Intentional Infrastructure forNurturing Emergent Community
This is one in a series of Strategic Learning Briefs written 12 months after the launch of the first Community Animation Service pilot at Edgemont Flats Apartments. The other Strategic Learning Briefs, focussing on supporting Indigenous and disability inclusion, can be found on our project webpage: www.skillssociety.ca/projects/thecommunity-animator
ABOUTTHECOMMUNITY ANIMATIONSERVICE
The Community Animation Service is a part time, paid position that draws on asset based community development and systemic design approaches to nurture community connections amongst residents living within affordable apartment buildings in Edmonton. Working 6-8 hours per week, the Community Animator strives to create meaningful experiences with residents rather than doing programming for them. The concept was cocreated with community members, emerging from The Future of Home: Inclusive Housing Solutions Lab. This 18 month social innovation process brought people with disabilities, allies, service providers, housing providers and developers, and architects together to ideate around how to support inclusive, accessible, and affordable housing and support models for people with intellectual disabilities.
THEQUESTIONWE AREFOLLOWING
This strategic learning brief responds to the question:
What are we learning about building community in apartment buildings with affordable units?
To respond to this question we draw on a Developmental Evaluation (DE) approach, incorporating insights from diverse data including:
Interviews with 5 residents living in the building (3 residents who actively engage with the Animation Service and 2 residents who have never or rarely engaged with the Service).
Interviews with the property owner, property manager, Community Animator, and team leader of supports offered by Skills Society in the building. A resident survey developed by Skills Society with input from Leston Holdings that had 41 respondents.
Reflexive notes taken by the Animator, Evaluator, and Project Coordinator during weekly check in meetings.
Monthly reports with photos compiled by the Animator for the project partners. Animator and resident posts on the Edgemont Flats Apartments Community Facebook page.
Learning from continually asking and following this question has and will continue to be incorporated into iterating and evolving the Animation Service and will support us in building, testing, and refining the theory of change and business model for the Service.
THECONTEXTWE’RE WORKINGWITHIN
Our work takes place in Treaty 6 territory on lands known as amiskwaciwâskahikan
or Edmonton. Edgemont Flats Apartments are owned and operated by our project partners and funders, Leston Holdings, a family owned and operated developer and property manager. There are 334 units spread across two large apartment buildings located in Edgemont, a western suburb of Edmonton. Of the 334 suites, 209 are designated as affordable and 67 of those are rented at a rate that is 50% below market value. There are partnerships with Enoch Cree Nation and Skills Society in the building. 15 residents living in the building experience intellectual disability and receive daily living support from Skills Society.
In today’s political climate, housing, particularly affordable housing, is often thought and talked about as a commodity and transactional - something physical to be purchased or rented and used. Following a similar logic, the property management industry often focuses solely on rent collection and maintenance. This focus on physical needs is highlighted in the following quote from the book The Trampoline Effect:
“Our social service system counts only certain needs - for safety, shelter, food, income, and physical care. It has few ways of understanding people’s needs for adventure, purpose, connection, or growth. We have seen how prioritizing immediate needs over deeper ones can steadily erode people's potential. ”1
We heard some of the negative implications of this approach to housing and property management in the stories of residents we connected with. For example Thalia shared that in her previous housing experience she “always had to worry” and felt that the property owners and managers, “they don’t want me to live here”. She described how she developed this perception through the ways they communicated and interacted with her. For example, she described receiving constant notices about building rules that made her feel as though she might always be bothering someone and could not “just live”. Similarly, resident Ciara-Mae’s comment highlights the lack of connectedness she felt in her previous housing experiences: “Just walking through [Edgemont Flats] I can say hi to so many people. There’s a lot of people I know by name. That’s not normal.”. These stories highlight the ways conventional approaches to affordable housing have normalized feeling like a guest or even unwanted or unwelcome in your own home.
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Butwhatifthiswasnotthecase?What if we brought a different orientation to how we “do” housing? What if we refused to reduce housing to commodity and transaction and instead saw housing as the foundation for home, belonging, and social connectedness? That’s what the Community Animation Service is about - bringing intentional infrastructure to apartment buildings to nurture emergent community.
