"Dufferin Mall -- once overrun by gangs and paralysed by threats of violence -- is now recognized internationally as an extraordinary experiment in community development. Achieved -- it must be noted -- by a unique partnership between private business and public agencies".

So wrote the Toronto Star on April 16, 1994. Today, the mall and its surrounding community continue to thrive in lockstep. Both are fully invested in their relationship, which has deepened and expanded with each passing year. Working creatively with youth, parents, police, retailers, social service agencies, and the arts and sports communities, the mall has sponsored or played host to a myriad of programs and services that help kids get back to school, learn job skills, tackle personal and family problems, and explore their creativity. Violence and crime are down; occupancy rates, customer traffic and retail sales are all up. Visitors come from around the world to learn from the Dufferin experience.

Who, what, where, when?

Back in the early ' 90s, Toronto's Dufferin Mall was seen as a major site for crime. Just 60 per cent of the mall's potential customers were actually using it, and interviews with non shoppers revealed a sense of fear and unease. Many women refused to go there unless a male family member went with them. People felt menaced by the throngs of young people hanging out in the mall. (There are six secondary schools within a 10-minute walk, and up to 3,000 young people per day use the mall.) The parking areas were considered dark and dangerous. As mall manager David Hall puts it, real or imagined violence had become "part of neighbourhood folklore". (The Dufferin Papers, 1996: 14).

David Hall had a serious business problem. If he couldn't solve it, shoppers and merchants would end up going "anywhere but Dufferin". He sensed, correctly as it turned out, that his problem had social roots. After all, a community mall is just a latter-day version of the old town square -- what goes on there reflects what's happening in the community at large. His business challenge was to "turn the mall around" in two years. To increase traffic, make it attractive to tenants, improve its community profile, boost sales and revenues. New to his job, he walked the mall, talking to customers, tenants, youth, security, and he did a lot of thinking.

Everything David Hall saw and heard convinced him that this was not a simple case of tightening security, running an advertising blitz, lowering the rents, or even refurbishing the premises. That would be just scratching the surface. What needed to change was the social climate. But from a management perspective, building a healthy community was just the means, not the end. The real goal was to revitalize the Dufferin Mall as a place to shop, because business can't thrive in a community that isn't healthy, stable and safe.

His business head told Hall to go gradually with what was, after all, a social experiment. A couple of early successes, even modest ones, could help build confidence on the part of tenants and others in the community, and show whether management was on the right track.

Building community partnership

Hall admits now that he probably didn't grasp the scale of the undertaking at the start. But he knew management needed help from the community. For one thing, there was homework to do, lots of it. It was important to learn what went on outside the mall, too: who lived out there? what was the community makeup, socially, ethnically, economically, educationally, age-wise? what were people's lives like? what were the community's issues? what social amenities, facilities and services were available in the community?

In particular, management needed to learn about youth -- their concerns and ways of viewing the world, their ways of being -- and about existing programs, services and expertise; about ways of gaining interest and support from kids and their families, mall tenants, and others; about government and how it could help. Hall looked around to see who else had a stake in the health of the community, who else might pitch in. This led him initially to high school principals, social service organizations, mall merchants, the police and of course, to the youth themselves.

"We're in an era where people can't afford to be isolated", says Hall. "You can't be in business. You can't be in education. You can't be in government. There's a link that weaves all these things together, that makes society work. You have to blur the boundaries."

As mall manager, Hall was well positioned to get the ball rolling. He had visibility, and could pull the right levers to create social momentum. His strategy was to rally support and commitment from a broad constituency, and then to literally "give the community control of the property". By not trying to own the process, management demonstrated confidence that the community -- with appropriate encouragement and support -- would create its own alternatives. This was crucial to success, and there's been no looking back. Today, David Hall muses: "People think you're clever. But really, all you have to do is listen. Once they trust you, the community will let you know want they want, what works."

The alliances have continued to multiply. Management's approach is to partner with an array of community sectors and agencies -- police, the arts, faith communities, government departments, the educational system, social service agencies, sports organizations, parents, neighbourhood groups and business improvement associations. Says Hall: "Find out what your problem is and then find a partner who knows how to solve it."

Hall lists some of the benefits. Partners provide information, expertise, resources -- sometimes it's funding, at other times, volunteers. Or, it may be facilities, promotion, and distribution channels. Many offer valuable access to their networks, and thus the potential for wider support. Others, such as non-profit organizations, can bring credibility and a track record -- something money can't buy. Lending their name to a local initiative can do wonders for its image and profile.

