The Generative Community

This chapter explores the potential of generative neighborhoods as an important means of promoting community-centered population health in accordance with the principle of proportionate universalism. It acknowledges that deficit-based approaches to working with place-based communities are counterproductive and examines the potential of an alternative asset-based community development (ABCD) approach. A dedicated opening section reviews the evidence-informed policy trends that foreground the relationship between social capital, place-based approaches and the social determinants of health. In addition, this chapter provides brief practical examples of how ABCD is being implemented in different parts of the world, including a case study from Milwaukee that focuses on an initiative called Blueprint for Peace. This case study demonstrates the positive impacts on social and political health determinants that can result from optimal alignment between institutions and local neighborhoods that resulted in positive impacts on social and political health determinants. The main conclusion reached is that the ideal sequence for a society-wide well-being framework should begin with a fair and enabling state that distributes wealth equitably and underwrites the health-creating capacities of all neighborhoods and all peoples, with proportionate regard for low-income neighborhoods, families and individuals. The text also acknowledges the oppressive nature of structural inequalities that hinder the achievement of this ideal and highlights the need for bottom-up community organizing to facilitate the shift toward just and well societies.