The Consortium

  • The Consortium

    The Consortium is an interdisciplinary research initiative focusing on various economic, public health, environmental, social, and related issues in Spartanburg County. The Consortium is a collaborative effort between multiple organizations and individuals from different fields who research a specific topic or set of issues jointly.

Telling Our Story—A Community- Based Meso-Level Approach to Sustainable Community Development

  • Engaging diverse stakeholders in dialogue around sustainable development has proven to be a successful strategy to advance sustainable development goals. Without local engagement, sustainable development efforts can fail to accomplish their objectives. Yet, determining the best strategy for engaging diverse stakeholders can be challenging. Similarly challenging can be the transfer of information regarding successful development strategies from one community to another. Local specificity is key to finding sustainable development solutions.

Assessing Restorative Community Development Frameworks—A Meso-Level and Micro-Level Integrated Approach

  • This study evaluates restorative practices in community development by comparing two frameworks implemented in Washington, DC: the meso-level Five Pillars of Development and a grassroots micro-level framework in Ward 8. Both aim to address the long-standing challenges faced by disinvested communities through restorative development practices, rooted in restorative economics. The analysis examines the adaptability of the broader meso-level framework in capturing the complexities of micro-level approaches. By identifying gaps, the study proposes strategies to make the meso-level framework more effective for communities with limited resources to develop their own localized solutions.

Greened Out: Mitigating the Impacts of Eco-Gentrification Through Community Dialogue

  • This article explores the interplay between green infrastructure initiatives and eco-gentrification, focusing on Washington, DC. While green infrastructure—such as parks, green streets, and corridors—offers environmental benefits like flood protection and clean air, it often correlates with rising property values and displacement, disproportionately affecting low-income and minority communities. These areas, which are most in need of such improvements, have historically been excluded from planning processes due to systemic barriers.

Prosperity in Progress: A New Look at Archetypes of Successful Community Development

  • Engages stakeholders in development strategies using archetype analysis of 73 HUD-reported case studies across 67 cities and 37 states, it identifies four distinct pathways to development success. These pathways are based on five key characteristics: public investments, private investments, development plans, stakeholder engagement, and the Distressed Communities Index (DCI). By highlighting diverse approaches, the study provides valuable insights for policymakers to create tailored strategies that address specific community needs, promoting sustainable growth and resilience in urban areas.