more. Residents also shared concerns about park improvements and maintenance, sidewalks that are too small to use, poorly equipped bus stops, traffic safety, and both violent and non-violent crime – all issues that make them hesitant to walk, bike, and spend time in their neighborhood’s public spaces. In general, participants shared hope that neighborhood spaces would continue to improve, and that community assets in the parks and neighborhood schools could be improved to create more opportunities for young people, in particular. Findings from the activity are represented in two story maps – one focused on VMF, and one that integrates participatory mapping results with secondary GIS data.vi
3.2 STORY MAPPING: STORY LINES, STORY CIRCLES, AND ESRI STORY MAPS Embracing the power of stories in cultivating community and building social movements, Valverde Movement Fest included two key storytelling activities: the Story Line and Story Circles. Figure 4. Story Telling Activities: The Story Line and Story Circles
In the Story Line activity, neighbors could complete one or more story cards sharing a memory reflecting on the who, what, when, and where of Valverde. They could then add their card(s) to the collective Valverde Story Line, a clothesline-timeline upon which photos of landmark events were also hung, both to name harm and center community vitality. These timeline markers helped set the stage for neighbors’ stories of resilience, resistance, and regeneration.
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