There are pitfalls, too, as mall management found out. Hall stresses the importance of ensuring that action, rather than talk, is everyone's priority. Also, understanding that different types of organizations have different mandates, agendas and priorities, and different ways of working. What's critical is to have a shared vision of how success will look, and a commitment to that vision. Hall makes it clear that he doesn't believe in micro-managing the process. For example, the mall part-pays the salary of a community youth worker (the City's Parks and Recreation department pays the rest). "I never see him," says Hall. "He doesn't spend his time in the mall. He's out in the community where he should be. But we get the results in here."

Projects come and go, based on need and community response. Each has its own cluster of agencies and contributors, depending on the focus. The structure, organization, roles and responsibilities of sponsoring groups also vary with the circumstances. The mall keeps its finger in the pie, but rarely leads the initiative. Management's policy has been to respect the knowledge, experience and expertise of the various players, and it's worked.

David Hall is at pains to point out that community action needn't cost much, especially when everyone chips in with what they do best. For its part, the mall has played a valuable role by being alert to resource opportunities. David Hall seems to have special "resource antenna" that help him recognize potential that others might miss. No site remains vacant for long, and there's lots of piggybacking. A few dollars can go a long way -- prizes for a bingo to fund the purchase of gym clothing and winter wear for severely disadvantaged girls, or subway tokens to help them get to coop placements. Also, it's amazing what you can do when you stop thinking of resources only in money terms. Muscle and motivation are important, too.

Hall remarks on a new phenomenon, that of "secondary relationships". Organizations and people who share interests are meeting each other for the first time through the Dufferin connection, spinning off new endeavours and collaborations. Community health is "busting out all over", as the song goes.

Over the years there's been involvement by all levels of government, many different sectors, the media and a rainbow of community groups, social and health agencies, religious and multicultural organizations, business interests, sports and arts-affiliated groups and educational institutions. It's probably safe to say that no one wants not to be associated with the Dufferin Mall community. As with a town centre, everyone eventually finds their way there.

Involving the youth

In the early stages, informal exchanges with the kids helped management get a handle on their issues. Hall found, for example, that many lacked purpose and self-respect, and had a sense of helplessness and social isolation. He quickly realized that it was a mistake to lump all the kids who used the mall together as trouble-makers. Some were simply regular students going about their business, others were in school but clearly flirting with danger, still others had dropped out of the school system completely. Then there were the gangs. After a couple of early mistakes, Hall realized that it would be naive to think gang members could easily be turned around. He would keep the upper hand through strict security and close work with the police. Over time, the gangs took their leave when it was clear they no longer had the run of the place.

Another epiphany was when he realized that hanging out is what kids do -- it's socializing, it's observing, it's learning. In short, it's developmentally beneficial, not a "negative behaviour" to be targeted for change. "Whew," he says, "was that ever a relief!" This was all part of the learning process, part of deferring to those who had experience with kids.

The hiring of the youth worker turned out to be one of the best moves the mall ever made. Initiated originally as a six-month pilot project with a neighbourhood community centre, the program was helpful in breaking down the barriers. It gave the youth access to someone who could talk to them in their own language and relate to their issues. By earning their trust and demonstrating lifestyle alternatives to drugs, theft and crime, the worker helped shift their attitudes. Today, the program continues to provide a critical link to youth. The youth worker -- they're now on their second one -- keeps an ear to the ground and continually upgrades mall management's education about youth and their problems.

The other key institution is Youth Council, through which the youth can take an active, ongoing role in planning and developing programs and services for youth in the mall. The Council -- with between 10 and 12 members -- works closely with Youth Services on programming needs and ideas. It has the power to vet mall plans and programming strategies. Its members also develop and implement fundraising programs to generate money for activities and events. Council membership is open to any youth. Trained youth or social workers facilitate the meetings, but the Council makes its own decisions.

David Hall emphasises how important it has been for the mall to receive ongoing guidance and input from the youth. There's nothing worse than spending time and resources on programs that miss the mark. The youth who participate in the Council also gain important skills, a sense of responsibility and the satisfaction of knowing that their input can, and does, make a difference.

Getting to the roots

Without even knowing it, David Hall analysed the Mall's problems from a determinants-of-health perspective right from the beginning. Why, he wondered, were youth hanging out in the mall, hassling customers, fighting, robbing stores, even beating up police officers? His own research with the youth and his discussions with youth services personnel, suggested that this anti-social behaviour was a symptom of a far deeper malaise.

