After identifying a variety of neighborhood improvement opportunities, the residents of EMMA and Beechwood approached Rochester city leaders in search of support and guidance. A public/private partnership was formed that includes the Beechwood Neighborhood Coalition, EMMA Business and Neighborhood Association, NEAD, Home Leasing, Hillside, Farash Foundation, and the University of Rochester.

Together, this partnership identified the Purpose Built Community model of holistic revitalization as an ideal approach to meet the unique needs of EMMA and Beechwood. A new not-for-profit, Connected Communities, was created to guide the transformation. Our Mission is to break the cycle of poverty and revitalize the EMMA and Beechwood neighborhoods.

The work of Connected Communities is built upon the success of earlier initiatives, including but not limited to the City's Focused Investment Strategy in Beechwood, and informed by research such as the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge report. 

This work cannot be done in isolation. In addition to working closely with neighborhood residents and community stakeholders, Connected Communities is partnered closely with the Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative and the Mayor's Office of Innovation and Strategic Initiatives.