Nurturing Inclusive Urban Futures: valuing the contributions of community organizations in Ontario cities
PhD Dissertation
2019 – 2023
This project explored the experiences of a diverse array of community organizations in Kingston, Ottawa, and Cornwall, Ontario, examining their relationship with municipalities and their role in community development. Despite the numerous logistical, spatial, and financial challenges they encounter, community organizations provide invaluable care work and contribute significantly to overall wellbeing and the vibrancy of urban life. This care work is largely under-recognized and unsupported by municipalities, who do not understand their role within the community service landscape.
Supporting Community Organizations for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Supporting Community Organizations for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
This plain-language report, produced with municipalities in mind, translates academic research into accessible insights and actionable recommendations, with the aim of fostering improved support for community organizations and supporting the work of those aiming to cultivate more inclusive urban environments.
“I’ll Be Here” Zine Project
A zine is a grassroots-style publication, featuring a mix of text and graphic content, typically centred around social justice themes. The choice to incorporate a zine into the project was conceived during the research process, after conversations with community leaders who felt that they would benefit from knowing that they were not alone in the challenges they faced, and the hopes they had for their organizations. I decided to embrace this medium for its ability to bring together voices from a range of community leaders, their insights, and creative expressions in an engaging and publicly accessible manner. The narratives chosen for this zine reflect the key themes of the research findings and feature insights and stories from participating community organizations alongside contributions from local artists. You can download the zine for viewing here.
Centering the geographical imaginations of research participants in narrating speculative futures.
Nelson, E. (2023). Centering the geographical imaginations of research participants in narrating speculative futures. Dialogues in Human Geography. https://doi.org/10.1177/2043820623117120