Although the youth included many who were just being kids -- noisy, sometimes obnoxious, but usually harmless, and loving to "hang out"-- there were others who had serious problems. These were the youngsters who lacked the solid family relationships, friendship networks and high school achievements that can give young people a sense of self-esteem and optimism about the future. Some had left intolerable home situations, and been physically or sexually abused. Drug problems were rampant. A noxious mix of poverty, reduced educational opportunities, unemployment and racial discrimination had led many toToronto's streets and malls. Why? They literally had nowhere else to go. Their world was one of gangs, drugs, prostitution and violence. Little wonder they were acting out!

Confrontation and tighter security -- the superficial solutions -- hadn't worked. Yet Hall wasn't ready just to bury his head in the sand and hang out a sign saying "kids not wanted here". He knew that the problems ran deep, and were societal in origin -- economic hardship, for example, and family breakdown. Still, he felt that in a small way it might be possible to make a dent in them. If he couldn't change the kids' history, he could at least help them reclaim their futures. This meant trying to prevent their problems from escalating, and giving the next generation coming up a better chance.

With help from the right organizations and people, he felt mall management could influence some, at least, of the critical factors -- provide the kids with work skills and experience, remove barriers to literacy and learning, expand their horizons, ensure they got help with family, personal and health problems, make them feel safe, respected and included. And -- as the years were to show -- much, much more.

Programs and services

The story of the Dufferin Mall is still unfolding. Like Topsy, it has "just growed". Over time, countless innovative ways have been found to help restore health and hope to this community, and in so doing, to meet both the social and business objectives of the many partners involved. It's a collaborative effort to create long-term solutions to community problems.

Here's a quick round-up of just some of the programs and services which have sprung up in response to community-identified needs. Some have served their purpose and died. Others have expanded or changed. It's an organic process, with the community leading and reinventing the solutions as new challenges emerge.

Some programs have been service-oriented, others meant more for fun, addressing community or youth-specific interests. Still others have focused on kids' creativity and personal talents. All have a serious purpose.

* Dufferin Mall Youth Services (DMYS) is a one-stop resource offering confidential storefront counselling and referral services to youth aged 12-24 and their families. With a caseload of 350 kids at any one time, it's run by a group of agencies that pool their resources. It help youth with problems ranging from trouble at school to suicidal feelings. Youth can either make appointments or drop in informally. Where other services are needed -- for example, help with drugs or alcohol, medical treatment, or temporary housing, counsellors hook them up with the closest available services. DMYS also sponsors a peer education program on Teen Sexual Health, a Teen Sexual Assault Prevention Network facilitated by school guidance counsellors, public health educators and social workers, and Movie Talk, which provides youth with entertainment and an opportunity to talk about issues raised in the movie or video they have watched.

* Dufferin Mall Learning Centre , now phased out, was a storefront classroom providing educational alternatives to high-school drop-outs and youth at risk of droppping out of school. It meant older drop-outs (up to age 24) didn't have to share a classroom with students younger than themselves. It was run jointly with local high schools, community colleges and social service agencies, and offered courses that counted towards a high school diploma, provide job skills training, and address basic skills, such as literacy or numeracy. The school arranged funding and the mall donated empty retail space, which the students renovated For many kids, it turned their life around. Now that there are other alternatives, demand is down for the Centre's services, so resources are being channelled elsewhere.

* Back Alley Retail Education Program provides on-the job training for youth aged 15-24 through mall retailers, making them more marketable and building their sense of self-worth. Over a six-week period (after school and on weekends), youth learn about day-to-day retail operations, including cashiering, inventory, record-keeping and computer systems, and selling. Retailers are responsible for teaching participants, who rotate (without pay) through different stores during the program, learning a new skill in each store. DMYS sets up the schedules, sorts out problems and follows up with graduates afterwards, to provide help with resumes and to see if they have found jobs.

* The Family Centre seeks to provide support to young families with multiple needs, reduce their isolation, offer the children and their parents supportive learning opportunities, provide access to health, social and community services, and promote peer support and self-help. Here, for example, teenaged moms who don't have a family or community support network can meet, exchange information and learn parenting and budgeting skills in a non-threatening environment. Individual counselling is also available, and access to baby clothes and supplies donated by community memebers, retailers and manufacturers.

* The Reading Tent , run by Frontier College (a non-profit national literacy organization), began as an outdoor summer program aimed at children -- a large tent where volunteers read to the kids, to promote love of books and enhance reading skills. Books are borrowed from the library, donated by the community and supplied by publishers and book retailers. Now it's been expanded to include a literacy program and ESL training for retail employees, and a storefront ESL school in the mall.

