Learning Together in Highland Park to Build Civic Capacity

• Main Author: Leonard, Grace
• Format: Others
• Published: VCU Scholars Compass 2018
• Subjects: Civic capital; collaborative learning; revitalization; empowerment; nonprofit; Urban Studies and Planning
• Online Access: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/5371; https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6484&context=etd

This thesis examines the work of nonprofit organizations collaborating with communities to build civic capacity in North Highland Park, a neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. Place-focused planning strategies during the twentieth century diminished civic capacity in the community and fostered isolation. Today, collaborative community work in Highland Park is incorporating the assets, resources and knowledge held in the community into strategies to improve quality of life using collaborative learning. A case study approach closely analyzes community engagement and revitalization processes in North Highland Park between 2011 and 2017. Nonprofit organizations mobilized and led a group of community-based collaborators, including nonprofit staff members, government officials, nonprofit funders, and residents. In Highland Park, nonprofit organizations collaborate with communities, emphasizing shared ownership and collaborative learning, to build civic capacity in the community.