The Trampoline Effect by Gord Tulloch and Sarah Schulman
HOWWEARETRYINGTODO THINGSDIFFERENTLY
Rather than operating from a service delivery model, the Animation Service seeks to operate from a community building model. Service delivery models, follow a flow of: staff plan activities, promote them to residents, and measure success by attendance numbers This model positions residents as passive consumers of community amenities rather than as the actual makers of community life. It privileges scheduled events over everyday relational moments, values efficiency over trustbuilding and measures what’s easy to count rather than what is meaningful to residents. In contrast, a relational community building approach recognizes that genuine community cannot be programmed but instead can be nurtured, by creating the right conditions. The Animator’s role then, is not to deliver programming to residents, but to create infrastructure and opportunities that residents can use to build community together, at their own pace, in their own ways Drawing on our learning from the past year, this approach looks like:
Equally valuing the large summer BBQ that drew hundreds of residents and the resident initiated and led stargazing night that drew out a handful of people. Recognizing that stepping up for a leadership role takes trust and trust takes time to build. For example, the Animator offered resident Leon the opportunity to host the sport game gatherings. Leon declined this offer. The Animator, feeling disappointed at first, reflected and
recognized Leon might need more time to feel comfortable in that role. She gave him space and with time, Leon, naturally started to take on the hosting rolespearheading the start of a guest book for gatherings, being the first to arrive to set up, and helping ensure the space was left clean.
Trialling a movie night, an idea that did not come from residents but seemed like a good one, only to discover there was not resident demand for it, responding to that signal, and discontinuing it.
Bumping into a resident in the parking lot getting their groceries out and recognizing they could use a listening ear, the Animator stopped what she was doing and took the time to listen and connect with the resident she hadn’t met before. This small gesture started a bridge of trust between them and supported the resident in chatting again with the Animator at later dates.
Creating opportunities for residents to lead and have agency. For example, Ciara-Mae becoming the key holder, enabling residents to more easily access shared amenity spaces like the TV room for gatherings
Learning to value even the gatherings that only draw a small crowd but support meaningful connection - "I always think things are going to be bigger, but then realize even if you have 5 people that's success" (The Animator).
Figure 1. Comparing and Contrasting Programming and Community Building Approaches
PROGRAMMINGMODEL
Community is something staff provide to residents
Has a focus on efficiency and productivity, measuring success by attendance numbers and low costs
Is supply driven with programming planned in advance and then employing strategies to get residents to show up
Assumes community happens only at scheduled events
Operates on transactions: “We offer you X, you attend X, we count you as served.”
Emphasizes staff and resident boundaries seeing the Animator as a professional delivering services and residents as passive recipients
Focuses on outputs (e.g. # of events, # of participants) because they are easier to measure
COMMUNITYBUILDINGMODEL
Community is something residents create together
Has a focus on meaning, valuing small but impactful moments as reported by residents
Is demand driven, working with residents to understand their wants, needs, and interests and co-creating initiatives with them not for them
Understands community also lives in the “in between moments” of community life - bumping into neighbors in the hallway, elevator, or parking lot
Operates on trust, recognizing that often residents need to form trust before being willing to participate and that this takes time
Animator views themself as part of the community, an activator and a facilitator that can contribute and participate in the community life being built
Focuses on outcomes (belonging, relationships) even though they are harder to measure
THREESCALESOF INTENTIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE
A key learning that underpins the Community Animation Service, came from the Future of Home: Inclusive Housing Solutions Labthatgenuinecommunityoftenneedstobe nurturedanddoesnotalways spontaneouslyform. While it might seem counterintuitive to put in place a ‘formal infrastructure’ for building an emergent community, our hunch is that it is necessary. What is key though, is that the formal infrastructure be intentional and grounded in relational community building values like those described above (slowness, care, presence, trust) as opposed to a programming logic. The intentional infrastructure we are building is specifically designed to enable - not program or controlinformal, emergent, resident-led community formation.
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TheFireMetaphor
What if we think of the work of building community as similar to that of building a fire? This work requires us to build the container the fire burns within, spark the flames, and watch the fire grow, feeding it periodically to help sustain it.
