ABSTRACT
This chapter describes a case study in social capacity building from the New Orleans neighborhood of Hollygrove following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Using an action research case study approach, we describe the journey of Hollygrove residents in rebuilding their neighborhood, focusing on a ten-year period beginning with initial community initiatives in 2008 that led to the SafeGrowth training workshop in 2009 and subsequent programming in the following years. The SafeGrowth programs equipped the resident teams with problem-solving and leadership skills, after which they enacted a series of projects to cut crime and fear. Their newfound skills helped build their capacity to resolve crime problems and facilitate community development. They also discovered how to collaborate with municipal partners to sustain their success and overcome long-standing quality-of-life issues. We demonstrate how the action research praxis inherent within SafeGrowth offers power for problem-solving and community empowerment, thereby creating a more resilient neighborhood.
