The City in the Twenty-First Century. Community Benefits : Developers, Negotiations, and Accountability

__Community Benefits__ explores how, and to what end, community residents leverage large-scale development projects for local benefits. Rosen shows that, without accountability, project advocates can neglect their community commitments, leaving the residents responsible for benefits delivery, but with few viable avenues to produce outcomes. In __Community Benefits__, Jovanna P. Rosen explores a new pattern in urban development: local residents and community representatives leveraging large-scale development projects for agreements that promise dedicated local benefits, such as parks and jobs. In general, such development projects have not produced impactful benefits for local residents, and often have contributed to significant community harm, including gentrification and displacement. In response, community activists have launched a fight to control development, using benefits-sharing agreements to ensure that projects produced better outcomes for local residents. While such agreements now exist across the nation, the process of negotiating and enforcing them remains challenging. This book dives deep into four case studies—in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Seattle, and Milwaukee—to answer the following questions: Who ultimately benefits from both the agreements and the projects in question? How do benefits get delivered, and who controls this process? What works for these agreements to successfully produce community outcomes? Rosen shows that, without agreements that promote accountability, developers and other project proponents can walk away from the negotiating table once the agreement is signed and the development moves forward. This disregard for community benefits and priorities can leave community residents solely responsible for benefits delivery during implementation, but with few viable avenues to ensure that outcomes materialize. The cases reveal specific elements that agreements require to achieve success during implementation: community participation, managerial connections, effective partnerships, responsiveness, and vigorous oversight with accountability mechanisms. Although creating these conditions is difficult, sometimes impossible, and contingent on fragile processes, Rosen concludes the book with recommendations for both the agreement negotiation and implementation phases to ensure success.

In Community Benefits, Jovanna P. Rosen explores a newpattern in urban development: local residents and communityrepresentatives leveraging large-scale development projects foragreements that promise dedicated local benefits, such as parks andjobs. In general, such development projects have not producedimpactful benefits for local residents, and often have contributedto significant community harm, including gentrification anddisplacement. In response, community activists have launched afight to control development, using benefits-sharing agreements toensure that projects produced better outcomes for local residents.While such agreements now exist across the nation, the process ofnegotiating and enforcing them remains challenging. This book divesdeep into four case studies-in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Seattle, andMilwaukee-to answer the following questions: Who ultimatelybenefits from both the agreements and the projects in question? Howdo benefits get delivered, and who controls this process? Whatworks for these agreements to successfully produce communityoutcomes? Rosen shows that, without agreements that promoteaccountability, developers and other project proponents can walkaway from the negotiating table once the agreement is signed andthe development moves forward. This disregard for communitybenefits and priorities can leave community residents solelyresponsible for benefits delivery during implementation, but withfew viable avenues to ensure that outcomes materialize. The casesreveal specific elements that agreements require to achieve successduring implementation: community participation, managerialconnections, effective partnerships, responsiveness, and vigorousoversight with accountability mechanisms. Although creating theseconditions is difficult, sometimes impossible, and contingent onfragile processes, Rosen concludes the book with recommendationsfor both the agreement negotiation and implementation phases toensure success.

Contents Introduction 1. Nonresponsive Investment: The Atlanta Falcons Community Benefits Plan 2. Community Bypass: The Yesler Terrace Community Workforce Agreement 3. Managerial Disconnect: The Park East Redevelopment Compact 4. Fragile Accountability: The Metro Project Labor Agreement 5. Limits Learned: The Challenges and Opportunities of Benefits-Sharing Agreements 6. Toward an Accountable Future: Strategies for Community Benefits Delivery Appendix 1. Benefits-Sharing Agreements: A New Frontier for Development Conflict Appendix 2. Methods Appendix 3. Westside Neighborhood Prosperity Fund Grants Funded by the Arthur M. Blank Foundation Notes References Index Acknowledgments