No Straight Lines: Local Leadership and the Path from Government to Governance in Small Cities

Small cities face intricate challenges. No Straight Lines provides the basis for a refined model of community-engaged leadership and research designed to realize equality of quality of life.

With particular attention to the small city of Kamloops, BC, this book explores the impact of extended, short-term, and unique leadership collaborations and local responses to homelessness, sustainability and food security, aging populations, and the recovery of local history. It offers exciting insights into the role of the university in the small city, from generating local learning opportunities to the integration of undergraduates and faculty in achieving positive change.

Based on active engagement, No Straight Lines reveals the obstacles present in addressing local needs, and the transformations that can be achieved through effective collaboration. It offers rich accounts and valuable insights into flexible practices that respond to the needs of community organizations while recognizing the challenges associated with resource constraints and limitations in capacity. This unique collection provides new insights into the barriers and benefits of leadership and learning in the small city.

With Contributions By: Ginny Rastoy, Lisa Cooke, Robin Reid, Kendra Besanger, Dawn Farough, Tina Block, and Terry Kading

Terry Kading is Associate Professor of Political Science in the Department of Philosophy, History and Politics at Thompson Rivers University. He is editor of Small Cities, Big Issues: Reconceiving Community in a Neoliberal Era.

Acknowledgements

Introduction: Leadership, Learning, and Equality of Quality of Life in the Small City
Terry Kading

Chapter 1. Promoting "Community Leadership and Learining" on Social Challengies: Government of Canada Homelessness Initiatives and the Small City of Kamloops, British Columbia
Terry Kading

Chapter 2. "What a Difference a Shower Can Make"
Lisa Cooke

Chapter 3. No Straight LInes: Using Creativity as a Method to Fight Homelessness
Dawn Farough

Chapter 4. The Kamloops Publi Produce Project—A Story of Place, Partnerships and Proximitiy in an Edible Garden
Robin Reid and Kendra Besanger

Chapter 5. The Kamloops Adult Learners Society: Leadership through Organic Partnerships and KNowledge Support in the Small City
Ginny Ratsoy

Chapter 6. The Tranquille Oral History Project: Refelctions on a Community–Engaged Research INsitiative in Kamloops, British Columbia
Tina Block

Chapter 7. Conclusion
Leadership Initiatives and Comunity–Engaged Research: Explorations and Critical Insights on "Leadership and Learning"in the Small City of Kamloops
Terry Kading, Lisa Cooke, Dawn Farough, Robin Reid, Kendra Besanger, Ginny Ratsoy, and Tina Block

Contributros
Index

This book provides really interesting and valuable insights into the realities of life in small cities—the challenges they face, and the need for community-based solutions.

—Mark Seasons, The Canadian Journal of Urban Research