceres.ca.gov/tcsf/. TCSF offers information, resources, education, and training to achieve a sustainable future in the entire Lake Tahoe Region.
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Checkoway, Barry. Young People Creating Community Change. (Michigan: W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 1996). This is a workbook for young people who want to create community change. It includes a variety of learning activities, information on successful stories, individual instructions, small group exercises, and hands-on materials for problem-solving and program planning.
Harker, Donald F. and Elizabeth Ungar Natter. Beyond Voting - A Citizen's Guide to Participating in Local Government. (Berea, KY: MACED, 1991). To obtain this resource contact: Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED), 433 Chestnut Street, Berea, KY 40403, Tel: 606-986-2373
Hren, Benedict J. Community Voices for Sustainability. (Gaithersburg, MD: Izaak Walton League of America, 1998). This workshop guide is a tool for discussing critical topics with core groups of conservationists and community leaders. To obtain this resource contact the Izaak Walton League of America, 707 Conservation Lane, Gaithersburg, MD 20878-2983; Tel: 301.548.0150; Fax: 301.548.0149; Email: sustain@iwla.org; Website: http://www.iwla.org.
Iowa Division, United Nations Association of the United States of America. A Social Agenda for Iowa for the 21st Century: A Workbook for Citizen Action. (Iowa City, IA: UNA-USA, Iowa Division, 1997). This resource promotes discussion and dialogue on issues of major U.N. conferences of the 1990s and encourages action on the local level. To obtain this resource contact UNA-USA, Iowa at 20 East Market Street, Iowa City, IA 52245-1728; Tel: 319.337.7290; Email: unaiowa@inav.net. This resource can be found online at: http://soli.inav.net/~unaiowa.
Isaac, Katherine. Civics for Democracy. (Washington, DC: Essential Books, 1992). This book explains true democracy for high school civics classes. It discusses our country's history of grassroots movements including the labor, civil rights, women's and environmental justice movements and describes successful campaigns by students across the country .
Kaner, Sam et al. The Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision Making. (Gabriola Island, BC, Canada: New Society Publishers, 1996). This how-to manual is designed to help groups increase participation and collaboration, honor diversity, and make effective, participatory decisions.
Kemmis, Daniel. The Good City And The Good Life. (New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin, 1995). The author, a former Montana state legislator and mayor of Missoula, Montana, uses personal experience and the experience of other cities and citizens to explore the issue of renewing the human experience of citizenship.
Klein, Richard D. Everyone Wins! A Citizen's Guide to Development. (APA Planners Press, 1990). This guide provides strategies to help groups reshape land development proposals. To obtain this resource contact Planners Book Service, 122 S. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1600, Chicago, IL 60603; Tel: 312.786.6344; Fax: 312.431.9985; Website: http://www.planning.org/bookstore.
Lappe, Frances Moore and Paul Martin Du Bois. The Quickening of America. (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, Inc., 1994). This book tells how Americans are linking their own personal growth to solving public problems.
Medoff, Peter and Holly Sklar. Streets of Hope: The Fall and Rise of an Urban Neighborhood. (Boston, MA: South End Press, 1994). This book describes the revitalization of the Dudley Street Neighborhood in Boston through community empowerment.
Miller, Edward D. The Charlotte Project: Helping citizens take back democracy. (St. Petersburg, FL: The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, 1994). This publication chronicles how "The Charlotte Observer" reinvented its democratic role by reaching out to its readers, creating different approaches to campaign coverage. To obtain this resource contact The Poynter Institute, 801 Third Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701; Tel: 813.821.9494; Fax: 813.821.0583.
Mullahey, Ramona, Yve Susskind, and Barry Chekoway. Youth Participation in Community Planning. (Chicago, IL: APA Planners Book Service, 1999). This report demonstrates how various communities have encouraged young people to help solve problems, voice their opinions, and make a difference. It explains how to create effective youth-based initiatives that train young people to identify social, community or policy concerns; devise solutions; and hone the skills they need to effect change. To obtain this resource contact the Planners Book Service, American Planning Association, 122 S. Michigan Avenue, #1600, Chicago, IL 60603-6107; Tel: 312.786.6344; Fax: 312.431.9985; Website: http://www.planning.org
National Civic League's Community Assistance Team. Building Your Community's Problem Solving Capacities. This series of articles provides advice to communities on how they can build their capacity for problem solving, and thus help resolve difficult local challenges. This resource can be found online at: http://www.ncl.org/ncl/cat1.htm.
National Commission on Civic Renewal. Nation of Spectators: How Civic Disengagement Weakens America and What We Can Do About It. This final report of the National Commission on Civic Renewal, published in 1998, attempts to define the challenge of civic renewal, explores the current civic condition of America, and addresses themes and history of civil society, among other topics. This resource can be found online at: http://www.puaf.umd.edu/civicrenewal/finalreport/table_of_contentsfinal_report.htm.
Program for Community Problem Solving. Building Community: Exploring the Role of Social Capital and Local Government. This working paper utilizes case studies, scholarly articles, and field experiences to explain the theoretical aspects of social capital. It examines how they can be practically applied by nonprofits, local government, and other grassroots organizations. To obtain this resource contact Program for Community Problem Solving, 1319 F Street NW, Suite 204, Washington DC 20004; Tel: 202.783.2961; Fax: 202.347.2161.
