Our approach to community building

Place-Based, Asset-Led

Our Evolving Approach to Community Development: From ABCD to Place-Based Community Development

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Woollahra Council is committed to fostering a strong, vibrant, and well-connected community. While we have successfully employed the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) model - which focuses on identifying and building upon the existing strengths, skills, and resources within our community - we are evolving our practice to embrace a more holistic and strategic Place-Based Community Development model.

This transition reflects a deepening commitment to ensuring our community efforts are hyper-localised, integrated, and tailored to the distinct character, needs, and opportunities of each unique suburb and neighbourhood within the Woollahra Municipality.

What is Place-Based Community Development?

Place-Based Community Development is a collaborative, long-term approach that targets a defined geographic area (a 'place') and seeks to improve the social, economic, environmental, and physical wellbeing of the people within it. 

While ABCD is a key methodology focused on identifying assets (people, groups, institutions, physical assets), Place-Based Development is the overarching strategy that organises and directs this asset-based work to a specific local area, often with a view to solving complex, interconnected challenges. 

Key Principles of our Place-Based Approach: 

  1. Hyper-Local Focus: Recognising that each suburb (e.g., Double Bay, Paddington, Rose Bay) has its own unique heritage, social fabric, and set of challenges and opportunities. 

  2. Integrated Planning: Aligning community development efforts with broader Council plans for land use, infrastructure, transport, and open space, ensuring all areas of Council work together for a common local vision. 

  3.  Shared Stewardship: Engaging the community, local organisations, other government agencies, and businesses as active partners in shared decision-making, design, and accountability for outcomes. 

  4.  Collective Impact: Moving beyond single programs to create mutually reinforcing activities across multiple sectors, focused on achieving a set of common, measurable local goals. 

Resources for the Community to Find Out More

We encourage our residents and local groups to explore the principles of Place-Based Community Development to understand how we can all work together more effectively: 

Training for Community Leaders

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Community Training

From time to time, Council provides training to build the capacity of people and community groups and organisations to implement projects in the community. In March 2025, we provided a workshop suitable for the applicant types of our Grants Program. The following topics were covered: Maintaining project momentum, Succession planning, Using your community strengths, Developing & sustaining partnerships, Making local connections, Identifying collaborative opportunities, Funding opportunities, Volunteer management and Effective community leadership.

We plan to run further training in 2026 to grow the capacity of people and organisations to develop community projects in the places and spaces of Woollahra. In doing so the places in our area will come alive with activities that meet the needs of the community. If you would like to receive updates regarding our Grants and Outgoing Sponsorship Program and alerts about training opportunities, please fill out the Grants Expression of Interest form. 

Enquiries

For more information, please contact:

Telephone: 9391 7000
Email: community@woollahra.nsw.gov.au

 

 

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