Strong Neighborhoods: Key to Public Engagement
by Mark Linder
Across the country, city leaders are exploring a diverse array of approaches to engage the public as full partners to meet many of the challenges faced by their local communities and governments. Strong neighborhoods that form networks for deliberative and participatory processes are key to effective ways to strengthening governance and solving problems.
Community-based initiatives in San Jose and Cupertino, Calif., have developed successful collaborations with local government. I have reflected on my experiences with working in both cities and can share some lessons learned. These lessons include:
• The goal of neighborhood initiatives is to build strong organizations with capable and confident leaders. Issues come and go and are the vehicle for achieving this goal.
• Democratic governance efforts are partnerships for local democracy between the government (both elected and professional staff) and the community.
• This is an ongoing effort. It is important for local government to examine every issue to determine if it is an opportunity to build community, develop leaders and strengthen organizations.
• Allowing people to self select what issue they care about results in a more active, curious and passionate group. Of course, this needs to be balanced with determining who are missing and inviting them to participate.
• Listen to your neighborhood leaders but coach them as well. New leaders may not be experienced in the workings of government, but active listening will bring fresh perspectives and a clearer understanding of their interests and issues.
• Show appreciation for the involvement of the neighborhood leaders and the professional staff in these efforts.
• Government cannot do it all. People need to know their neighbors and take responsibility for their own neighborhoods. When an emergency hits the first responders are not the police and fire fighters, the first responders are those in the neighborhood.
• Where possible form a partnership with a local higher education institution. In San Jose, CommUniverCity is a partnership between the City of San Jose, San Jose State University and the neighborhoods adjacent to San Jose State. In Cupertino, we have recently formed the Leadership and Learning Partnership involving the City of Cupertino, De Anza College’s Institute for Community and Civic Engagement and the Cupertino Block Leaders. Students, faculty, city staff and neighborhood leaders learn from one another. Students learn the importance of civic engagement while still in school. The neighborhood sees the city and the university as partners not adversaries. Faculty can also help with research as to the impact of these programs on the social capital of the neighborhoods.
• The Internet is a powerful new tool for civic engagement. However, there is greater power in building relationships through face-to-face communication. While President Obama had a powerful Internet-connected organization, even more importantly he had a very strong on the ground organization built through individual contacts, house meetings and local actions.
San Jose is a city of close to 1 million people. There is no ethnic majority. The city’s civic engagement program Strong Neighborhood Initiative involves some 500-neighborhood leaders from 19 areas involving 75 neighborhood organizations covering 25 percent of the city.
Cupertino is on San Jose’s western border and has a population of 55,000. Cupertino is majority Asian. Seven years ago, the city mnager, David Knapp, began the Block Leader program. The program currently has 300 block leaders and covers 20 percent of the city.
Mark Linder is co-vice chair of NLC's Futures Panel on Democratic Governance and director of parks and recreation for Cupertino and a former assistant city manager for San Jose.
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