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Feature Story:
Changing the World One Block at a Time
Volunteers dig into some mulch at New York's Tompkins Square Park.
The neighborhood is a powerful--but often overlooked--tool for social improvement. Issues that seem overwhelming at the international or even municipal level can often be effectively tackled close to home. That's because the people who live in a particular locale are the experts on that place, with the wisdom and commitment to get things done.
A word from Kathy Madden, PPS Senior Vice President
When we decided to produce The Great Neighborhood Book: A Do-it-Yourself Guide to Placemaking, we knew that we would be tapping into a well of grassroots interactions, solutions, and collaborations in the neighborhoods that we examined. The richness, and simplicity, of the stories we encountered opened our eyes to the opportunities for people everywhere to turn their neighborhood into a Great Neighborhood.
When we decided to produce The Great Neighborhood Book: A Do-it-Yourself Guide to Placemaking, we knew that we would be tapping into a well of grassroots interactions, solutions, and collaborations in the neighborhoods that we examined. The richness, and simplicity, of the stories we encountered opened our eyes to the opportunities for people everywhere to turn their neighborhood into a Great Neighborhood.
When it comes to revitalizing communities, the importance of the average citizen cannot be over-estimated. That's one of the main reasons we created this book -- to highlight the success stories of everyday people that can inspire you to do similar things in your own communities...
Also in this Issue:
Make a Difference in Your Own Backyard
Practical ways to make your neighborhood come alive from The Great Neighborhood Book.
Five of the Best Neighborhoods in North America
From a Kansas City shopping center to a small town Main Street, these success stories can inspire great things in your community.
Build on What's Good to Make Your Community Better
Even the most hard-hit neighborhoods can draw upon their assets to make improvements. Jody Kretzmann of the ABCD Institute explains how.
Home, Sweet Neighborhood
In the latest installment of "Traveling in Place," Jay Walljasper tells the story of how he got hooked on neighborhood activism. Jay is the author of The Great Neighborhood Book.
The Great Neighborhood Book
A Do-it-Yourself Guide to Placemaking
PPS's Great Neighborhood Book, full of inspiring examples of how neighbors are tackling important issues in their own backyards, is available to Making Places readers through our online store.
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Jay Walljasper
