A Connected Community Approach: Citizens and Formal Institutions Working Together to Build Community-Centred...

Area of Science:

• Urban planning and social science research.
• Community resilience and disaster preparedness.
• Governance and civil society engagement.

Background:

• Urban resilience research increasingly emphasizes social infrastructure alongside traditional hard infrastructure.
• Effective governance and networked relations between civil society and formal institutions are crucial for managing shock events.
• Existing literature offers limited practical guidance on building these essential connections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and explore the Connected Community Approach (CCA) for enhancing community resilience.
• To focus on the critical relationship between community members and formal institutions.
• To assess current models and identify trends in community-institution connections.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing models for connecting communities with formal institutions.
• Assessment of the role of community-based organizations.
• Analysis of the Connected Community Approach (CCA) model pioneered in Toronto.

Main Results:

• Current models for community-institution connections are limited.
• Community-based organizations play an emerging and vital role.
• The CCA model shows promise for developing relational space between civil society and the state.

Conclusions:

• The Connected Community Approach (CCA) offers a practical framework for building urban resilience.
• Fostering collaboration between civil society and formal institutions is essential for effective crisis management.
• Further research and practice are needed to refine and implement community-centered resilience strategies.