This paper captures opportunities and challenges of how an expanded understanding of EcCoWell has practical implications for community recovery and renewal and engaging a “dream deferred”.

Arts, spirituality and transformative learning integrated into a holistic EcCoWell 2 learning neighbourhood approach can contribute to the work of building a resilient, sustainable and hopeful future. Examples of a comparative case study in Philadelphia and New York City and the Walls-Ortiz Gallery and Center in Harlem (NYC) point to the significance of a broader, more global understanding of wellbeing that includes emotive, embodied, artistic and spiritual aspects.

Happiness and thriving within spiritual praxis are not the same, but can both be helpful to frame a process of transformative learning towards resiliency.