Creating and Nurturing Communities of Practice for Neighborhood Revitalization

Just as our birth families have a major impact on our lives, the communities we grow up in have a lasting impact on our future health, income, and education. These hard truths make it imperative for society to ensure every neighborhood and community becomes a place that supports the growth of healthy families and children—a multi-faceted, complex, and challenging task. Purpose Built Communities Foundation, a nonprofit consulting group based in Atlanta, Georgia, has developed an effective approach, working closely with local leaders to design, direct, and accelerate neighborhood transformation initiatives across the United States. Their shared goal is to ensure the health and prosperity of neighborhoods and the people who live there by creating the conditions that foster greater racial equity, improved health outcomes, and upward mobility. The place-based field is broad, but the Purpose Built Network of leaders working at the intersections of residents, community, philanthropy, the civic sector, and business, is small. This paper articulates the successful and compelling journey to develop a robust Community of Practice (CoP) that helps these leaders navigate the terrain. Each leader confronts a unique situation, and at the same time, finds broader patterns and solutions that can be adapted across significant differences in local circumstances. The Purpose Built CoP is improving the quality of life of individual change agents and the communities they serve.