ABSTRACT
Community-based initiatives are driving change in cities and towns throughout the United States. Cities increasingly rely on a growing number of non-profit, citizen-led organisations to accomplish a vast array of community development projects and programs. In this chapter, we analyse the effectiveness of a collaborative community-based land reuse initiative focused on growing produce, providing wellness-related educational services, and distributing food to those in need in a midsized Midwestern city. The authors assess how a diverse group of community stakeholders with a common mission to improve their community work together to achieve shared goals. The focus is on the interdependence of stakeholders and how face-to-face interactions and facilitative leadership relate to each other in the context of this community-based initiative. The chapter provides a framework for a collaborative land reuse project that is the result of a community-based process, supported by a team of university-affiliated partners. The case study aligns with some of the key elements in the third wave of civic engagement outlined in Chapter 1.
