This case study focuses on the way a neighborhood association connects schools to broad change in an urban neighborhood of a large Midwestern city. The first section provides a review of the literature on community involvement in school and neighborhood reform. It reviews the historical origins of the current school-community relationship, the…

Where you find distressed neighborhoods, you will also find poorly performing public schools. Yet many contemporary school reform efforts ignore neighborhood-level factors that undeniably impact school performance. The purpose of this study is to use a case study approach with social institutional and urban school reform regime frameworks to…

Given the mounting call for academic achievement gains in America's public schools--particularly urban schools labeled "failing"--the need for community engagement to tackle a host of underlying social challenges warrants the resources of the nation's colleges and universities (Harkavy & Hartley, 2009). Because colleges and…

University faculty and outreach program directors have been called to deliver more effective, equitable, and sustainable ways in which neighborhood and university communities may creatively interact. The authors report on the case of the Pittsburgh Studio, an initiative that matches students and resident stakeholders in researching local issues…

The Commission on International Adult Education (CIAE) of the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) provides a forum for the discussion of international issues related to adult education in general, as well as adult education in various countries around the globe. The following purposes summarize the work of the…

This article challenges social (dis)organization theory by investigating the impact of religious culture on civic engagement. Using qualitative data from 'Bridge View,' a historically African-American neighborhood in San Francisco experiencing environmental racism, this article asks: (1) How does the Nation of Islam (NOI) affect social…

This study cites examples of fund raising ideas and activities of neighborhood and community improvement groups in Seattle. The intent of the study is to offer documentation and analysis of successful fund raising activities to other nonprofit, voluntary community groups which are interested in seeking financial support for their activities.…

Discusses literature on children's community participation and analyzes case studies on children's involvement in neighborhood improvement in Finland, Switzerland, and France. Case-study findings indicate that the creation of child-friendly environments with young people requires a shift toward more ecological and socially supportive settings with…

This document presents a case study of the controversy between freeway developers associated with the Washington State Highway Department and citizens of Montlake community, Seattle. The intent is to provide information to other neighborhood and community groups on successful citizen activism strategies. In the opening section, a chronology of…

Using a case study approach, the General Accounting Office (GAO) reviewed the results of 12 projects funded under the Urban Development Action Grant (UDAG) Program, which provided $3 billion in grants to distressed communities for economic revitalization and neighborhood reclamation projects. GAO found that the projects exceeded investment…

The "CURA Reporter" is published quarterly to provide information about the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA), an all-University applied research and technical assistance center at the University of Minnesota that connects faculty and students with community organizations and public institutions working on significant public…

State-mandated reforms in educational practices, such as class-size reduction, have created the need for more and better educational facilities, but pressure from growth and poor planning decisions are stretching other forms of public infrastructure development to the limit and draining economic vitality from cities and towns. Current programs,…

Metropolitan land use change, with a specific focus on the processes of participation and conflict over neighborhood development, is discussed. The resource paper is part of a series designed to supplement existing texts and to fill a gap between research and accessible materials in geography. Part I deals very generally with the implications of…

What makes some neighborhood organizations sanctuaries for inner-city youth is examined in this attempt to explain why some organizations are resources that enable youth to survive the harsh realities of everyday urban life in America. The first chapter contrasts the grim expectations for urban youth with the sense of the hopeful future expressed…

This report is a selective analysis and assessment of quantitative data and field studies that reflect the economic role of the Academic Health Center (AHC) in the urban economy and in neighborhood revitalization. It describes the effect of a variety of cooperative efforts between local community organizations and AHCs, which usually include a…