Topic outline

  • Asset mapping

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    Asset mapping

    Introduction

    Building on what is already there, people can be encouraged to work together to improve the social vitality of communities. Everyone has something positive to contribute and knows that the resources needed to create a healthy, vibrant community already exist within the community. 

    One way to learn something about a community is to create an inventory map, an inventory of the gifts, talents and resources within a community. This approach can help connect and use those resources to realize the full potential of the community. 

    To find the rich “pool” of resources within a community, it is important to recognize and respect that:

    • Everyone has talents, skills and gifts that are important and relevant to the fitness and vibrancy of the community.
    • Whenever individuals use these abilities, the community in which they live is strengthened .
    • Strong communities, are places where the capabilities of local individuals are recognized, valued and activated.


    The Asset Map

    1. The skills you need to create an Asset Map are: Interest and curiosity about the people and places around you
      - Have a treasure hunter mentality to dig deeper and look beneath the surface
      - Have a method for recording the information you learn more about
      - Have a desire to discover and celebrate strengths, or something that works well, in your community
    2. There is no one best way to create an inventory card. In its simplest form, you can create an AssetMap by walking around the neighborhood and engaging in conversations with people so you can discover the special people, places and systems in the neighborhood. You can create an AssetMap in a day but also, if you put more depth into it, take a few months. You can gather information through neighborhood research, online research, reading neighborhood newspapers, one-on-one interviews, and/or neighborhood meetings.
    3. You can reflect various themes on your card. Consider, for example:
      • Transportation: public transport stops, bicycle routes, flex-car spots, people who want to carpool.
      • Childcare: individuals interested in sharing childcare or having play dates.
      • Open spaces: meeting spaces, parks, playgrounds, walkways.
      • Food: community gardens, individual/family gardens, fruit trees, urban edibles, farmers markets.
      • Emergency preparedness: water lines, gas lines, trucks, cell phones, ladders and fire extinguishers, CPR equipment.
      • Local economy: goods and services offered by individuals within the community.
      • Barter: skills and items that neighbors are willing to share with others in the neighborhood.
    4. Use the questions on the following pages to gather information about the neighborhood/area.
    5. Create the asset map using Google maps
      • Create a new Google account for this activity
      • Click on the menu icon in the top left corner
      • Click on "My Places"
      • Click on "Maps" at the top left
      • Click on "Create Map" at the bottom
      • Click on "Nameless card" and create a card name
      • Click on "Unnamed layer" and create a layer name
        • People
        • Places
        • Companies
        • Exchange
        • Childcare
        • .
      • Zoom in on the neighborhood/neighborhood
      • Click "Base map" and set it to satellite
      • Click on the "pin" symbol,
      • Click on a point and give this point a recognizable name. Also post a description of what can be found here.
      • Click on the style icon in the pop-up window and choose an appropriate icon.
      • Create more layers and place the remaining pins on them.
      • In the left window, select "share" and choose whether you want the map to be publicly accessible or only for certain people.

    The Human

    People are the central source of wealth for the district. Get to know individuals in the neighborhood through personal interviews or neighborhood meetings. Determine what information you want to capture about these individuals and devise a method of recording the information you receive. Below are some questions you can explore:

      • What is important to you? Where does your greatest passion lie?
      • What skills did you learn at home, in school, in the community, or at work?
      • What are your hobbies or interests? What are you really good at? What can you teach others?
      • In what ways have you been involved within the neighborhood/neighborhood? In what ways do you want to be involved in the neighborhood/neighborhood?
      • What skills, talents, resources, materials or supplies do you have that you are willing to share with other residents of the neighborhood/area?
      • What skills or knowledge do you have related to your career or profession?
      • What groups or networks do you belong to? What groups or networks would you like to be a part of? What groups or networks would you like to help establish?
      • Is there anything you need?
      • What would you like to see in the neighborhood/area that doesn't exist now? What do you hope and dream for your neighborhood/area?
      • Who would you consider a neighborhood historian? Who would you look up if you were looking for ancient wisdom?
      • What positive activities are there already that you would like to see more of? What ideas do you have to improve the vibrancy of the neighborhood/area?
      • What is the best way to contact you?

    As you learn about the individuals, you will discover how the people are interconnected. You also learn about the informal groups that exist within a community. Volunteer organizations include people who know each other reasonably well, work together, and have a shared interest. They are an asset in the community that can be mobilized. There are many types of volunteer organizations in which people are connected by:

      • Interests: art, music, sports, health, gardening, hiking, writing, books, politics
      • Work or career: networking, unions, business associations
      • A purpose: charity, task forces, volunteerism, fundraising, service
      • Age: youth, elderly
      • Geography: neighborhood associations, neighborhood watches
      • Spirituality or faith: congregations, study groups, choirs
      • Support: parenting group, self-help group, support groups
       

    Location

    Organizations Find out more about the organizations in the neighborhood/neighborhood. With each one, think about what opportunities are available within that organization. Think beyond their intended purpose(s). For example, you may have a church nearby. In addition to being a place of worship for its members, a church may have a meeting space, a parking lot, a copy machine, chairs, tables, storage and a kitchen. Perhaps you have a restaurant in the area. In addition to being a place to eat, a restaurant can also provide opportunities for meetings, jobs, internships, donations or partnerships. In your exploration of organizations, look for:

      • What organizations exist within the neighborhood/neighborhood?
      • What is the purpose, intent and mission of these organizations?
      • Who are working in those organizations?
      • Who works with those organizations?
      • What role would you like the organizations to play in the neighborhood/neighborhood?
      • What goals, services or projects are you hoping for within these organizations?