IntentionalInfrastructuretoNurture EmergentCommunity
In this strategic learning brief we are testing a frame for our intentional infrastructure and use the metaphor of a fire to help paint a picture of what we are building.
3 See more on this 18 month social innovation lab here: https://www.skillssociety.ca/projects/future-of-homeinclusive-housing-solutions-lab
THECONTAINER THESPARK THEFIRE
THECONTAINER:
THESTRUCTURESAND SYSTEMSTHATLAY THEFOUNDATIONFOR EMERGENTCOMMUNITY
The container is the first layer of intentional infrastructure we focused on - not to control community, but to hold it safely Like a fire pit carefully constructed with stones, the container creates boundaries and support that make the fire of community possible without it spreading destructively or fizzling out. The paid Animator position, the sustainable funding model, the dedicated resident budget, the property management partnership, and the physical spaces that enhance connection are all part of the container. The container sets the tone saying “you are wanted here, management is committed, resources are dedicated to this, let’s build your vision with your neighbors”.
TheAnimatorRole
Important aspects of the Animator Role are that it is a distinct paid position (not a volunteer role and not an ‘add-on’ to someone’s existing role), it has dedicated hours that support a consistent presence, it is framed as an amenity for all residents offered in partnership with the property owner so it feels like the Animator is part of the community they are building, and the Animator brings specific knowledge in assetbased community development and systemic design. Developing the Animator approach has also been very intentional - showing
residents that the Animator is an activator and facilitator as opposed to a staff delivering a service.
SustainableFundingModel
Rather than relying on grant funding, the Animation Service is funded in full by the property owners. Supporting service sustainability, it is purchased as an amenity offered in the building to all residents and is factored in as part of the operational budget of the building.
DedicatedResidentBudget
Built into the Animation Service operating budget, the dedicated resident budget allows the Animator to ‘say yes!’ to resident ideas without having to go through a complex approval process and ensures dollars are safeguarded for supplies, snacks, resident honorariums, and physical space upgrades (like furniture, picnic tables, or rain barrels).
Partnershipwith PropertyManagement
The Animator works closely with the property manager. Given this, we have learned that it is important for the Animator and the property manager to have the opportunity to build a partnership - clarifying lines of communication and roles so that they can support and enhance one another's roles. We have also learned over the last year, the importance of having a partner that values genuine community and holds space for emergence and experimentation in their approach to property ownership and management.
They have shared with us the ways they are working to counter dominant property management approaches that focus solely on rent collection and maintenance. As one of their property managers shared:
“We see a gap. Tenants needing to be supported in ways that ensure their long-term housing stability. Having a mixed market model, as we do in Edgemont Flats, allows us to support these initiatives that are enhancing communities. Leston has embedded community development into our every day operations, creating consistent and low stake engagement opportunities throughout our portfolio. This has not only supported our business, but has reduced the overall stigma of lowincome housing while meeting a core need in the community.”
This unique property management approach is foundational to supporting the Animation Service to thrive as it ensures the Animator and the property manager are operating with shared values and giving residents a consistent message. For example, resident Thalia shared “It’s a nice feeling that [the property managers] want me here” and that she loves that “when the office door is open, I can say hi to the property management team and bring my dog around and get so much love” Because this approach to property management is counter-cultural in many ways, it does require intention, continual
effort, and a willingness to learn from mistakes to maintain.
PhysicalSpaces
Over the past year we have learned that how a physical space is structured can both hinder and support emergent community. At first we were quite apprehensive about the lack of shared community space for residents to gather in larger groups. While there are some communal gathering spaces (e.g. community garden, small TV room, board room, dog run, small lawn beside the building) they are all quite small and initially lacked a ‘homey’ and inviting feel. This has forced us to challenge our assumptions about community gathering spaces and get creative in how we use space in and around the building. For example:
The Animator purchased cushions to add additional seating to the floor of the TV room
The Animator purchased umbrellas, kids sandbox, and added handmade signage to the community garden
Residents used the parking lot for the summer BBQ
Residents used the small lawns for the gathering circle even in the cooler shoulder seasons and added blankets and fire for warmth
The Animator has hosted events like the baking swap in the lobby and hallways
Residents use the show suite kitchen for cooking and baking events
We’ve learned that you can spark community even when you don’t have large spaces to gather. We’ve also learned that simple
enhancements to spaces can make them much more inviting and be the spark that increases resident use and engagement (e.g. the umbrellas in the community garden brought many more to use the space, with one resident even celebrating her birthday out there).