* Wrap Re-creation is an environmentally friendly gift-wrapping service. Businesses, schools and community residents are encouraged to drop off reusable materials for wrapping. This provides jobs for youth, who learn environmental gift-wrapping techniques from an artist or teacher. A small fee is charged for the service, so the Mall's costs are completely recovered.

* The Theatre Program is run in collaboration with the Toronto Arts for Youth Association. It's designed to provide youth with opportunities for creative self expression. For example, in the Dufferin Mall After 4 Program youth can choose from activities such as an improvisation group, a writing club and a three-dimensional art class. Its evening programs feature a playwrights' circle and a film production club, as well as weekly events that expose youth to the professional arts scene -- a tour of the CBC, attending the rehearsal of a show, or watching a dance performance.

* Way to Go , another baby of the Toronto arts for Youth Association, includes trips for kids and their families to live theatre, dance and music events accompanied by professional artists, and a chance to participate backstage after the show in a behind-the-scenes tour. It also features artists' workshops in schools, in which visual art, music, drama and dance are used to bring learning alive. Way to Go in the Community links professional artists to the community recreation centres, where they mentor and work with young people and introduce them to the arts.

* The Dufferin Youth Theatre is co-sponsored by Abrigo, a local Portuguse community asscociation, the Toronto Board of Education and social service agencies. It's a coop program in which youth write, direct, produce and act in plays based on their own experiences. This year, shows were put on at 18 schools, providing entertainment as well as supervised opportunities for kids to discuss the issues raised. Topics have ranged from "coming out" and family violence to sexual abuse.

* Just starting up is an Arts Program for Young Offenders , which will provide opportunities for kids who've been in trouble with the law to try their hand at sculpture and fine arts.

* The Bike Club provides kids and adults with a chance to work together to repair old and abandoned bikes. The youngsters learn repair and refurbishing skills, donating the finshed products to community programs.

* Sport programs allow youth aged 12-19 to develop social and physical skills and improve their self-esteem through participation in supervised sports -- in teams, one-on-one, and coaching or training. Here, they learn about teamwork, winning and losing, playing by the rules and striving to do their best. These programs -- which also integrate kids from different backgrounds and with different physical and mental abilities -- are going from strength to strength, with sponsored teams and leagues, tournaments, and inter- and intra-city competitions (for example in soccer and basketball).

* Music in the Park is a summer program of major music concerts in neighbourhood parks on Thursday and Friday evenings. This year, 18 concerts were held between July 1 and the end of September, featuring a variety of professional groups, such as a Japanese flautist, a Celtic group and a Caribbean steelband. The mall hired a neighbourhood musician to coordinate the series and paid for the performers and the advertising. The City supplied sound and stage equipment.

The Mall has participated in dozens of other initiatives, aimed at all age groups -- such things as health fairs, waste reduction efforts, mall walking and excursions for seniors, neighbourhood breakfast clubs, tournaments and summer programs. A community newspaper keeps everyone informed and up to date, and fosters a sense of local identity.

The evidence base

It wouldn't be true to say that the Dufferin Mall management systematically sought out evidence to support each of its interventions. In David Hall's view, it was just the opposite -- a case of trial and error, learning as they went. If something didn't work so well, they threw it out; if it did, they threw in more resources. In any case, the entire initiative was one big experiment -- no other mall had ever attempted to achieve social change before. In fact, no other mall had even called itself a community before. So the evidence wasn't there yet.

Arguably, however, there was support for the process, in the community development literature. The approach used was "textbook" for the field: community members identifying their own issues and taking action on them; communities mobilizing their resources; health and social service workers as catalysts and facilitators, rather than experts; communities becoming energized and empowered, increasing control over the factors that influence their health; communities gaining a sense of their own identity and competence; communities developing leadership and advocacy skills; communities increasing their control over the factors that affected their health.

Kretzmann and McKnight (1993) speak of "asset-based community development". They report on lessons learned through the study of successful community-building initiatives in hundreds of neighbourhoods across the U.S.A. It's a strategy that starts with what is present in a community -- the capacities of residents and workers, and the associational and institutional base of the area -- and then concentrates on the agenda-building and problem-solving capacities of community members. They write:

"Given the proper opportunities ... youth can always make a significant contribution to the development of the communities in which they live. What is needed for this to happen are specific projects which connect youth with the community in ways that will increase their own self esteem and level of competency while at the same time improving the quality of life of the community as a whole." (p. 29)

They then go on to suggest "specific means by which youth can be reintegrated into the life of the community through a series of productive, mutually beneficial relationships". In a section entitled "Artists and Community Renewal", they describe a project in Matteson, Illinois involving youth and local artists:

"At a community-based youth center, youth hang out and eventually come together as groups to design their own artistic projects. A youth is on the board of directors, and youth visit schools to lead workshops on the issues adressed by their performances." (p. 102)

Sound familiar? The main thing that's different in the Dufferin case is the notion of "mall as community". However, it's a source of pride to everyone involved in the Dufferin initiative that the evidence is piling up thick and fast. Everything seems to suggest that the approach does work, and that it's legitimate to view the mall as a kind of community.

