Neighborhood Map Project to Develop Neighborhood Ownership and Advocacy

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In response to consistent misidentification of minority-majority neighborhoods in Dallas by local media, Lizzie MacWillie, senior design manager at buildingcommunityWORKSHOP (bc), a nonprofit community design center, launched an effort to get Dallas residents (42.4% Latino) to draw maps of their neighborhoods.

In the current national political climate-Clinton and Trump-neighborhood politics tends to fall by the wayside; however, neighborhood organization and advocacy is incredibly powerful.

“Neighborhoods are the smallest organizing element in any city,” MacWillie said. “A strong city is made up of strong neighborhoods, where the residents can effectively advocate for their needs.”

In order for residents to effectively advocate and shape their neighborhood’s future, they must be the ones telling the story about the neighborhood. They must be ones taking inventory to identify needs, such as food and recreation deserts; assets, such as natural resources and vacant land for grocery stores and parks; and priorities.

“Armed with this detailed inventory, residents can approach a developer, city council member, or advocacy group with hard numbers on what they know their neighborhood needs,” MacWillie said.

Crowdsourced mapping projects can contribute to residents self and collective efficacy and empower them to start or support healthy changes to improve their neighborhood and, subsequently, the health of all residents living in their neighborhood.

Read more about the Neighborhood Map Project here.

Copy and Share: Knowing a neighborhood’s unique features allows residents to list its needs & assets. #ActiveSpaces @SaludToday http://salud.to/28Mz2c6