Discover the Power of Place: Announcing Our New Community Asset Map!
We are thrilled to announce the launch of a powerful new tool designed to celebrate and strengthen our neighborhood: the Community Asset Map! You can explore it right now at shawbuttephx.org/asset-map.
Click through to experience the interactive map.
What is a Community Asset Map?
A Community Asset Map is an interactive, strengths-based inventory of our neighborhood.
For too long, community development often focused on a "deficit model," which means defining a place primarily by its problems, such as poverty rates, abandoned properties, or lack of services. Our Asset Map takes the opposite, more powerful approach. It operates on the principle of Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), focusing instead on the existing strengths and resources within our boundaries.
Assets can be:
People: Skilled residents, local artists, passionate volunteers, or neighborhood elders.
Places: Beloved parks, community gardens, historic buildings, or public art installations.
Associations: Nonprofit organizations, religious institutions, local clubs, or neighborhood watch groups.
Local Economy: Unique small businesses, farmers markets, or cooperative ventures.
Shifting the Narrative
This focus on positive assets is especially critical for neighborhoods that are "on the rise" or currently navigating socioeconomic challenges. These areas are often unfairly defined by their difficulties in broader public discussion.
By intentionally highlighting these positive aspects, our map serves to:
Empower Residents: It shows neighbors that they already live in a resource-rich environment, building local pride and ownership.
Connect Resources: It makes it easier for residents, organizations, and potential partners to find and collaborate with existing resources, sparking new initiatives from a position of strength.
Drive Positive Change: Sustainable community development is best achieved by building upon what is already working—leveraging existing talents and resources rather than starting from scratch to fix perceived deficits.
The new Community Asset Map is a testament to the resilience, creativity, and unique spirit of our community. We invite you to explore the map at shawbuttephx.org/asset-map and see all the great things our neighborhood has to offer!
