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Neighborhood Governance: Strengthening Democratic Practices for Effective Community Engagement

Explore the critical questions and tensions surrounding neighborhood governance, including shared governance, community involvement, democratic leadership, and more. Discover the strengths and weaknesses of cities like Portland, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles, and learn how to apply these lessons to governments and communities for effective public engagement.

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Neighborhood Governance: Strengthening Democratic Practices for Effective Community Engagement

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  1. Critical questions • What kind of long-term relationship do people want with their government? • How can temporary organizing strategies be incorporated in the way communities conduct their public business? • What have we learned from 30 years of experimentation in neighborhood governance?

  2. Why do neighborhoods matter? Neighborhoods are: • “Where the people are” • Where conflict between residents and government is on the rise • Where new leaders first emerge • Where public problems – and assets – are most evident • Where government “of, by, and for the people” can actually happen, on a regular, ongoing basis • Where politics can be reunited with community and culture

  3. Cities presenting • Portland, OR • Minneapolis, MN • Los Angeles, CA

  4. Strengths: Official authority Independent voices Generators of “public work” In some cases, “Bob’s Rules” Connections with policymakers Weaknesses: “mini-City Councils” Not inclusive Not interactive, democratic In most cases, “Robert’s Rules” Unclear expectations of policymakers

  5. Tension #1: “Shared governance” or “blurred governance?” • “Getting rid of” prostitutes, drug dealers • Who is being empowered? • Racial dynamics • Delegating authority and responsibility to groups that may not be representative or accountable

  6. Tension #2: The “involvers” and the (potentially) “involved” • “Make sure the food is visible from the doorway” • Whose needs are served through involvement? Are residents being engaged or just managed? • Making this work a broadly shared activity rather than (merely?) a professional practice

  7. Tension #3: Democratic leadership in a republican system • Newer, more facilitative forms of leadership – out of step with, and even a threat to, existing leaders? • “Graduates” of neighborhood governance who “forget what they’ve learned” • “The structures need to reflect the practices”

  8. Tension #4: Democracy and community • Failure to incorporate social and cultural aspects • Competition between ‘official’ councils and more community-oriented groups • Importance of history and language

  9. Tension #5: ‘Top-down’ vs. ‘bottom-up’ • Top-down = legitimate but undemocratic structures; Bottom-up = democratic but illegitimate processes • Need something “in between the city council meeting and the barbershop”

  10. Conclusions reached • “We know how to do a lot of this stuff” (recruitment, facilitation, action planning, leadership training, etc.) • Work must be jointly owned and directed • Need to ensure that democratic practices are being used (need new mechanisms for evaluation and accountability; more access to technical assistance; joint trainings) • Apply lessons to governments, not just neighborhoods (public engagement skills should be taught throughout gov’t; need new formats for public meetings; need better connections between neighborhood and local decision-making)

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