Coming Together for Change: A Qualitative Study of Social Connectedness Outcomes Produced by the Love Your Block Program

3/27/201 M E T R O P O L I T A N H O U S I N G A N D C O M M U N I T I E S P O LI C Y C E N T E R R E S E A R C H R E P O R T Coming Together for Change A Qualitative Study of Social Connectedness Outcomes Produced by the Love Your Block Program Mary Bogle Leiha Edmonds Ruth Gourevitch March 2018 A B O U T T H E U R B A N I N S TI T U T E The nonprofit Urban Institute is dedicated to elevating the debate on social and economic policy. For nearly five decades, Urban scholars have conducted research and offered evidence-based solutions that improve lives and strengthen communities across a rapidly urbanizing world. Their objective research helps expand opportunities for all, reduce hardship among the most vulnerable, and strengthen the effectiveness of the public sector.Copyright © November 2017. Urban Institute. Permission is granted for reproduction of this file, with attribution to the Urban Institute. Cover image provided by Cities of Service. Contents Contents iii Acknowledgments iv Executive Summary v Background 1 What Is Love Your Block? 1 Purpose of the Study 3 Research Questions and Methods 4 Methodological Limitations 7 Study Sites 8 Phoenix 9 Lansing 12 Boston 15 Social Connectedness in Love Your Block 19 Social Networks Attached to LYB Projects 19 Cross-Site Comparison 24 Social Cohesion Outcomes 24 Social Capital Outcomes 29 Potential Impact Outcomes of Love Your Block 37 Increased Public Safety 37 Increased Ownership and Respect for Public Space 38 Potential Relationship between Social Connectedness and Impact Outcomes of Love Your Block 39 Recommendations 42 Promote Leadership Development Strategies 42 Ensure Project Maintenance 42 Experiment with Connections to Other Entities 43 Foster Intergenerational Connections 44 Explore Outcome Sustainability Strategies 44 Conclusion 46 References 47 About the Authors 49 Statement of Independence 50 IV A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S Acknowledgments This report was funded by Cities of Service. We are grateful to them and to all our funders, who make it possible for Urban to advance its mission. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders. Funders do not determine research findings or the insights and recommendations of Urban experts. Further information on the Urban Institute’s funding principles is available at www.urban.org/support. The authors thank the city representatives in each of the three study sites for their willingness to devote time and resources toward this evaluation. Furthermore, the authors thank all the interviewees of this research study, who graciously shared their perspectives on the Love Your Block projects in their communities. The authors also thank Brett Theodos, who was the technical reviewer for this project. E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y V Executive Summary The Cities of Service Love Your Block (LYB) program connects mayor’s offices with community residents to revitalize their neighborhoods one block at a time. City officials use LYB funding to encourage community groups to identify priority projects and develop volunteer-fueled solutions. Cities of Service has helped cities implement Love Your Block programs since 2009. In 2015, Cities of Service launched the Love Your Block AmeriCorps VISTA program, which awarded $30,000 grants and two AmeriCorps VISTA members each to mayor’s offices in Birmingham, Alabama; Boston, Massachusetts; Lansing, Michigan; Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona; Richmond, California; and Seattle, Washington. This study examines three projects that were funded by LYB “mini-grants” and conducted in target neighborhoods in Boston, Lansing, and Phoenix during the program’s first year. Cities of Service commissioned this study to better understand how the LYB program affects the social connectedness of the residents and communities involved in LYB mini-grant projects, as well as how social connectedness outcomes might relate to impact outcomes, such as public safety. In addition, Cities of Service seeks to know more about how residents’ relationships with city officials change because of LYB and how these relationships might help produce social connectedness and tangible impact outcomes. This report begins by describing the Cities of Service’s approach to civic engagement, providing an overview of the national LYB program across seven cities, and by defining the research questions and methodology which drove this study. The report goes on to describe each of the three study sites and the social networks attached to them. From there, the report presents data on social connectedness outcomes produced by the Love Your Block program. The report then describes how these shorter-term social connectedness outcomes may relate to short- and long-term impact on public safety as well as residents sense of community ownership and respect for public spaces. The report concludes with a set of rec