The Golden Seeds Foundation

The Community Driven Growth initiative was funded by the JPMorgan Chase Partnerships for Raising Opportunity in Neighborhoods (PRO Neighborhoods) - a $125 million, five-year initiative to provide communities with the capital and tools they need to support locally driven solutions and address key drivers of inequality across the country. The program used an equitable development approach to economic growth by helping neighborhoods implement comprehensive strategies that address barriers to economic mobility. Equitable development as both an idea and a practice is evolving. Recentering development and investment so they benefit residents of disinvested communities is at the core of delivering equitable development. Our knowledge of tools, strategies, and tactics continued to grow as communities, stakeholders, practitioners, and community-based organizations sought to undo decades of disinvestment and discriminatory policies and practices without causing widespread displacement. This work included engaging hundreds of residents in The Bottom; hours of planning; and parcel-by-parcel surveys to not only collect data but to also hear the ideas and visions of those residents. This work was made possible with the help of a community quarterback from this neighborhood. Throughout this community-led process, it was completely clear that the neighborhoods did not want any more plans - they have been part of decades of planning processes and have seen no action. They have a lot of ideas that they feel would make a difference and we recorded them knowing that their vision would finally drive action for their community. It was not all pleasant. Not all participants agreed on every idea, but healthy debate was evident, and it led to greater understanding. It was also clear that the community has very strong resident leadership.