Author Description

Celebrating the ten 2000 All-America City Award winners and the community building efforts of twenty finalists, this issue delivers a snapshot report on the experiences of communities that are redefining the role of citizens and exploring new ways of fostering civic engagement today. Contributors analyze a diverse range of successful civic programs including New Hampshire's Civic Profile initiative, a tool developed to give communities the opportunities and technical support to assess what they do well and where they can take action to improve the quality of life, and the St. Louis County Department of Health's successful implementation of a more holistic approach to core public health functions. The influence of evolving societal conditions and their impact on our cities in the future is also examined, as well as the trends requiring communities to change in order to meet the public's expectation for effective and equitable governance.Articles include: The Civic Profile: A Case Study of Community Building in New Hampshire David A. BloomYouth-Led Civic Organizing: Countering Perceptions of Apathy and Redefining Civic Engagement (a Conversation with Joel Spoonheim of the Active Citizens School) Elizabeth Van BenschotenEngaging the Community in Core Public Health Functions Derek Okubo, Karen WeidmanLocal Office Holders and the Publis Joseph E. FreemanThe 2000 All-America City Awards Michael McGrath, Pamela MontgomeryCities in the Twenty-First Century: The Forces of Change Roger L. KempEconomics of Scale: Business, Neighborhood Development, and Local Government John O'Looney