Description: Several years ago, the City of San José allocated $120 million of redevelopment money into the city's neighborhoods. This created a unique opportunity to organize coalitions of neighborhoods in 19 underserved areas of the city. Staff organizers worked with existing neighborhood leaders, identified and developed new leaders, and in some cases, developed new neighborhood organizations. The funding was the catalyst to get people to the table, but the ultimate goal was strong organizations with capable and confident leaders. Over the past four years, Neighborhood Action Committees (NACs) have developed neighborhood plans with top ten priorities. These plans guide all City resource allocations in these areas.

Dates active: 2000-present

Issue(s): Planning and land use

Sub-issue(s): Growth and planning; economic development; neighborhood and community development.

Level(s): City; neighborhood

Initiators: City manager.

Particular goals: Gather input on planning and development decisions; spur economic development.

Number of participants/year: 25/neighborhood, 19 neighborhoods = 475

Population of community: 900,000

Time spent by participants: NAC members spend from 5-15 hours a month.

Staffing/funding: City of San José and San José Redevelopment Agency provide the redevelopment funds, though several of the NACs have successfully applied for Community Development Block Grant funds and for funds from local foundations; city employees provide technical assistance to the NACs.

Sample outcomes: Most public building in these neighborhoods, from sidewalks to community centers, seems to have been heavily influenced by the NACs.

Benefits: There are 95 fully-funded Strong Neighborhood capital projects in the pipeline. Strong and competent leaders are emerging.

Challenges: Funding will be more limited in the future; NACs must diversify their scope and continue to find new leaders.

Full story:

• Cunningham, Kiran, Phyllis Furdell, and Hannah McKinney, Tapping the Power of City Hall to Build Equitable Communities: Ten City Profiles (Washington, DC: National League of Cities, 2007).

Related resources:

• "Changing the Way We Govern," Democratic Governance Panel, National League of Cities, 2006.

This case contributed by: Matt Leighninger, 2007