Hartford Next (HNXT), the coalition of all of Hartford's NRZs, has begun a pilot project, lead by HNXT Board member Violette Haldane. They are conducting Neighborhood Asset Mapping to identify and document neighborhood assets as part of HNXT's community economic development initiative.
Asset mapping is an important step in understanding the resources that a community can leverage to support community economic development. This approach identifies assets in the community, including organizations, places, people (their capacities and talents), focusing on what is working in the community or neighborhood.
The goal of the project is to document the inventory of neighborhood assets that aid in engaging the neighborhood. Asset mapping presents the neighborhood from a strength-based position and can act as a catalyst for economic, cultural, and social change.
As part of this project, Trinity College's Urban Studies program is working with HNXT and has designed a survey for those who live and work in each Hartford neighborhood to provide their opinion. The aim of the survey is to:
- Give us a baseline understanding of each neighborhood,
- Obtain data for various topics (economy, community, healthcare, etc.
- Assist with analysis in support of each neighborhood, and
- Facilitate further in-person discussion.
