Putting Faith in Neighborhoods : Making Cities Work Through Grassroots Citizenship

by Goldsmith, Stephen; Streeter, Ryan; Hudson Institute

• ISBN13: 9781558131286
• ISBN10: 1558131280
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-08-01
• Publisher: Hudson Inst

Summary

In this book on successful urban empowerment, former Indianapolis mayor Stephen Goldsmith describes how he devolved key decisionmaking from city officials to grass-roots leaders and worked closely with neighborhood-based organizations to affect change. The book shows how a wide array of initiatives, from Goldsmith's pioneering work with Indianapolis faith-based organizations to his early successes in competitive contracting for city services, served to empower neighborhoods. As a way of illustrating Goldsmith's empowerment initiatives, the book also contains an in-depth case study of three Indianapolis neighborhoods by Hudson Institute research fellow Ryan Streeter.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
SECTION ONE The Three "C's": Citizen, City, Civil Society
Chapter One: Putting Citizens First	3	(22)
A Crisis of Citizenship	3	(2)
The Challenge of Citizenship	5	(12)
Personal Responsibility	10	(2)
Putting Official "Faith" in Citizenship	12	(2)
The Right Balance: The Example of Policing	14	(3)
A City Where Citizenship Matters: The Indigenous Institutional Glue	17	(4)
Government Transition: From Professionalism to Partnership	21	(4)
Chapter Two: Hope of Empowerment	25	(18)
What Kind of Empowerment?	25	(7)
Political Activist Empowerment	27	(1)
"Toquevillian" Empowerment	27	(1)
Economic Empowerment	28	(2)
Municipal Citizenship as Classical Empowerment	30	(2)
Recovering a Robust Civil Society in Indianapolis	32	(11)
SECTION TWO Indianapolis as a Laboratory
Chapter Three: Building Strong Neighborhoods I: Solid Infrastructure, Strong Local Economy, Safe Streets	43	(20)
Citywide Reform as a Way of Life	45	(2)
Enhancing Neighborhood Appearance	47	(4)
Building Better Neighborhoods	47	(2)
Project 180	49	(1)
Mayor's Community Service Program	50	(1)
Increasing Economic Opportunity	51	(8)
Downtown Development	51	(2)
Creating a Vibrant, Diverse Economic Environment	53	(3)
Indianapolis Independence Initiative	56	(3)
Creating True Community Policing Partnerships	59	(4)
Chapter Four: Building Strong Neighborhoods II: Enlivening Self-Governance, Increasing Social Capital, and Partnering with Faith-Based Organizations	63	(22)
Strengthening Neighborhood Independence and Self-Governance	63	(22)
Enlarging the Public Square	64	(1)
Municipal Federalism	65	(3)
Empowerment and Citizenship: The Neighborhood Empowerment Initiative (NEI)	68	(9)
A Sense of Place	69	(2)
Neighborhood Coordinators and Township Administrators	71	(1)
Leadership Training	72	(1)
Nuisance Abatement	73	(2)
Social Services	75	(2)
Increasing the Impact of Faith-Based Organizations	77	(8)
SECTION THREE The City and Citizenship Tomorrow
Chapter Five: Strengthening Communities	85	(14)
Municipal Citizenship and the Importance of Locality	85	(2)
Municipal Citizenship and Can-Do Character	87	(2)
Public Challenges to Municipal Citizenship	89	(8)
Diverse Private Actors with Public Purposes	90	(1)
Encouraging Participation by Removing Barriers to Small, Effective Groups	91	(2)
Minimizing the Bureaucratic Professionalism That Inhibits Innovation and Good Sense	93	(4)
Municipal Citizenship and Subsidiarity	97	(2)
Chapter Six: Investing in Social Capital and Value-Enhancing Partnerships	99	(10)
Social Capital and Values	99	(6)
Municipal Citizens	105	(4)
Chapter Seven: Civil Society's New Challenge: Public Sector Management and Faith-Based Organizations	109	(32)
The Unique Contribution of Faith-Based Organizations	109	(14)
The Pragmatic Approach	110	(1)
The Social Capital Approach	111	(4)
The Moral/Spiritual Approach	115	(5)
The Accountability Approach	120	(3)
Public Responsibility for Faith-Based Partnerships	123	(18)
Contracting for Results: Accountability and Measurement	123	(4)
The Right Balance	127	(4)
Ways of Helping	131	(10)
Even and Friendly Playing Field	131	(2)
Financial Resources	133	(3)
Authority	136	(5)
CASE STUDY The Neighborhood Empowerment Initiative in Three Indianapolis Neighborhoods: Practices as Principles	141	(52)
by Ryan Streeter
Index	193