The Work
The Three Pillars of the Work
Community Research
We work with residents and community stakeholders and ask the questions nobody else is asking to get to the root causes, patterns and gaps the community is facing.
Community Planning
The plan and what gets built stays with the community. The data and assets are held by the people who live with the results.
Community Ownership
The plan and what gets built stays with the community. The data, assets — held by the people who live with the results.
The Foundation
A Dream Deserved
In the Fall of 2026, the documentary telling the story of Ward 8's planning process will premiere. It marks the moment the roadmap becomes a movement. Watch the story behind the road to A Dream Deserved: Realizing Our Collective Emergence report.
Key Findings
Economic Displacement
Ward 8 residents identified economic displacement driven by rising rents, outside investment, and lack of access to capital as the single greatest threat to the community's future.
Resident-Defined Priorities
Residents consistently named community ownership of land and local businesses, leadership development, and data sovereignty as the three pillars of a sustainable economic future.
Institutional Accountability
The report documents a pattern of outside institutions extracting data and resources from Ward 8 without accountability to residents and calls for a community-controlled alternative.
Join the Movement
Be the first to know about the documentary premiere, upcoming training cohorts, and opportunities to engage with the work