Community Restoration,
I See You

A Southern California-rooted hub for restoring culture, trust, and community life where it has been damaged, neglected, or displaced

Community restoration is not redevelopment, branding, or trend-driven revitalization.

It is the patient work of recovering what made a place livable, identifiable, and worth caring for, especially its people, traditions, local economies, and shared spaces.

This site exists to document, explain, and support that work.

What Community Restoration Is (and Is Not)

Many places are described as revitalized without ever being restored.

Community restoration focuses on repair, not replacement. It values continuity over novelty, stewardship over extraction, and local participation over institutional control.

It asks different questions:

What existed here that worked?
What was lost, and why?
What remains intact but overlooked?
Who already cares enough to restore it?

This site documents those questions and the people asking them.

Photo: Flanagan's on Main, Park City Main Street Historic District, Park City, UT. Main Street remains the vibrant heart of Park City's Old Town. It is packed with unique local businesses -- independent boutiques, art galleries, museums, award-winning restaurants, and nightlife -- all nestled between the slopes of world-class ski resorts.

Why This Matters Now

Communities can gain capital while losing cohesion.

They can attract attention while losing memory.
They can add amenities while losing neighbors.

Cultural erosion often precedes visible decline, and it can continue even during economic growth. Community restoration begins by recognizing early warning signs and responding before a place becomes unrecognizable.

Focus Areas of Community Restoration

Cultural traditions and local identity

Neighborhood life and informal social bonds
Small businesses and local ownership
Arts, crafts, and maker culture
Youth, mentorship, and intergenerational life
Faith communities and service networks
Immigrant and working-class entrepreneurship
Civic trust, norms, and shared responsibility

Get Involved with Community Restoration ICU

Join us in making California a better place to live, work, and play.