Over time, we have built a flexible but consistent oversight and support structure that includes:
Weekly check-ins between the Animator, evaluator, and project manager that creates a reflexive learning space. Monthly checks between the evaluator, project manager, and project partners to ensure expectations are aligned, share wins, and troubleshoot challenges. This also allows for decisions that require project partner input to be made quickly and consistently.
A developmental evaluation approach that includes an embedded member of the team continually bringing an evaluation lens to conversations and supports real time decision making and pivots based on what we’re learning.
A team that brings knowledge of asset based community development, participatory engagement approaches, disability rights, social justice, innovation, and systemic design - a mix of perspectives that support us in remaining anchored in our community development approach and help us avoid slipping into the status quo ‘service provision’ approach.
THESPARK:
THEPLATFORMS, RHYTHMS,AND OPPORTUNITIESTHAT INVITERESIDENT PARTICIPATION
Sparks are where we directed our attention next, after we had some of the core container aspects built. It is also the area we are still learning the most about. Sparks are intentional actions, platforms, and rhythms that create opportunities for community to grow (or if you’re following the metaphor, for fire to catch). We have learned that you can’t force fire to catch but you can create many sparks in hope that some ignite something bigger. The Animator’s role is to keep creating sparks in different ways, learning what works best, noticing when residents create their own sparks, and being there to support when something catches. Some observations around what supports generative sparks are outlined next.
DiverseInvitations
We noticed early on, a common default for community engagement is to think about large scale events that bring lots of people together for a short time. While these can be important points of connection, they can also fail to create meaningful connections amongst residents, require extensive coordination, and can be resource intensive. We also heard from residents in the midway and end of year resident survey that they wanted diverse ways to engage with the
Animation service with many residents preferring to keep to themselves or engage in one on one interactions as opposed to large group activities. The Animator has also noticed that many residents do not want to commit to anything, at least not initially so passive, low stakes, or small scale animation opportunities create space for more to engage She discusses this here:
“Passive opportunities to participate, not having to sign up for something, are helpful. For example, the fire and hot chocolate, the monster donut decorating in the lobby, or the games night were intentionally designed for people to drop in and these seemed more successful.”
(Community Animator)
To ensure we continued to be mindful to incorporate a variety of engagement methods we created the Five Pillars of Animation drawing on a framework from Resilient Neighborhoods . This simple framing, that we revisit at each weekly check in with the Animator, allows us to ensure we are thinking beyond large scale events to support resident engagement. 4 4 resilientneighborhoods.ca
THEFIVEPILLARSOFCOMMUNITYANIMATION
PLACEMAKING& PASSIVEANIMATION
SHARING,MUTUALAID, &NEIGHBORLINESS
CELEBRATIONS& GATHERINGS
LEARNING&PLANNING TOGETHER
E.g. Communication with local community leagues, partnering with nearby businesses to sponsor prizes. 1 2 3 4 5
Enhancing shared spaces to encourage interactions between residents (‘bumping moments’) and strengthen connection to place
E.g. community boards, cozy seating, community garden, or art installations that make spaces inviting and reflective of the community
Promoting a culture of reciprocity and collective care by facilitating sharing of resources, skills, and support among neighbours
E.g., carpooling arrangements, tool libraries
Social events, gatherings, and activities that help foster connections among residents and enhance community spirit within the building
E g seasonal celebrations, potlucks, crafting circles
Engaging residents in discussions, collaborative learning opportunities, and decision-making processes to address community needs, plan future initiatives, and empower collective action for the purpose of the community’s shared vision
E.g., workshops, discussion groups
Connecting with community partners in the surrounding neighborhood, recognizing that the community within the building is nested within a broader neighborhood community and wanting to support cross pollination of ideas, events, and support.
