Raising Children

No matter what some disappointed retailers said about last year's sales, the holidays are a bonanza for the toy industry.  The season provides millions of children with an intensive experience in conspicuous consumption.  And the economists argue that our...

A neighborhood on the West Side of Cincinnati recently suffered an attack of an African immigrant by 14 and 15 year-olds.  One of these teens allegedly had a gun and threatened to kill the victim.  Cincinnati Police’s District 3...

I started law school in 1987. I was 29 years old and married with a blended family of seven kids at home. We were politically and socially active, making a difference in our community. My husband was sometimes arrested...

While we do not wish problems on anyone, we do see problems as a gift that brings people together even though people may be on opposing sides when they gather. Our role is to help them focus on the...

The Highlands neighbourhood lies in northeast Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, overlooking the North Saskatchewan River valley. It’s a mature neighbourhood of Foursquare and various Arts and Crafts style homes, large lots, big trees and beautiful river views, all close by central Edmonton. Annexed by Edmonton in 1912,...

What would make Cincinnati a great city? To explore that question, more than 100 folks from around town gathered with Peter and John to learn about “The Abundant Community.” There is growing buzz around town about civic engagement and how we...

"We aim to be the first neighborhood where every child and the neighborhood are thriving because, together as neighbors, we are following the lead of NEIGHBORKIDS." That’s the thinking behind the Sarasota Community Studio, opened in the Florida city’s Central-Cocoanut neighborhood...

These days, the big issues of our time are digested and disseminated by cable news, internet blogs, and tweets—and repeated by everyday people in our common conversations. But the choices about how that digestion happens—about how big stories are...

When residents are genuinely at the center of community building, a different process unfolds. Relationships become the centerpiece of the work. This is because for residents community building is personal — it’s about their children, their families, their homes, their neighbors and their streets. It...