How we plan
Five-P planning
Together, a growing group of neighbors, civic associations, politicians, and nonprofits are outlining the structure for community-driven, strengths-based, trauma-informed development in Kensington north of Lehigh Avenue. We agree on five core pieces for this structure:
POCKETS – Identify and bring together existing and emerging neighborhood groups to identify their specific needs, desires and vision for the community, and share them across all the groups. We will have a goal of supporting at least 20 pockets with a template for engagement process so that all groups produce similar materials at the end.
PRIORITIES – Support pockets in collecting and organizing priorities for their group, similar to a point-by-point list presented to the Mayor a year ago. These community lists will serve as a starting point for a series of forums over the next year and inform the major areas to focus the planning process.
POLITICS – Host a series of five candidate forums, each of which will be sponsored and facilitated by the pairing of a local community development corporation (HACE, NKCDC, Impact) and the surrounding civics organizations or active “pocket” groups. Each will focus on the issues that are most relevant to the sponsoring groups.
PROPERTIES/PROJECTS – Leverage infrastructure—buildings, open space, etc.—that is currently under development to move projects, programs, and community priorities forward.
PLANNING – Pull together leadership and materials from community groups, and combine needs and desires into a comprehensive neighborhood plan that has mechanisms for ongoing engagement and repetition of these steps.
This framework makes room for many stakeholders, partners and participants, with the community at the center. We are inviting everyone to come to the table to be a part of this holistic strategy.
Comprehensive and community led
For years, efforts to address Kensington’s challenges have failed because they have not been designed and implemented with community input, they have lacked sufficient expertise and resources to be effective, and they have not provided a comprehensive, “wrap-around” approach to complex, interconnected issues.
Instead of piecemeal solutions, Kensington needs a comprehensive plan that acknowledges its strengths and honors the leadership of its community members. We need a community-driven strategy that places people in the positions where they can be most effective and makes room for everyone to contribute their resources.
In response to the structural forces causing trauma, Kensington needs to shift from scarcity to abundance-based strategies. We need a trauma-informed approach that acknowledges the impact of trauma and honors the lived experiences of residents.
Instead of piecemeal solutions, Kensington needs a comprehensive plan that acknowledges its strengths and honors the leadership of its community members.
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Trauma informed
The social determinants of health—economic opportunity, health care access, education, neighborhood and the built environment, and community context—are the conditions in the places where people live that affect a wide range of life outcomes and risks. Investments in these social determinants address the root causes of poor health, prosperity and economic outcomes.
Trauma and toxic stress are linked to long-term health outcomes in individuals. Trauma can be experienced collectively by an entire community and manifests in the socio-cultural and physical/built environments. Symptoms of community trauma include disconnected/damaged social networks; the elevation of destructive social norms like vandalism, littering, or violence; deteriorated environments and infrastructure; disinvestment; and intergenerational poverty.
Communities can overcome trauma by building resilience. Social connecting, access to health care, quality education, and a safe and clean neighborhood are all factors that promote resilience in communities. Having a trauma-informed approach means that we acknowledge the impacts of trauma and aim to build community resilience by:
Building on strengths instead of focusing on weaknesses
Increasing access to resources
Improving environmental conditions
Promoting civic engagement
Working collaboratively, building partnerships, and including residents in planning
At its core, our approach acknowledges the impacts of trauma and honors the lived experiences of residents resulting in more authentic, inclusive, and impactful community-centered work.