COMMUNITYPARTNER OUTREACH
BridgingandConnecting
Another way the Animator sparks community is by bridging and connecting residents based on shared interests, skills, or needs In order to do this well, we quickly learned the Animator needs mechanisms for learning and recording resident interests, skills, and needs. We are still figuring out how best to do this in a more robust and consistent way. Some strategies we have tried so far with some success include:
Creating Asset Keys for residents to fill out at events - on the back residents are invited to think about their gifts and strengths they can offer the community using the Head, Heart, and Hand framework. 5
Listening for resident offerings and needs and doing ‘matchmaking’ on an individual basis. For example, a resident offered to give free haircuts as she just completed barber school. The Animator advertised this out to residents in the monthly newsletter and then connected residents interested.
Striking a “Helping Hands Committee” of residents willing to help neighbors in need with small tasks. This has had limited uptake so far.
Encouraging residents to post on the Facebook page, including helpful information for their neighbours about the surrounding community, shout outs and celebrating one another’s successes
Developing a short resident survey that captures resident assets that can be completed during their initial meeting with the leasing agent before they move in.
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CreatingSpaceforResidentsto InitiateandLead
We have learned that sparks are much more likely to ignite when they come from residents. We have been experimenting with a variety of ways of engaging residents in idea generation and visioning for their community with some success including:
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Hosting seasonal Sharing Circles that open with ceremony and create space for residents to share ideas and hopes for the community they are building together. Having hosted two circles so far, we have seen upwards of 20 residents engaged and in the future hope to see even more.
Hosting a social club brainstorming meeting open to all residents to help generate ideas for what kinds of clubs and gatherings they want to see moving forward. Again, this offering had only a small turnout but it did result in one resident stepping forward to host the crafting circle - a big win in our books! Having the Animator listen and watch for opportunities for residents to share their gifts and talents in diverse ways and when they arise creating space for residents to do so. This has been the most successful mechanism for sparking resident led initiatives so far. For example, a resident who is a young mother shared an idea with the Animator to host a clothing and toy swap. The Animator affirmed this wonderful idea, acted as a planning and thought partner, and advertised the event, allowing the resident to take the lead and bring the event to life. In another example, a resident loved star gazing and owned a
telescope, so the Animator suggested they host a star gazing night and offered to advertise the event and use the resident budget to purchase hot chocolate for the event.
We will admit, it has been challenging to get consistent and widespread resident uptake in this regard and we are not yet sure what is underpinning this. We are hopeful that we might just need more time, to continue to build relationships and trust with residents, before they are willing and interested in more fulsomely shaping their own vision for their community.
BuildingTrustwith ConsistentPresence
We have noticed that before residents are willing to participate, there must be some trust between the residents and the Animator. To build this trust, the Animator has been working on having a consistent presence in the building. This does not necessarily mean having set office hours, but has meant committing to being on site most weeks and intentionally trying to be visible to residents in different ways. This has looked like displaying posters for activities in the lobby, posting regularly on the Facebook page, door knocking and leaving “Sorry I missed you” Cards for residents, or tabling in the lobby with gifts and information for residents (e.g. giving away seed packets to strum up interest in the community garden, handing out freezies in the hot months, or treats to advertise the upcoming halloween activities). Another strategy the Animator has been using more recently is running regular contests that encourage residents to engage
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5 You can learn more about the Sharing Circles and the intentional ways we are weaving in Indigenous inclusion in our other strategic learning briefs available on our project webpage: https://www.skillssociety.ca/projects/thecommunity-animator
with the Animator and result in a few residents getting a meaningful prize (e.g. grocery gift cards). Because the prizes have been substantial and meaningful, they have been well received by residents and have piqued resident curiosity in the service and what it has to offer. These small gestures build presence over time and help residents learn about and trust the Animation Service
StewardingPlatformsforConnection
Another important spark has been creating platforms for residents to communicate with one another. These create spaces for people to share ideas and learn from one another whilst also making their community more visible - there’s nothing like seeing the photos and contributions of others to make you realize you are not alone. Finding the right platforms for this has taken some trial and error. Our original attempt at creating a Discord channel for residents (built off the idea that some residents were already using this platform to communicate) did not get the uptake we hoped So we recently pivoted to creating a Facebook page which is showing promising signals with some residents starting to post and another resident stepping up to help moderate it. The Community Board is another platform for connection we trialled that showed unexpected wild success - taking off with little nudging from the Animator.