Good results are one reason why the Dufferin Mall has become a mecca for visitors from all over Canada and abroad. Everyone wants to find out how it's done. To this end, Health Canada has helped document the story, producing a kit with a video and written materials to guide malls and business improvement associations who may be interested in undertaking a similar rejuvenation process, and who may need support, especially from the media, as they go along. It's called Community Cooperation for Change (C3) .

Outcomes

So what are the results? It didn't happen overnight, but the efforts of the Dufferin Mall and its partners have yielded handsome dividends -- not just in business terms, but in quality-of-life terms for the community as a whole. As David Hall had known instinctively from the start, the two go together.

By focusing attention on the root causes of the problems, the Dufferin Mall initiative helped to turn fear, apathy and ignorance into positive action -- in effect, to change the social climate. No matter what the yardstick, there have been successes. For example, you can measure success by:

* community response, in terms of the numbers attending programs and events, the number and quality of partnerships, the levels of retailer participation, satisfaction and pride

* reductions in anti-social behaviours, such as vandalism, fighting, harassment, shoplifting, attempted theft, alcohol and drug-related offences, assaults, weapons-related offences, complaints to mall security about youth, bannings. (The overall community crime rate is now 38% lower (than when?), according the police statistics.)

* increases in customer traffic and sales revenues, and growth in occupancy rates. To quote David Hall, "business is going through the roof."

* how community residents (including youth) feel -- safer, more supported, more connected to each other, better equipped to earn a living, more skilled and confident, more involved in community life and affairs, more in control of the factors that influence their health and wellbeing. This is because they have better access to help and support, more alternatives to choose from, more hope for the future.

* public recognition of the turnaround -- for example, the mall's improved image in the market place, the media coverage in column inches, the community service awards, the invitations to speak about the experience, the level of interest from malls and business improvement associations across Canada, the number of enquiries coming in.

From a "determinants-of-health perspective", the Dufferin interventions have collectively achieved impressive outcomes: improved social and physical environments, increased community employment (thus income) opportunities and educational levels, improving personal health practices and coping skills, stronger social support networks, an enhanced working environment for mall employees, and increased prospects for healthy development of the countless children and youth whose parents have taken part in skill-building programs, or who have themselves been exposed to recreational and creative opportunities.

Two things should be noted: that the programs and services are designed to "start where people are" (Minkler, 1994?), and that many of them target structures, systems, services and surroundings as a means of affecting behaviour (for example, delivering schooling off-site, rather than giving up on drop-outs, and increasing access by running storefront services).

People move away and other variables intervene, but on the basis of these changes it's reasonable to expect long-term improvements in the health status of community residents as a whole. This will show up in morbidity and mortality statistics which track changes and trends over time.

But health isn't just about sickness and dying, or about life expectancy. As the World Health Organization says, health is a resource for everyday living, a positive concept that emphasises social and personal resources, not just physical capacity. It's the extent to which people are able to realise their aspirations and satisfy their needs, and change or cope with challenging environments. It's about reducing disparities between groups -- levelling the playing field so that everyone has an equal shot at a good life. In short, it's about individuals, families and communities living fully, having options, a sense of belonging, and optimism.

A final word...

The story of the Dufferin Mall shows that leadership for social change need not spring from altruistic motives in order to work. What's important is the approach that's used. In this case, business was willing to think holistically, to tackle problems at their roots, using a range of interventions and strategies at different sites and in different settings, and to listen, learn and work in partnership, recognizing that leadership in community development terms doesn't equal control, but giving the process away.

The last word goes to David Hall, who had the vision to start the ball rolling. He sees business as an "ongoing community resource" that strives to "find non-traditional ways of maximizing potential profit, while at the same time providing a social benefit -- in other words, to give something back." As mall manager, he insists that business has an obligation to be involved in the community in which it operates. For better or for worse, their health is inextricably linked.

Last Updated: 2002-11-29

David Hall & Associates
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Picton ON K0K 2T0
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Email: dhassociates2003@yahoo.ca
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