The Four components and Six Essential Pairs: A Framework for Neighborhood Revitalization

This “Policy & Planning Brief” introduces a framework that can be used to guide neighborhood revitalization efforts. Using the framework may help to ensure that internal and external stakeholders are considering both the physical and social needs of the neighborhood. Additionally, the framework should encourage communication between stakeholders, and implementation of revitalization strategies. What makes for a successful neighborhood revitalization effort? There are a number of potential answers to this question, such as an increase in population, a decrease in blight, an increase in home values, and fundamental social change (Dorius, 2011; Galster, Temkin, Walker, & Sawyer, 2004; Weber & Smith, 2003; Schill, Ellen, Schwartz, & Voicu, 2002). But perhaps the more challenging question is how to make revitalization happen. A number of strategies have been proposed including asset building (Green & Haines, 2012; Kretzmann & McKnight, 1993), place-making (Project for Public Spaces, 2013), and strategic or targeted reinvestment (Galster, Tatian, & Accordino, 2006). This “Policy & Planning Brief” proposes a new framework that can be used with existing strategies to organize and guide revitalization efforts. It consists of four components – physical, social, internal, and external – that interact with one another to help produce positive neighborhood change. Before discussing the framework itself, it is necessary to discuss the individual components first. There may be a concern that this framework is too general or simple to work. However, it is necessary to keep in mind that any framework for a best practice must be general enough to be adaptable to different places facing a similar set of conditions. In general, strategies for neighborhood renewal should be based on recognition that the maintenance of healthy neighborhoods requires a multifaceted approach that is flexible enough to take into account the specific needs of individual neighborhoods and their capacity to respond With this framework, places that are very different can follow the same approach – but adapt the strategies that fall under the six essential pairs accordingly.