Community Formation in Racially Integrated Neighborhoods: The role of local organizations in Chicago's Beverly and Irving Park community areas

Local community organizations are important to the formation of neighborhood cohesion and social capital. However, neighborhood cohesion in racially integrated communities can be difficult to form and maintain, and it remains unclear how local community organizations can best promote interracial social engagement in racially diverse communities. This report looks at Chicago community areas that have recently achieved racial integration: Beverly and Irving Park. Using ethnographic data and semistructured interviews with organization leaders, the data in this report implies best practices for organizations wishing to form a sense of community, outlines barriers to social integration that organizations face, and offers potential solutions to overcome these barriers. This report concludes with policy implications and recommendations for community organizations, and ultimately analyzes how Beverly and Irving Park community organizations assist and promote the process of social integration in their community areas.