Getting to know Ghazaleh Akbarnejad
We recently sat down with Ghazaleh over Zoom to chat about her work with the Collective and her experiences with liminal spaces and architecture.
Profiles
Learn more about our partner organizations, as well as other groups doing related or inspiring work.
Getting to know Lainey Martin
A Hey Neighbour Collective research assistant tells us about the joy and importance of getting to know your neighbours.
Who is in your emergency kit?
Neighbours who already knew each other and their respective lifestyles and needs have been able to support each other relatively easily and effectively – whereas neighbours who weren’t already connected have scrambled to figure out how to build relationships.
Building better with feedback loops
“Good sound insulation between suites is a key design feature for building community among residents,” says Maura Chestnutt, Catalyst Community Development Society’s ex-VP of Strategic Initiatives and now consultant. It…
Fostering preparedness and community in multi-unit buildings
Building Resilient Neighbourhoods’ Stacy Barter discusses the Connect &
Prepare program and how property managers can best support and benefit from social connectedness and emergency preparedness among tenants.
Building community into the bottom line
For property managers, it can be challenging to move a greater sense of community off the “nice to have” list and into an actual budget line item.
Partner snapshot: Concert Properties
As part of a comprehensive company-wide approach to social sustainability, building on their experience in the City of Vancouver’s original Hey Neighbour Pilot Project, Concert has hired a dedicated Social Sustainability Coordinator.
Partner snapshot: West End Seniors’ Network
The West End Seniors’ Network focuses on supporting older adults living in multi-unit residential buildings through their Close to Home initiative.
Partner snapshot: Building Resilient Neighbourhoods
Building Resilient Neighbourhoods’s Connect & Prepare program builds emergency preparedness and community resilience between immediate neighbours by strengthening social connections.
Partner snapshot: Catalyst Community Developments
Catalyst is carrying out a “Community Connections Pilot” which includes landlord-led or supported social events, workshops, and “Town Hall meetings”, as well as support for resident-led community building initiatives. In addition, they have set up communication systems to support community interaction, and are actively working with tenants to identify opportunities to maximize the social potential of the physical design of their buildings and properties.
Partner snapshot: Brightside Community Homes Foundation
Brightside carries out an annual community enhancement survey to assess residents’ happiness and well-being. Based on this, they are supporting a number of Community Development initiatives designed to build resilience and community amongst residents.