We organize and engage residents in defining their priorities and desired outcomes for their neighborhoods
Communities of Choice
Communities of choice are places where residents and community members can choose their own social, economic, and political future and center self-determination. At NKCDC, this means being in a constant relationship with residents in the neighborhoods we serve, listening to their priorities and desired outcomes for neighborhood development, and directing resources toward achieving them.
Whether through NKCDC, another community organization, your block, a civic association, or another local effort, there are many ways to get involved in your neighborhood!
Co-Creating Kensington
Since 2023, NKCDC and partners have been facilitating a trauma-informed, participatory and comprehensive planning and implementation process that has engaged more than 1,000 residents in defining their priorities and desired outcomes for neighborhood development.
Kensington experiences multi-faceted, intersecting crises: a billion-dollar opioid market, systemic racism, poverty, violence, gentrification, substance use disorder, and one of the largest unhoused populations in the city. Efforts to address Kensington’s challenges have failed because they have not been designed and implemented with community input, have lacked sufficient expertise and resources to be effective, and have not provided wrap-around approaches to complex, interconnected issues.
Co-Creating Kensington builds on existing plans and community engagement, challenges public perceptions of Kensington, and centers community priorities to direct resources toward residents’ vision for the neighborhood. We also recognize that community participation doesn’t stop with planning. Our goal is to continue bolstering engagement and aligning strategies across Kensington so that residents retain power and ownership over the processes, resources, and outcomes that shape their community.
Kensington Engagement Center
While NKCDC engages residents across our entire service area, we have concentrated civic engagement and civic action activities at the Kensington Engagement Center, a community engagement and exhibit space for residents of Kensington and the city to envision and co-create strategies to address our greatest challenges and achieve our collective goals.
Opened in January of 2025, the Kensington Engagement Center has since served as a trusted civic hub and community space bringing together residents, nonprofits, organizers, elected officials, and city agencies to learn, engage, and co-create solutions to our city’s most pressing challenges.
Community Connectors
NKCDC’s Community Connector program builds on the skills and interests of residents by connecting people to tools, guidance, and a network to improve themselves and their community. By bringing neighbors together, we share information, organize block projects and neighborhood beautification, and build a network of more connected community leaders.
Neighborhood Advisory Committee
As a Neighborhood Advisory Committee funded through the City of Philadelphia, we support residents in learning about City programs that can benefit them and build skills to thrive in areas such as crime and safety reporting, housing assistance, vacant land acquisition, and sustainable living across our service area.
As a NAC, NKCDC also has a Neighborhood Advisory Subcommittee (NAS) which helps us identify community needs, brainstorm solutions, and share resources throughout the community. The group discusses safety, zoning, sustainability, and other issues and serve on our NAS board for 2 years. NAS Elections for the 2026-2027 service years are coming up! Stay tuned for updates.