An exciting OKN online workshop highlighting recent research from Simon Fraser University on neighbourhood wellbeing!
In this workshop, Dr. Meg Holden introduced research, policy and practice work in Vancouver to put neighbouring on the agenda for people who care about social connections in communities. These efforts have spanned over a decade and involved partners including community foundations, local governments and health authorities, housing providers, and a community of practice called Hey Neighbour Collective. Dr. Holden provided a snapshot of the results, ranging from literature review and survey research results to policy recommendations for design of complete communities, social infrastructure, community housing operators, and social service providers.
The thrust of the message of this presentation was that the nature and meaning of neighbouring has changed in Canadian cities, but that cracking the tough nut of prosocial local neighbourhoods remains a crucial component of community development and quality of life.