How to Host a Neighborhood Lab: A Step-by-Step Guide

 

The concept of Neighborhood Labs was created by the Hopeful Neighborhood Project (HNP)  located in St. Louis, Missouri. Like MU Extension, HNP promotes asset-based community development (ABCD). MU Extension is proud to partner with HNP to offer neighborhood labs across the state or to train others to conduct a lab where they live.

Why Neighborhood Labs Matter

A strong neighborhood is built on relationships, shared resources, and a common goal of making life better for everyone. A Neighborhood Lab is an event where people come together to learn about their community, share skills, and make positive changes. It’s a chance to discover what makes your neighborhood special and find ways to improve it.

This guide will walk you through how to plan and run a Neighborhood Lab in your community. Follow these steps to make the event easy, fun, and effective!

Step 1: Define Your Neighborhood

Before you start, take time to define what you mean by “neighborhood.” A neighborhood isn’t just a place—it’s the people, places, and groups that make up your local community.

Here’s how to define your neighborhood:

• Think about boundaries – What streets or landmarks define your area?
• List important places – Schools, parks, businesses, and gathering spots.
• Identify social connections – What clubs, organizations, or local events bring people together?
• Add your household to a map – Mark your home and invite others to do the same.

This helps everyone understand where they belong in the bigger picture.

Step 2: Discover Neighborhood Gifts

Every neighborhood has special skills, resources, and talents. We call these “gifts.” Learning about these gifts can help you see what strengths already exist in your community.

Activity: Neighbor Gift Exchange

1. Personal Gifts – Write down your talents and skills (example: cooking, fixing bikes, playing music).
2. Learning Gifts – Write down something you want to learn (example: gardening, coding, speaking another language).
3. Teaching Gifts – Write down something you can teach others (example: painting, budgeting, organizing events).

By sharing these gifts, neighbors can help each other grow and create a stronger community.

Step 3: Map Out Neighborhood Strengths

Now that you know personal gifts, it’s time to look at the bigger picture. What strengths exist in your neighborhood? Create a Neighborhood Gift Map by adding:

• Group Gifts – Talents of people in the community (example: artists, youth groups, senior volunteers).
• Physical Gifts – Useful spaces or resources (example: parks, meeting spaces, etc).
• Associational Gifts – Volunteer groups and clubs (example: book clubs, sports teams, neighborhood watches).
• Business Gifts – Local businesses that support the community (example: grocery stores, hardware shops, local restaurants).
• Public Sector Gifts – Services provided by the city (example: libraries, public schools, police and fire departments).
• Nonprofit Gifts – Organizations that help the community (example: food banks, shelters, mentoring programs).

This activity helps everyone see what’s available and what can be improved.

Step 4: Take a Neighborhood Walk

A great way to discover hidden strengths is to walk through your neighborhood and take notes.

How to do it:

• Walk quietly and pay attention to details.
• Look for gifts that haven’t been added to the map.
• Notice what’s missing – Are there areas that need improvement?
• Add discoveries to the map when you return.

This simple activity helps people see their neighborhood in a new way.

Step 5: Research Your Neighborhood

Take 10 minutes to look up information about your neighborhood online. You can search for:

• Community programs and services.
• Local government projects.
• History and culture of the area.
• Economic and social statistics.

This helps everyone understand the strengths and challenges of the neighborhood from a bigger perspective.

Step 6: Discuss the Findings

Once all the information is gathered, take time to reflect. Ask questions like:

• What patterns do you see?
• What surprised you?
• Are there areas that need more attention?
• How do neighborhood gifts connect to community health?

Encourage open conversation. This helps neighbors think critically about how to move forward.

Step 7: Imagine the Possibilities

Now that you’ve identified strengths and challenges, it’s time to think about how to improve the neighborhood.

Possibility Statements

• Write 2-3 statements about what could be done to make the neighborhood better.
• Example: “What if we started a community garden?” or “What if we had a monthly neighborhood potluck?”
• Vote on the best ideas using stickers, thumbs up, or group discussion.

This step encourages creativity and helps turn ideas into action.

Step 8: Create a Neighborhood Action Plan

To make real changes, set clear goals. Use the SMART Goals method:

• Specific – What exactly needs to be done?
• Measurable – How will you track progress?
• Achievable – Is this realistic?
• Relevant – Does it connect to the neighborhood’s needs?
• Time-bound – When will it be completed?

For example, instead of saying, “We want a cleaner park,” say, “We will organize a park cleanup on the first Saturday of every month for the next six months.”

Assign roles and responsibilities to different people to make sure things move forward.

Step 9: Reflect and Celebrate

Once your plan is in motion, take time to reflect on the experience.

• What went well?
• What could be improved?
• How did people feel about the process?
• What’s next for the neighborhood?

Take a moment to celebrate the progress made. Small steps can lead to big changes over time.

Final Thoughts

A Neighborhood Lab is a way to bring people together, recognize strengths, and take action for a better community. By following these steps, you can create an event that is meaningful, fun, and effective. Start planning today, and watch your neighborhood grow stronger!

Written by David L. Burton

MORE INFORMATION

Take the Engaged Neighbor pledge and become part of a movement! The pledge outlines five categories and 20 principles to guide you toward becoming an engaged neighbor. Sign the pledge at https://nomoregoodneighbors.com. Individuals who take the pledge do get special invitations to future events online and in person. Contact the blog author, David L. Burton via email at dburton541@yahoo.com or visit his website at http://engagedneighbor.com.