ImageCaption:TheCommunityBoard,awhiteboardwith promptsthatareswitchedoutweekly,createsspacefor residentstoshareinsights,ideas,andinformationandlearn fromoneanotherinalowstress,anonymousway.
residents to share ideas, insights, and thoughts with little prompting from the Animator. Some sparks smolder and need more tending For example the book club and crafting circle had success for several months but with the change of season, attendance dwindled and resident interest waned. The Animator had to explore with residents if they wanted to revive these initiatives or celebrate their success and move on. Other sparks don’t catch at all. For example the movie night had consistent low attendance so we let go of that idea. The work of creating sparks is not for the faint of heart. It requires patience, experimentation, and the emotional resilience to keep going without taking it personally when something does not catch. The Animator reflects on this in the following quote:
In the first year, we have seen some sparks catch immediately. For example, the community board quickly became a place for
“Because I’m not from the community, in the beginning I felt a sense of unease and like I was not sure what to do. When people...
...wouldn’t show up or people weren’t volunteering to help or not coming to me with suggestions despite my invitations it was discouraging. I would have little glimmers here and there that were positive that would keep me going.”
THEFIRE:
THECOMMUNITY LIFETHATEMERGESORGANIC,RESIDENT-LED, EVERYDAYRELATIONAL MOMENTS
The fire is community actually aliverelationships forming, residents taking initiative, care flowing between neighbors, and a sense of belonging settling in. The fire is what the container-making and sparkbuilding is for - not the events and initiatives themselves, but the everyday moments of connection, care, and belonging that emerge out of them. What the fire looks and feels like is identified by the residents themselves. We are just at the beginning of seeing the fire ignite at Edgemont Flats. It’s taken months to build the container and find the right sparks but we do feel some momentum building, amongst a small group of highly engaged residents, but also amongst others, less engaged, but expressing more of an openness to the service. For example, in the resident survey several residents expressed an appreciation for the efforts to build
connections between residents despite having not yet engaged with the service themselves.
SenseofConnectednessGrowing
Several residents have expressed an increased sense of connectedness growing within their community as a result of the Community Animation Service 70% of resident survey respondents report that they value the relationships they have built, that they feel safe, and that they feel like they belong and feel welcome at Edgemont Flats. This sentiment is further shared in the following quotes:
“I love the sharing circle - you get to know other people’s stories; people I wouldn’t normally connect with. I think it's doing its job of bringing people together.”
(Ciara-Mae, Resident)
“The casual ‘hey’ now that I know people helps a lot”
(Thalia, Resident)
“The connection isn’t an issue. The Animator is doing a really great job” (Leon, Resident)
“Not so much an unexpected insight, but [the Animation Service has been] a consistent and constant reaffirmation of the importance of relationship...
...building and community building at the tenant level.”
(Property Manager)
“I feel welcome, respected, and appreciative of both my neighbors and the building staff”
(Julia, Resident)
“Knowing so many people, feeling like you can ask people for help, there’s people who care, this supports me in feeling safe, connected and a sense of belonging where I live.”
(Ciara-Mae, Resident)
“I think this is a great program. I feel it helps many people connect and feel like Edgemont Flats is more of a community than just a rental apartment.”
(Sylvia, Resident)
TakingCareofOneAnother
In the resident survey many residents expressed a desire both to care for their neighbors and for their neighbors to care for them. This reciprocity and caring for one another is emerging as an important aspect of community that the Animator can help support. In resident interviews we heard two examples of this unfolding as a result of relationships built through the Animation Service
Ciara-Mae shared how she has become best friends with Cara and that she now supports her in getting to her medical appointments so she doesn’t have to wait for accessible transit. The pair also volunteer together in support of a community group:
“I drive Cara – she’s my bestie here – to her appointments, I hate the idea of her waiting for DATS. I also go volunteer with Cara now and I’m hooked.”
