Asset Mapping

40 interviews, 7 themes, countless individual gifts, associations, and institutions.

Yesterday we began the process of mapping, which was a big step we have been putting off, partly because we didn’t know how and partly because we didn’t feel we had enough information. After completing more than 40 interviews, taking our own walks and drives around the neighborhood, and hours of online research, we have put together a first edition map of the assets of North Denver.

We began by printing rereading all our interview transcripts up and finding themes that were mentioned by multiple people. Using this method, we discovered seven key themes that resonated with people in the community. These themes were:

- gentrification

- youth and education,

- language,

- neighborhood identity/history,

- leisure, 

- entrepreneurial background, and

- participation in city government.

Once we learned what was on our community’s collective mind, we began mapping the assets. Leaders in the ABCD sector have devised ways to break up the assets in a community into three main categories: (1) individuals gifts, (2) associations, and (3) institutions. We added a fourth category that we called economy and land that captures the flow of goods within the neighborhood and the space available. Some examples of the assets we found are:

• Individual gifts: tech-savviness, pastoral counseling, appreciation of arts and food, and culinary gifts.
• Associations: Coffee groups, North High School alumni, neighborhood associations, #WeAreNorthDenver, and business associations.
• Institutions: RTD, local restaurants, churches, Woodbury Library

With this inventory, we will begin by getting small groups together with common interests to talk about what they would like to accomplish together in the neighborhood and how  to use the strengths of the community toward these shared ends.