However, citizen involvement, facilitated and supported by City government, is the springboard enabling citizens to take charge of their own lives and communities. Through participation and collaborative planning residents become stakeholders in their respective neighborhoods. Such involvement also gives people a personal stake in achieving and sustaining innovative solutions to neighborhood-defined priorities. This strategy has been extended to East Baltimore through the Historic East Baltimore Community Action Coalition, a partnership between the City, state, residents, the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and area businesses to revitalize a 180 square block area of neighborhoods. Empowerment is really a form of civic educations that enables citizens to effectively offer the support and involvement necessary for building and sustaining community.
City government can design isolated programs and services for our neighborhoods.
But this approach will do little to expand the capacity, vision and enthusiasm for participating in improving the quality of neighborhood life.