(Ciara-Mae, Resident)
Leon shared how he has become friends with Andrew. Andrew experiences disability and uses an electric wheelchair to get around. Leon shared how, over time, he has gotten to know Andrew and now supports him in different ways in his day to day life:
“Andrew and I got to know each other really well over the summer. We take my dog in the summer for walks. My dog sits on his lap. I assist him to eat. And I’ve started to slowly understand him.”
(Leon, Resident)
Although we recognize two is not a big number, we are excited by these examples as they are deeply meaningful to the residents involved and following our community development approach, we are interested in quality of relationships over quantity.
TakingInitiativeandOwnership
Part of growing the fire is seeing residents take initiative and ownership over their ideas and community. Although still only on a small scale, we have witnessed this start to happen in small ways. Some early signals show that perhaps some residents have a natural inclination towards leadership and being of service to their community, and it is these residents that first take the leap to lead. For example, Leon shared: “If someone needs help, I’m there to help. That’s what we’re put on this planet for”. Similarly Ciara-Mae shared: “I usually participate in anything I can. If we don’t support the program, we’re not going to have a program, so that’s my feeling about it.”. Finally Cara shared: “I like to be in more of a leadership role in my community. I just don’t want too much on my plate but enough to keep me going”. All three residents have been highly engaged with the Animation Service and have taken on hosting and leadership roles in various ways. Leon hosts the game and sports nights, Cara hosted the crafting circle, and Ciara-Mae is the keyholder for the shared resident spaces and attends almost all Animator associated events.
Whilst these are promising signals, there is still work to be done to continue to build engagement, care, and a sense of community amongst residents.
Over 50% of survey respondents reported not having close relationships within Edgemont Flats Apartments that provide them with a sense of community, belonging, and connectedness. Furthermore, resident Leon commented on the limited resident engagement: “Despite all the advertisements, not a ton of the residents show up. Almost none of them sometimes”
And Rachel’s comment: “I don’t know anything about it. I haven’t even met the animator” demonstrates a lack of reach for Animator communications. In the upcoming year we hope to continue to build on the sparks already ignited and extend and deepen the reach of the Animator.
TheContainer,TheSpark,TheFire WorkinginHarmony
These three scales - the container, spark, and fire - work in concert to nurture emergent community. While they are presented in seriation, they aren’t meant to be done one at a time as a checklist to building community. In our experience so far, each is important and each requires continual attention and care. That said, some of the scales might require more care and attention than others depending on where you are at in the community building journey. For example, when you are first starting out, the container and the spark will require more attention, but similar to a fire burning, once the sparks catch, the fire can start to build naturally on its own, so long as it has the appropriate fuel and is being thoughtfully tended to. From time to time, the flames may dim, and a new spark might need to be introduced, or the container adjusted.
In action, this intentional infrastructure flows something like this:
THEANIMATORCREATES SUPPORTIVECONDITIONS
RESIDENTSTAKE OWNERSHIP
COMMUNITYBECOMESSELF SUSTAININGINSOMEDOMAINS
THEANIMATORCAN FOCUSELSEWHERE
CONCLUSIONAND FUTUREDIRECTIONS
After one year piloting the Community Animation Service at Edgemont Flats, we're learning that building community in apartments requires more than programming events - it requires creating conditions where community can emerge organically.
This means investing in formal infrastructure (the container), the Animator's activation work (the spark), and supporting the living community that residents create together (the fire). It means valuing slow trust-building over efficiency, small moments over large events, and resident leadership over programmed outcomes. And fundamentally, it means treating housing as more than commodity - as the foundation for belonging and home.
Promising signals include strong resident leadership emerging, measurable increases in belonging and satisfaction, successful passive animation (like the community board), and activation of residents' natural helping orientation.
Important learning edges remain: extending and deepening resident engagement, developing a sustainable business model that supports replication and scaling, strengthening communication to residents, and continuing to create diverse entry points for resident participation.
The service is now launching at a second site with Civida, offering crucial opportunities to test whether these learnings hold in different contexts. We continue to watch, learn, and adapt - designing the map as we go, guided by what actually builds community rather than what's easy to measure.
The fire is catching. Our work now is to tend it carefully, learn from it deeply, and share what we're discovering about how to make an apartment a home.