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The term “healthy neighborhoods” is in some
ways like the term “smart growth”. Just as no one would
admit to being in favor of “dumb growth”, it is axiomatic
that we all favor healthy neighborhoods.
But what does this mean, and why the need for clarity?
In short, ever since Kretzmann and McKnight articulated
their vision for “asset-based community development” (Building
Communities from the Inside Out, 1993), we’ve all become supporters
of healthy neighborhoods, and in the process, the term has become somewhat
meaningless.
Our field of community development is extremely given
to sexy “flavor-of-the-day” themes. Bent on continually
reinventing ourselves if only to seem to the outside world (if not ourselves)
that we are making a difference, slums becomes ghettos, ghettos becomes
underserved communities, and so on.
Much of the work undertaken by czb is the work of creating
healthy neighborhoods. When we say “healthy neighborhoods”
we do not mince words. We believe that lack of income should not disqualify
people from growing up and living in nurturing communities. We also
believe that concentrations of low income households usually does exactly
that.
So when we say “healthy neighborhoods” we
mean a place where it makes sense for people to invest their time and
energy and money. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Five years from now, when “smart growth”
has morphed into “sensible growth” and "neighborhood"
has become "community" and has been reverted back to "neighborhood,"
and "ghetto" means "ghetto" and "redneck"
means "redneck," czb will still be using the term "healthy
neighborhood" to mean just that: a place where it makes
sense to invest. |