Prugh, Thomas, Robert Costanza and Herman Daly. The Local Politics of Global Sustainability. (Washington, DC: Island Press, 1999). This book explores the kind of politics that can help enable us to achieve a sustainable world of our choice, rather than one imposed by external forces.
Rankin, Tom and Stack, and Trudy Wilner. Local Heroes Changing America. (New York, NY: W.W. Norton/Lyndhurst Books, 2000). This book, a project of the Indivisible: Stories of American Community documentary project, contains the stories of 12 communities across the country where engagement and civic change are active principles.
Smith, Herbert H. Citizen's Guide to Planning. (Chicago, IL: APA Planners Press, 1993, 3rd ed.). This book helps both laymen and aspiring professionals understand the basics of planning. To obtain this resource contact Planners Book Service, 122 S. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1600, Chicago, IL 60603; Tel: 312.786.6344; Fax: 312.431.9985; Website: http://www.planning.org/bookstore.
Study Circles Resource Center. Organizing Communty-wide Dialogue for Action and Change: A Step-by-step Guide. (2001). This guide is designed to help you understand and carry out the many aspects of community-wide organizing for public dialogue and action. To obtain this resource contact the Study Circles Resource Center, P.O. Box 203, Pomfret, CT 06258; Tel: 860.928.2616; Fax: 860.928.3713; Email: scrc@studycircles.org. This resource can be found online at: http://www.studycircles.org.
Study Circles Resource Center. Building Strong Neighborhoods for Families with Children. (Pomfret, CT: Topsfield Foundation, Inc., 2001). This discussion guide helps people use study circles - small-group, democratic discussions - to address ways to build better neighborhoods for families with children. To obtain this resource contact the Study Circles Resource Center, P.O. Box 203, Pomfret, CT 06258; Tel: 860.928.2616; Fax: 860.928.3713; Email: scrc@studycircles.org. This resource can be found online at: http://www.studycircles.org/pdf/families.pdf.
Study Circles Resource Center. Building Strong Neighborhoods: A Study Circle Guide for Public Dialogue and Community Problem Solving. (Pomfret, CT: Topsfield Foundation, Inc., 1998). This guide helps organizers use study circles - small-group, democratic discussions - to help people address ways to strengthen their sense of community and build better neighborhoods. To obtain this resource contact the Study Circles Resource Center, P.O. Box 203, Pomfret, CT 06258; Tel: 860.928.2616; Fax: 860.928.3713; Email: scrc@neca.com.
Vermont Commission on Democracy. Doing Democracy. This 1994 report from the Vermont Commission on Democracy gives practical ideas for deepening democratic practice throughout a state. To obtain this resource contact the Center for Living Democracy, RR#1, Black Fox Road, Brattleboro, VT 05301; Tel: 802.254.1234.
Walsh, Joan. Stories of Renewal: Community Building and the Future of Urban America. (New York, NY: Rockefeller Foundation, 1997). This report focuses on personal relationships and social networks to improve community life and shows community building in practice through the lessons of mature case studies. To obtain this resource contact The Rockefeller Foundation, 420 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10018-2702; Tel: 212.869.8500. This resource can be found online at: http://www.rockfound.org.
Wates, Nick, ed. The Community Planning Handbook: How people can shape their cities, towns and villages in any part of the world. (London, UK: Earthscan Publications, 2000). This book is the starting point for all involved in shaping their local environment. It features an accessible how-to-do-it style, best practice information on effective methods, checklists, sample documents, and a Scenarios section that demonstrates how the various methods described can be mixed and matched to meet the unique circumstances found in any community. To obtain this resource contact Earthscan, 120 Pentonville Road, London N1 9BR, UK; Tel: Littlehampton Book services, +44 (0) 1903 828800; Email: orders@lbsltd.co.uk; Website: http://www.earthscan.co.uk.
Alliance for Sustainable Communities, Annapolis, Md.; An alliance of citizens, government officials, businesses, educators, and civic organizations conducted public summit meetings and sponsored improvements in the Annapolis area.
Chattanooga Visioning, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Community leaders organized a highly participatory visioning process to plan the future for their economically and environmentally depressed mid-sized city, a number of initiatives followed.
Families First!, Oklahoma City, Okla.; A regional visioning process resulted in a program to encourage citizen participation in community development and revitalization, based on clusters of neighborhoods.
Nos Quedamos, Melrose Commons, South Bronx, New York; A residents organized a highly participatory process to develop a sustainable renewal plan for their community, which replaced a city urban renewal plan that threatened the neighborhood.
Citizen Initiatives, Sitka, Alaska; Sitka residents from all sectors developed a plan for an environmentally sustainable economy, based on forest management and value-added wood products.
Vision for a Greater New Haven, New Haven, Conn.; A citizen's coalition, led by local religious groups, organized an ongoing community-wide visioning process, a number of significant initiatives are already underway.
Community Visioning & Implementation Inventories & Indicators Building Partnerships Civic Engagement Justice & Equity Conflict Resolution & Mediation Culture, Art, Ethnicity, Heritage & Celebrations
To SCN home page URL: http://www.sustainable.org/
Sustainable Communities Network (SCN) Revised March 6, 2002