A RESILIENT NEIGHBOURHOOD: an evaluative study of the citizens’ initiative ‘Krachtige Gezinnen’

Resilience has become the ‘magic word’ to refer to the way we handle complex challenges in society. But what does it mean, by who and for whom is it used? And how can it be applied to neighbourhood development? By means of an evaluative case-study analysis, this thesis explores how the citizens’ initiative ‘Krachtige Gezinnen’ aims to contribute to the resilience of the neighbourhood Bospolder- Tussendijken in the context of the program ‘Resilient BoTu 2028’. This paper discusses how the innovative strategy of the program, emphasising open collaboration, provides both opportunities as well as constraints to all parties involved. Furthermore, following the Theory of Change approach, the paper explicates the underlying assumptions of the intervention, revealing social capital as essential to the goal of resilience, the community as a means, and collaboration as a resource. It concludes that the bottom-up approach has the potential to inspire agency within the community through inclusivity, thereby possibly contributing to the resilience of a neighbourhood where young people can develop their talents.