This research document reports on the involvement of several local Protestant and Roman Catholic churches with a mass community organization in a racially changing area of Chicago. The corporate participation of churches in this social and political experiment and others of its kind has been the subject of much controversy. The research is an…

More than 4,000 people responded to a survey about community efforts to reduce substance abuse and gun violence. Six major findings were identified from the responses of 1,608 people who identified themselves as leaders of community efforts in these areas. Community leaders want significant changes in long-standing public policies and a change in…

An assessment was made of the similarities and differences of the problems, interests, and needs articulated by the visible and "invisible" opinion leaders within the Black community of Columbus, Ohio. Interviews which included both open-ended and closed-ended questions were conducted with a random sample consisting of 449 Black residents…

To assess the status of hunger and homelessness in urban America during 1990, the U.S. Conference of Mayors surveyed the 30 major cities whose mayors are members of its Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness. This report summarizes survey findings. The survey sought information from each city on the following questions: (1) the demand for emergency…

In 1988 officials in 27 major cities were surveyed on the following topics: (1) ability to meet demand for emergency food assistance and shelter; (2) causes and demographics of hunger and homelessness; (3) status of low-income housing; and (4) outlook for 1989. Summary findings included the following: (1) demand for emergency food assistance…

An overview of relevant literature reveals that residents in urban areas apparently have a multitude of nonoccupational information needs which are not being satisfied within the constraints of existing information resources and systems. A conceptual framework was drawn, focusing on four basic components--urban residents, their needs, sources of…

The deeply fractured nature of U.S. society is examined, focusing on poor and working class people in cities. Based on data from 154 poor and working class young adults aged 23 to 35, the study reveals the ways in which this urban generation has suffered from social change. The following chapters are included: (1) "Voices of Hope and Despair:…

This report, the sixteenth in a series of twenty reports undertaken by the Children's Environments Advisory Service for the 1979 International Year of the Child, analyzes the difficulties of designing automobile traffic patterns for areas in which children reside. Automobile traffic and play patterns in 21 multiple-housing projects in the…

The main purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which community consensus existed regarding a variety of major changes in Pittsburgh and the extent to which widely differing perspectives of community leaders might contribute to conflict, or at least significant difficulties, on these issues. A pragmatic secondary objective was to…

The Greater Kansas City Community Foundation conducted a formal, comprehensive needs assessment designed to address what the Hispanic community sees as its important needs. Data were gathered by surveying 100 residents of Hispanic neighborhoods, 53 Hispanic and non-Hispanic community leaders city-wide, and 28 heads of agencies located in the…

TO DETERMINE THE ATTITUDES, VALUES, AND OPINIONS OF SOUTHERN NEGRO YOUTH, A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS DISTRIBUTED TO 688 STUDENTS FROM FIVE ALL-NEGRO HIGH SCHOOLS IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA. RESPONDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT SHOWED CONSIDERABLE DISSATISFACTION. TWO-THIRDS OF THE LISTED NEIGHBORHOOD FACILITIES AND SERVICES WERE NEGATIVELY EVALUATED BY…