Purpose: To equitably transform urban schools of color and the neighborhoods where they are nested requires approaches that promote community equity and foster solidarity among a range of stakeholders. However, most school-community approaches solely focus on improving school-based outcomes and leave educational leaders with little guidance for…

Inclusionary zoning (IZ) has become an increasingly popular tool for providing affordable housing in an economically integrative manner. IZ policies typically require developers to set aside a proportion of units in market-rate residential developments to be made affordable for lower-income households in exchange for development rights or zoning…

Neighborhood and school playgrounds are places that kids play, get fit and make friends. Individuals expect playgrounds to be safe and clean environments for children to play in. However, too many playgrounds across America have unsafe play equipment and are not well-maintained. Some may pose environmental health hazards such as the ones discussed…

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was signed into law by President Obama on Tuesday, February 17, 2009. It is the broadest and largest funding package in American history. The intent of the statute is to stimulate the economy both through direct spending on a range of programs and to create tax relief. Key to the stimulus is the…

The Making Connections initiative, which works to build strong families and strong neighborhoods in 22 cities, promotes an explicit communication policy to get the kind of support and involvement that can make a difference. This guide defines the principles and components of effective communication and shows how communicating can be a critical…

Poverty and unemployment aren't spread evenly across cities or regions, but rather are concentrated in disinvested urban neighborhoods and rural communities around the country. These communities are home to the nation's most vulnerable children and families. Despite some signs of improvement in economic conditions for families in the United…

The author describes his own school closure procedures in the Paramus, New Jersey, school district of which he is superintendent, advocating long-range planning and an emphasis on the educational benefits of such closures. Also included is advice on when and how to lay off administrators. (JBM)

Based on the view that strengthening families and neighborhoods can improve the life chances of vulnerable children, this discussion guide is designed to help communities participating in study circle programs to bring people from all segments of the neighborhood together to share different views and experiences, thereby building stronger…

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was signed into law by President Obama on Tuesday, February 17, 2009. It is the broadest and largest funding package in American history. The intent of the statute is to stimulate the economy both through direct spending on a range of programs and to create tax relief. The package makes investments…

This state-of-the-art practitioner resource and course text provides a comprehensive view of adolescent development and spells out effective ways to help teens who are having difficulties. The book illuminates protective and risk factors in the many contexts of adolescents' lives, from individual attributes to family, school, neighborhood, and…

This handbook is designed to help the sponsors, staff, and partners of Neighborhood Networks Centers, which serve apartment properties assisted or insured by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, to develop effective programs for young people under the age of 18. Part 1 identifies key issues in creating programs and highlights effective…

Presents an urban neighborhood network barter model which can facilitate service delivery to the elderly and offers recommendations for implementing a similar program. Community outreach, good publicity, and a successful conference were key factors in producing a greater sense of cohesiveness within the community. (JAC)

This guide presents ideas about how communities can help low-income residents gain access to and learn how to use computers and the Internet. It discuses the efforts of Making Connections, a longitudinal project designed to strengthen families and neighborhoods. The introduction explains that residents in neighborhoods nationwide are learning to…

The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) is designed to encourage banks and thrifts to meet the financial credit and service needs of low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, requiring that lenders use their private-sector resources to meet the financing needs of all communities in which lenders conduct business. This brief outlines several types of…

Although the primary purpose of the Neighborhood Networks program in Hartford (Connecticut) is to help residents get jobs, the establishment of community computer centers can benefit senior citizens and children in addition to would-be job applicants. There are six primary types of computer centers: (1) those that introduce computers in general;…