Community Development Tactic: Holistic Engagement May 20, 2023 It’s wonderful to desire positive change in your community. It’s admirable to want to see neighbors flourish. However, too many current strategies emphasize a limited view of the people we wish to “serve.” In order to join with neighbors in removing barriers to a... Shawn Duncan
Testimonials on Open House April 17, 2023 We were so happy to present our first post-pandemic Open House this March! After such a long hiatus, it felt amazing to be able to showcase the work of FCS and our neighbors in the community of Historic South Atlanta. Throughout the two days, we were able to welcome... Elizabeth Moraff
Client Experience: Ali Parrish of Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity on the Flourishing Neighborhood Index April 4, 2023 We love to hear stories of neighbors and leaders finding creative ways to lift the lives of those who live around them. Today, we’ll be sharing a story from Ali Parrish, Executive Director of Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity. Ali joined with her team and the... Elizabeth Moraff
Can Neighbors be Friends? January 12, 2023 We all have neighbors, but you may be wondering if neighbors can double as friends. Loneliness has become an epidemic in our modern world. Though the pandemic hasn’t helped, the situation was bad even before COVID. In 2019, 61% of Americans over the age of 18 reported... Shawn Duncan
Sense of Place and Architecture October 11, 2022 Sense of Place is a concept that Community Developers use to describe how a resident or neighbor experiences their space. When we talk about sense of place, it’s usually to capture a resident’s relationship with their neighborhood. Environment is a powerful factor in... Shawn Duncan
City Shapers Update: Holland, Michigan August 30, 2022 As you know, we have been launching City Shapers cohorts across the country! We recently got back from our second gathering with the Holland City Shapers team. We caught up with Lead Trainer David Park to hear about the progress being made in this city. If YOU are... Shawn Duncan
Rootedness vs. Sense of Place August 11, 2022 You’ve heard us talk about the importance of focusing on Place. In particular, we’ve been explaining the concept of Sense of Place and how it can supercharge neighborhood transformation. Today, we want to talk about related but distinct concepts: rootedness and... Shawn Duncan
Case Study: City Shapers in Bowling Green July 19, 2022 We are celebrating BIG! Our first ever City Shapers cohort has nearly completed the 2-year curriculum. When the City of Bowling Green first approached us, they came with one glaring challenge: the housing crisis. In those early days, we had a lot of conversations to... Shawn Duncan
Why is Sense of Place Important July 15, 2022 Why Sense of Place Matters to Development “A place is only a place.” If you are well-versed in traveling and experiences, you may cast doubt upon author Frank Herbert’s words. They are only true if you deprive a place of its character. Places carry... Shawn Duncan
Lupton Center Celebrates 3 City Shapers Cohorts, Seeks More July 7, 2022 You may recall that 18 months ago, we stepped into a tremendous opportunity: we received a $1 million grant to expand the work of the Lupton Center at FCS. Specifically, these funds would empower us to launch City Shapers cohorts in 12 cities over the next few years.... Shawn Duncan