Civic Infrastructure

Many of Fresno’s neighborhoods face overlapping challenges: disinvestment, high unemployment, underperforming schools, and a lack of access to public services. But beneath those challenges is a deeper, structural issue: a lack of civic infrastructure. Too many communities in Fresno lack the spaces, organizations, and networks that allow neighbors to connect, build power, and shape the decisions that affect their lives. Thirty-two neighborhoods in Fresno experience extreme poverty, and the vast majority of residents in these communities are people of color. Without consistent representation, organizing support, or access to financial and social capital, these neighborhoods have been cut off from opportunity and voice.

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Historically, Fresno’s outer sprawl has limited investment in our core neighborhood’s infrastructure, with that, the community voice has been suppressed. This initiative brings those two strands together. By supporting community-based organizations, creating permanent Neighborhood Hubs, and investing, DRIVE’s Civic Infrastructure Initiative will help create a stronger foundation for resident led change. It is not just about building buildings, it is about building relationships, trust, and collective capacity.

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At the heart of this effort is a network of 12 Neighborhood Hubs designed to serve as gathering spaces, resource centers, and organizing engines. These hubs will help residents advocate for change, access services, and launch neighborhood led strategies that improve quality of life. Each hub will follow a community building model that centers residents, emphasizes local strengths, and invests in leadership development. A network of place based intermediaries will provide support, training, and policy expertise to keep this ecosystem strong and connected.Community led actions in the neighborhoods include cultural festivals, mural projects, developing green spaces, home renovations, youth development, and workforce development programs.
 

The Civic Infrastructure Initiative is about shifting power. By investing in people, places, and networks, it aims to close long standing racial and economic gaps and spark a cycle of civic participation that strengthens policy, community wellbeing, and neighborhood opportunity. In a city where community voice has too often been sidelined, this is a long overdue investment in trust, connection, and leadership at the neighborhood level. Creative placemaking is a key thread across these efforts, ensuring that art, storytelling, and local traditions shape spaces where residents feel a sense of belonging and identity.