Transportation and Communities 2018: Academy Edition ● September 13 - 14, 2018 at Portland State University In honor of our 10-year anniversary, we’re trying something a little different. Instead of brief sessions that introduce you to a topic– we will be offering fifteen half-day workshops that focus on skill building and providing the tools to apply the latest research to practice. These will be hands-on, immersive learning experiences in a small classroom setting. Hosted by the Transportation Research and Education Center at Portland State University. Supported by our U.S. DOT grant-funded consortium: the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC).
This workshop will discuss frameworks and methodologies that transportation and planning fields can use to more deeply collaborate with their communities. The practices and principles of asset-based community development (ABCD) will enable grantees to move from being community anchors to community catalysts in ways that energize and empower their local community member to bring about positive change. Grantees and others will be able to change their relationship with their community from host and supplier to mutually beneficial partner and collaborator. Building on the skills of local residents, the power of local associations, and the supportive functions of local institutions, asset-based community development draws upon existing community strengths to build stronger, more sustainable communities for the future. I will employ examples from NITC research projects that deal with community engagement and vulnerable populations (immigrants, low-income and older adults).
Strengths and challenges of existing and historic community engagement, and related assumptions.
Key assets for community engagement, including socio-economic and demographic characteristics in the community role of community asset systems and dynamics: individuals, associations, institutions, economic exchanges, physical space and local cultures and stories.
Current and desired networks and roles including: Power dynamics; Learning dynamics; and Exchanges
Location and source of animation and passion in the community and among grantee stakeholders.
Definition of apparent opportunities and points of leverage for change and improvement.
Definition of what the team wants and needs to learn going forward.
Identification of guiding principles for the work and the learning and values shared with relevant community actors.
Identification of the operating ‘theory of change’ the group is operating within. “What is the change we seek, how does that change happen, what do we want to do and/or create to support that change?”
Define data that will support learning and strengthen community engagement. How will we know if change is happening? How will we know what change is happening? What data will we look at and how and when will we respond? What are the sources of that data?
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CREDITS This half-day workshop is eligible for 3.5 hours of professional development credit through AICP (see our provider summary). We can provide an electronic attendance certificate for other types of certification maintenance.
Ivis García Zambrana is an Assistant Professor in City and Metropolitan Planning (CMP). At CMP she works in close collaboration with the University Neighborhood Partners (UNP) and she is also affiliated with the Metropolitan Research Center (MRC). Her philosophy, methodology, and... Read More →
