The research done for this study was guided by the model for community revitalization presented by Kretzmann and McKnight (1993, 351Ð353). They emphasize, as many community development advocates concur, that a community development process should be determined and controlled by local residents.1 The Kretzmann and McKnight model suggests that the use of local capacity and resources be the basis upon which community development takes place (ibid). In keeping with this approach, data for this research was collected for two distinct purposes: 1) to describe the needs and problems within the study area; and 2) to identify existing local resources upon which revitalization efforts can be built. Four main methods were used for the study: a) a survey of local residents; b) a physical inventory; c) census data; and d) interviews with key informants.
The Community Survey Method
HDC's director specifically requested that a survey be conducted in order to determine "what the people want" to improve in their community. The survey was designed to solicit community input to help determine development priorities, as well as to contribute to HDC's advocacy efforts. The survey served to generate interest among residents in HDC's neighborhood-based activities, to promote awareness of community problems, and to encourage involvement in the planning process2 (see Appendix 1 for survey).
The survey region was defined from 13th Street to 6th Street running north to south, and Orange Street to Park Avenue from west to east. The nine-block area surveyed falls within the city's West and Central Wards and is bounded by the municipality of East Orange (see Map 1). While HDC has no definitive boundaries for its service area, the study area, as identified by its director, corresponds to the organization's initial priority focus. Surveying was done in the afternoons on Saturdays, Mondays, and Fridays. The research team was often accompanied by at least one Spanish-speaking member of the community. A small portion of the surveys were administered in Spanish. In order to get a good representative sample, attempts were made to survey every house or every other house on each street. However, the sample was biased by several factors: some streets are more residential than others, people on some streets are more willing than others to participate, and language barriers prevented the surveying of more Hispanics. The survey was completed in a little less than one month.
The Physical Inventory MethodThe Census Data
there were three "levels" for which the census data were used. One looked at the city of Newark; the second focused on tracts 7-9, within which the study area lies; and the third narrowed our analysis to the nine-block area surveyed (block group 2 of tract 7; block 204 of tract 8; blocks 302 and 509 of tract 9). The census data for the last level was rarely utilized due to the limited amount of information available for block groups and individual blocks. The report was best served by using census information for tracts 7 through 9, due to the availability of census information, to the anticipation of HDC's expansion beyond its initial focus area, as well as to the location of most of its current activities (see Map 1).
The Interview MethodThe primary aim in contacting local institutions was to determine some of the existing programs and physical facilities of the area. Contacts included schools, the local branch library, hospitals, and the board of education, among others. Findings from these interviews can serve both to increase residents' awareness of existing programs and to inform efforts to enhance the accessibility of programs. Appendix 4 provides substantial detail on the relevant findings concerning these local institutions
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