Community-Based Research

Introduction

Using the best of neighborhood and city information to make good decisions.

Overview

This section includes free and fee based, quick and in-depth research resources for Twin Cities neighborhoods.

Page Index

  • Key Issues
  • Common Problems and Solutions
  • Successful Strategies
  • Annotated Web Resources
  • Topic Library
  • Sub-Topics and Vendors


    • Key Issues Related to this Topic

  • Information is power. Having access to specific information in a timely manner is often helpful for neighborhood associations to influence public decisions and policies. The staff and volunteers of neighborhood groups often sift through the changing and complex economic, political and cultural forces affecting their neighborhoods to craft their plans and recommendations.

  • Local researchers are at your service. Six well-respected research groups based in the Twin Cities, and several different city departments are available to help your neighborhood group do the background research you need to develop wise solutions for your neighborhood’s problems. Some provide free help, while others provide fee-based services.

  • A wealth of data is available for neighborhoods to see trends, challenges and opportunities. In addition to the 1990 and 2000 Census Data, private and public researchers have access to many other databases on housing information, school enrollments, traffic counts, property values and a host of other subjects of interest to neighborhoods.

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    Common Problems and Solutions

  • Thinking ahead to become “proactive” instead of “reactive.” Often neighborhood residents feel like they are reacting to the policies and proposals of city departments and developers late in the game with little opportunity for having their ideas included. By using community research resources neighborhood associations can developing long-term plans and develop expertise on an issue to be able to set the development agenda for their community instead of reacting to the agendas of others.

  • Needing information fast. The quick search research resources listed in the MCN’s Resource guide can help you find demographic information and other data on your neighborhood in a day or less.

  • Limited funds for research. The student research resources listed in the MCN’s Resource guide can help you group conduct in-depth studies on neighborhood topics with little or no money.

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    Successful Strategies

  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can help you see neighborhood hot spots. Most of the data listed above can be made available to you on a map of your neighborhood, so that you can identify the blocks in your neighborhood needing the most attention.

  • Quick searches can be completed within a day or two. Staff from the research firms and city departments listed in the MCN’s Neighborhood Resource Guide can often do quick searches for neighborhoods upon request within a day or two. Quick search topics have included crime statistics, changes in housing values, locations of boarded properties and changes in neighborhood demographics.

  • In-depth studies can be completed within four months. Student researchers and professional staff can conduct in-depth research for neighborhoods, including literature searches and qualitative and quantitative analysis within four months. Examples of in-depth studies which neighborhoods have done include a “Neighborhood Balance Sheet” of how dollars are spent in their neighborhood (available from the Cross-Roads Research Center) and a studies of home-based businesses in neighborhoods (conducted by student researchers with CURA.)

  • Start by clarifying your key questions. When requesting short-term or long-term research help, your neighborhood work group should decide what they need to know to make good decisions for investing the neighborhood’s staff time, volunteers and resources in solving a problem.

  • Find out if someone else has already done the study. 100+ studies have been done by student researchers for neighborhood groups in Minneapolis and St. Paul over the past 5 years. The chances are a neighborhood similar to your own has already done the research on your topic of interest (please see the archives at the NPCR web site- http://tcfreenet.org/org/npcr/new.html. ) Literature searches, and internet searches can also uncover relevant studies done in other communities nation-wide.

  • Does your project require a student, grad student or professional researcher? Once you have clarified your research question, and found out what previous studies have been done on the subject, staff with the research groups listed in the MCN’s Resource guide can let you know whether your project could be done for free by a student or staff researcher or for a fee by a staff researcher.  When hiring a student researcher or intern be sure you have time to supervise them. While student interns and apprentices can offer tremendous help in completing special projects for your organization, they also need clear direction and regular supervision in order to succeed with their projects.

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    Annotated WebLinks

  • Neighborhood research reports and opportunities
    CURA- Neighborhood Planning for Community Revitalization   06/14/04
    Undergraduate and graduate interns are available through NPCR to do research projects for Minneapolis and St. Paul neighborhoods.

  • New Rules
    Institute for Local Self Reliance   09/17/01
    Institute for Local Self Reliance www.ilsr.org offering research on energy sustainability. and http://www.newrules.org, great information on how local communities can take control of their economies.

  • Minneapolis Planning
    Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED)   06/14/04

  • Plan Net NRP
    Minneapolis Neighborhood Revitalization Program   06/14/04
    Generates reports on Minneapolis NRP activity and demographic information by neighborhood

  • Publications and research services
    Rainbow Research   06/14/04
    Community research services and publications

  • St. Paul Planning
    St. Paul Planning and Economic Development Department (PED)   06/14/04

  • Local census information center
    Twin Cities Urban Coalition   06/14/04
    A designated Census Information Center, the Urban Coalition provides community access to census information and acts as a central clearinghouse.

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    Library

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    Vendors by Sub-Topic

    In-depth researchers  
        Allan Malkis Consulting
        Center for Neighborhoods
        Crossroads Resource Center
        CURA- Neighborhood Planning for Community Revitalization
        Minneapolis Training Program for Neighborhood Organizers
        Minneapolis Urban League/ Administration


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