Description
Globalization and migration are creating disconnected societies in modern urban cities, and urban communities are at risk of becoming fragmented. Neighbourhood Houses draws on a five-year study to document and contextualize an antidote: the neighbourhood house movement. Contributors outline the history of the Vancouver neighbourhood house network, its relationship with local government and other organizations in the region, the programs and activities offered, and the experiences of participants. By providing health services, public recreation, daycare, adult literacy classes, and other programming, neighbourhood houses are revealed to be community hubs bringing both newcomers and neighbours together.
Reviews
Yan and Lauer’s Neighbourhood Houses: Building Community in Vancouver provides an important collection of essays reminding us that cities are made up of people with complex needs and desires, but who want to connect and support each other when given an opportunity to feel safe to do so.
- Jennifer Chutter