ACCM as an initiative is guided by the principles of Asset Based Community Development (ABCD). Whenever a neighbourhood comes together in powerful and satisfying ways it is because two things have happened. First, they have found out about each other’s gifts. Second, they have made new connections based on these gifts. It is the sum of these connections that “glues” a neighbourhood together.
ACCM is being built off of the Abundant Community Edmonton (ACE) frame work that is currently becoming the de facto neighbourhood development program in Edmonton. ACE is the first iteration of this initiative and was derived from the book The Abundant Community by John McKnight and Peter Block, published in 2012. Howard Lawerence and a team of early adopters have been sharpening this tool over the years and have created a blueprint for some amazing block level asset based community development. All of it rooted in over forty years of research and development through the University of Chicago and the ABCD Institute.
If you want to learn more about ABCD and the research behind it check out…
http://www.abundantcommunity.com
http://www.abundantcommunityinitiative.org