Tools

Racial Identity Caucusing: A Strategy for Building Anti-Racist Collectives

Crossroads
This toolkit describes methods for anti-racism work and the value of caucusing

Mapped: How the US Generates Electricity

Carbonbrief
Carbon Brief has plotted the nation’s power stations in an interactive map to show how and where the US generates electricity.

Understanding Systemic Racism

Race Forward
"What Is Systemic Racism?" is an 8-part video series that shows how racism shows up in our lives across institutions and society: Wealth Gap, Employment, Housing Discrimination, Government Surveillance, Incarceration, Drug Arrests, Immigration Arrests, Infant Mortality

Rejecting Bigotry, Demanding Action

Opportunity Agenda
Together with UnidosUS, The Opportunity Agenda completed public opinion and messaging research with this goal in mind: to tell a story of American diversity that reflects our values and our aspirations as a country stronger because of our myriad backgrounds, ethnicities, races, experiences – because of the parts of us that may make us different, but ultimately also make us stronger. This research provides guidance for those using their platforms to reject bigotry while demand action.

Access: A Community Development Podcast

Federal Reserve System
Access is a new podcast from the Community Development departments of the Federal Reserve System. Each episode highlights a successful model or program within the four focus areas of our work: people, place, policy and practice, and small business.

Greening Our Grid

MAPC
“Greening our Grid” is a fact sheet and a case study detailing MAPC’s new strategy to use municipal aggregation to help build new renewable energy in New England

Perfect Fit Parking

MAPC
Parking is a point of contention in communities across Metro Boston, yet many deliberations about the topic occur in the absence of hard data about how much parking we have, and how much we need. The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) has begun a multi-phase initiative to develop the data and tools that communities need to establish informed, sustainable, and economical parking policies.

Rolling Back Inclusion

The Democracy Collaborative
In order to help communities across the country—both rural and urban—speak up in a moment in which the administration has made clear its intentions to scale back or dismantle these key federal frameworks, we will be tracking the new federal attacks on inclusive community development here, along with state-level measures enabled and encouraged by the new federal context.

All America Conversations Toolkit

National Civic League
All-America Conversations are designed to help cities and other groups understand residents’ aspirations for the community, the divisions facing the community and, most importantly, the small, specific actions that give people a sense of confidence that we can work across dividing lines.

Racial Wealth Audit

The Institute on Assets and Social Policy; Demos
This interactive online tool uses real-world examples to help policymakers and advocates explore and understand the causes and effects of the racial wealth gap.

Budget Resources

Mass Budget
Shortly after each major state budget release, MassBudget produce a written Budget Monitor that analyzes major proposals across a range of key areas (e.g. education, transportation, health care, revenue).

Inclusive, Local Sourcing: Purchasing for People and Place

Democracy Collaborative
This toolkit provides hospital and health system leaders with the tools they need to harness their everyday business operations to improve community health through procurement and purchasing focused on locally-owned businesses.

MAPC Local Access Score

MAPC
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC)'s active transportation network utility score for each segment of roadway indicates how useful that street segment is for connecting residents with schools, shops, restaurants, parks, and transit stations.

Tools for Cultivating and Connecting Leaders

Living Cities
A well curated toolkit to support effective and adaptive leadership

Glossary for Senior-Related Housing and Healthcare Terms in Massachusetts

The Community Builders, Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly, and LeadingAge MA
This glossary is intended to provide a primer on housing and healthcare terms, so that professionals in both housing and healthcare can work collaboratively to ensure that there is sufficient and high-quality housing and services for older adults.

The Cost of Affordable Housing: Does it Pencil Out?

Urban Institute and the National Housing Conference
This interactive online tool illustrates how charging rents affordable to low-income families makes it difficult to finance affordable housing without subsidy.

Health Disadvantage Index Tool

Public Health Institute
Mapping tool allows user to explore health disparities in a region

Documentaries about Gentrification

Gentrification Learning Community
These films can be used to learn about issues of gentrification in America

Jargon Buster- Build Healthy Places Network

Build Healthy Places Network
Tool demystifies community development and public health jargon terms for those working with peers in other sectors

Gentrification Learning Community Resources

Gentrification Learning Community-Mel King Institute
This compendium of resources studied by the gentrification learning community includes broad perspectives for defining and tackling issues of gentrification

Pedestrian Infrastructure: Strategies for improving pedestrian safety through low-cost traffic calming

WalkBoston
Tool provides examples of low-cost measures to calm traffic and enhance safety on municipal streets and state roads

Shared Ownership Toolkit

Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE)
Explore case studies, videos and resources on how to create a shared ownership business enterprise

Community Development Acronyms

MACDC
List of definitions for common terminology for community development and affordable housing

Resources from the Massachusetts Community and Banking Council

Massachusetts Community and Banking Council
Explore MCBC's compendium of resources on their new website intended for boosting the availability of credit and financial services in low-income communities

Racial Equity Tools

Center for Assessment and Policy Development
This site offers tools, research, tips, curricula and ideas for people who want to increase their own understanding and to help those working toward justice at every level – in systems, organizations, communities and the culture at large.

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