Co-Lab
2025
Social and Cultural Resources
Small cities are often praised for close-knit communities, but participants described a persistent divide between those who are "from here" and those who "came here." Drawing on cities across Pennsylvania, the Midwest, and Northeast, this booklet traces how social and cultural resources, such as festivals, traditions, and civic institutions, shape belonging, and asks whether they can help dismantle long-standing insider-outsider divides.
Inside, features a story about the Hazleton Integration Project who are working to bridge divides between longtime residents and newcomers, and expand opportunities for Hispanic immigrants to help shape that future; a story by Bill George, Founder of Touchstone Theatre, about how theatre can be a mechanism for working through change and lifting the community during moments of change; and a project from architects Emma Silverblatt and Reese Greenlee reframes manufactured homes as a serious site of architectural inquiry, examining how residents adapt and personalize these communities despite regulatory and financial barriers that have long marginalized them.