Next City (a publication that specializes in urban issues) recently interviewed several nonprofit and philanthropic leaders to identify areas where they saw progress in the field of urban development this past year.

Among the responses, some of the promising practices included:

• Relocating a nonprofit to be directly present in the community 

• Participatory planning

• Training new leaders to participate in day-to-day governance at the local level

• Boosting business ownership in communities of color Birmingham Metro Black

• Chamber of Commerce

• A revival of fair housing activism

• Women of color exercising business leadership

• Leveraging community ownership of land

I began to think about which of these initiatives I see in my local community, the historic and multifaceted city of Birmingham, AL, and what strategies have really gained traction here.

Leveraging community ownership of land is a large feat, but it’s actively happening with the Dynamite Hill-Smithfield Community Land Trust.

Boosting business ownership in communities of color is most visible with Urban Impact, and they implement participatory planning effectively by having business owners in the area on the board and committees. Participatory planning is simply the focus on marginalized people making urban development decisions and participating in the planning process.

You can find similar economic goals at the Birmingham Business Resource Center (BBRC) and the Office of Economic Development for the City of Birmingham.

Making sure a nonprofit is directly present in the community it serves is something a lot of the aforementioned organizations are doing as well.

Check out the original article here for more details on the urban development best practices interview. 

Social Solutions Consulting strives to share useful information from various sources about best practices for community development. To learn more about how to strengthen your organization’s outreach and capacity, contact us at socialsolutionsc@gmail.com .