“Begin With The End In Mind”

The design team presented the Highlander Accelerator in Omaha, NE as evidence that community involvement has a direct outcome on the results of a planning project. Othello Meadows illustrated several personal stories that demonstrated how constant and consistent community engagement resulted in a legacy project that residents of the area are proud to call home. Below are image from that project:

Next, participants were asked to respond to three key questions:

“What is Home?”

“What is Community?”

“What is Prosperity?”

Several key themes were heard, including:

• Affordability • Multi-generational Residency • The Importance of Black Business Ownership • The Importance of Including Youth and Parents • The importance of Cultural Institutions• Black Safety and Safe Spaces (Third Spaces) • Black Joy • Comfort • Familiarity, History, and Nostalgia • Black Connectedness and Presence • Acceptance for All Community Members