Neighborhood Needs and Organizational Resources: New Lessons from Detroit

Abstract

Despite declining conditions in many U.S. urban neighborhoods, some people have organized and planned programs and services at the neigh borhood level. This article reports research designed to assess the scope and quality of participation in neighborhood organizations in Detroit, one of the nation's most seriously distressed cities. The findings suggest that although people participate in organizations with a wide range of activities and accomplishments, their leaders perceive that neighborhood problems are worsening and that neighborhood participation and organizational resources are not necessarily enough to reverse decline.