    You can look for: churches, colleges, universities, retirement homes, fire departments, hospitals, clinics, mental health facilities, libraries, police, schools, utilities, community centers, radio or TV stations, small businesses, large businesses, social services, government agencies, home-based businesses, nonprofit organizations, religious organizations, supermarkets, markets and/or restaurants.

    Surrounding Get to know the natural and built environment in which the neighborhood/neighborhood is located.

    You could explore air quality, water safety, trees, landscaping, agriculture, plant and animal life, energy resources, forests, lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, minerals, natural landmarks, parks, recreation areas, vacant land, recycling, compost, and waste sources.

    You can explore the physical, built environment, including buildings, bridges, sidewalks, streetlights, roads, gardens, playgrounds, sculptures, or historic landmarks.

      • What natural elements exist within the neighborhood/area?
      • What open spaces are there?
      • How is the land used? How would you like to see the land used?
      • What buildings or structures are there within the district/neighborhood?
      • How are the buildings or structures used?

    Systems

    Local Economy To discover how money is earned, spent, and invested in the neighborhood/neighborhood, you could explore the following: income, occupations, methods of exchange and barter, key industry and services, community wealth, unused economic resources, access to goods and services, and money circulation.

    Some questions you might explore are:

      • How does the neighborhood/neighborhood normally spend its money?
      • How does money stay within the neighborhood/neighborhood or leave the community?
      • Do neighborhood/neighborhood residents earn their money outside or inside the community?
      • What forces outside the community influence the economic health of the neighborhood/neighborhood?
      • What ideas do you have for increasing the economic vitality of the community?

    Culture and spirituality The culture of a community binds people together and affirms their identity. Culture helps us know who we are and how to interact with each other and the world around us. To learn more about the culture, customs, traditions, and way of life of a neighborhood/neighborhood, you might explore the following:

      • What is the history of the neighborhood/area? How is history preserved, celebrated and honored?
      • What forms of art and music exist?
      • How are neighborhood traditions and identity preserved?
      • How are local residents connected to their culture?
      • How is culture transferred to younger or newer members of the community?
      • What forms of culture are visible? What forms of culture are beyond the view of the casual passerby?
      • What is the ethnic and racial diversity within the neighborhood/neighborhood?
      • What languages are spoken? How is language used to affirm culture?
      • What crafts are performed?
      • How is spirituality expressed by community/neighborhood residents?
      • What different forms of spirituality are there in the neighborhood/neighborhood?
      • How are the spiritual beliefs and practices of neighborhood residents connected to community life?

    Information, knowledge and communication It is important to know how the community gains knowledge, shares information and communicates with each other.

      • What schools and training programs exist in the neighborhood/neighborhood?
      • How are new skills and knowledge developed and shared?
      • How do people know what's going on in the community?
      • How is information technology used and by whom?
      • To what extent and for what purposes are neighborhood/neighborhood residents interested in communicating with each other?

    Political capital Life in the neighborhood/neighborhood requires a continuous series of decisions on matters affecting its residents. Find out what processes determine how formal decisions are made about creating and enforcing policies in the neighborhood/neighborhood.

      • What connections does the neighborhood/neighborhood have to political power?
      • What is the formal process for making community decisions?
      • Who are the people in formal leadership positions in local government?
      • How does the neighborhood/neighborhood influence political decisions?

    The neighborhood/neighborhood as a whole

    It is good to look at the neighborhood/neighborhood as a whole. How do the people, places and systems fit together?

    What skills, talents and resources can be linked together to build a stronger and more vibrant neighborhood/neighborhood?

    Below are some questions you can ask about the neighborhood/area.

      • How are talents and skills recognized and developed?
      • How do people have the opportunity to contribute with their gifts and talents?
      • How do people know what is happening in their community?
      • How do people with shared interests exchange ideas and information?
      • How is new knowledge generated, learned or shared?
      • What forms of art and music exist?
      • How is culture perceived? What cultural artifacts are there?
      • What cultural values are reflected in everyday life?
      • How are cultural differences valued?
      • In what ways does the community express its spirituality?
      • In what ways does the community have the desire and ability to work together?
      • What is the level of trust and sense of security within the community?
      • What are sources of pride and joy within the community?
      • How and where do people have fun?
      • How do residents spend their time and money?
      • Where are the open spaces for recreation and views?
      • What land is available within the community and how is it used?
      • What natural elements are defining characteristics of the community?
      • How do environmental conditions affect human interaction?
      • How consistent is access to food, shelter and clothing?
      • What does the history of the community symbolize?
      • How are people in the community cared for?

    Consider the three B's:

      • Availability: are goods and services available in the community?
      • Affordability: can people afford the available options?
      • Accessibility: can people use the goods and services that are available?

    Through this activity, we want to inspire students to appreciate and explore existing resources within their community.

    More connected to the community around the school.

    Computers with internet connection, google maps, writing pads, cell phones with camera and voice recording.