Research

Assessing the Social Impact of Intentional Neighboring

Leave a Comment / Research / By Generations of Hope

In rushing to establish the longer-term outcomes of intentional neighboring, conventional approaches to evaluation often tend to overlook some of its most important features. The intentional neighboring framework was designed to enable people, through neighboring, to mitigate the effects of personal and social challenges on their day-to-day lives that threaten their well-being and the social …

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Balancing cohesion and openness

Leave a Comment / Architecture & Site Design / By Generations of Hope

Children run through the lawn sprinklers in front of the Intergenerational Center on a summer day at Hope Meadows. Photo credit: Alex Harris A GHC is not an enclave or a campus. Like any healthy neighborhood, it functions best when it is integrated with its surroundings, both architecturally and socially. Blending in A GHC provides …

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Funding aligns with the mission

Leave a Comment / Leadership & Governance / By Generations of Hope

There are some well-established ways to create affordable housing and coordinated services, but conventional funding strategies can sometimes conflict with the goals of a GHC. Formal community development as practiced today gives priority to economic issues (job creation, housing affordability, etc.). To be sure, a community needs investment in order to develop. But to obtain …

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Evaluating intentional neighboring

Leave a Comment / Program Design / By Generations of Hope

More than ever, profound changes are needed so that those left behind by America’s progress and prosperity can not only achieve but also sustain decent lives. Among these, a broader, more inclusive and ultimately more accountable approach to how we judge “what works” looms large. – Katya Fels Smyth and Lisbeth B. Schorr From: A …

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Evolving policies, practices and programs

Leave a Comment / Program Design / By Generations of Hope

Intentional neighboring must be planned-for, but it can never be fully designed. It must be allowed to adapt over time, filling in details while remaining true to the program mission, as residents and staff gain experience with one another. Times change When Hope Meadows started there was no community center or neighborhood weekly newsletter. There …

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Grounded in theory and research

Leave a Comment / Program Design / By Generations of Hope

The design and operation of a GHC should be based on and continuously informed by emerging knowledge of how to promote flourishing for people of all ages. All programs, practices, and policies in a GHC are grounded in what theory and research has shown to • help children thrive • support family well-being • promote …

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Transformational leadership

Leave a Comment / Design Patterns / By Generations of Hope

George King, one of the earliest residents of Hope Meadows, helped shepherd a community process to revise neighborhood engagement policy in 2002. Photo credit: Judy Griesdieck 5A transformational leader empowers all residents of a GHC to become active partners in working to accomplish the neighborhood’s mission. Shifting the primary initiative for care and support Generations …

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Physical design facilitates relationships

Leave a Comment / Design Patterns / By Generations of Hope

Community building and central quad area of a proposed GHC. Rendering by Stephanie Bower. Design by Mithun Architects and JSR Associates. 4In a GHC, special attention must be paid to the scale and physical design of the neighborhood so that relationships are easy to form and maintain. These relationships, across and within generations, and among …

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Embracing diversity

Leave a Comment / Design Patterns / By Generations of Hope

Residents of Hope Meadows at the groundbreaking ceremony for new apartments specially designed to accommodate the needs of older adults in the community. 3Living in a community intentionally designed to incorporate differences is not always easy, but the rewards can be powerful. Strength in diversity When Hope Meadows was first created, its founder, Dr. Brenda …

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Presence of three or more generations

Leave a Comment / Design Patterns / By Generations of Hope

Hope Meadows residents at a community meeting.Photo credit: Judy Griesdieck 2The presence of three or more generations is critical to a GHC’s purpose. Each generation has a different world view that provides a unique perspective on people and problems. In a GHC, children bring joy and meaning to the daily life of older adults, and …

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