Neighborhood Plans Sparking Change
"In an age of scarce resources, these three examples illustrate how collaborative processes can leverage resources and transform neighborhoods in a comprehensive, grassroots effort."
Over the past year, Teska has led community planning efforts in three very different communities: the Westside of Bloomington, Washington Park in Chicago, and the Washington Neighborhood in Dubuque. All three efforts have followed the quality-of-life planning model in which a comprehensive range of community assets is used to frame recommendations that will not only be promoted for municipal action, but include ideas that neighborhood associations, housing developers, and local service organizations can implement.
Even in the midst of planning, Bloomington residents got their hands dirty planting a community garden just in time for a crop to celebrate a fall harvest. Just six months after the plan was approved unanimously by City Council, the plan has resulted in targeting Neighborhood Stabilization Funding (NSP) to the Westside, streets are being repaved with new curbs and gutters, State Farm and Illinois Wesleyan University have continued to dedicate resources, and there are twice as many plots in the community garden.
In Chicago, a new organization, the Washington Park Neighborhood Consortium was formed just prior to the release of the plan in May at the Daniel Burham-designed Washington Park Refectory. Brandon Johnson, an expert in planning and housing who attended nearly every planning meeting as a member of the Steering Committee, was hired as Executive Director. Already, plans are in the works to improve Garfield Boulevard, acquire neighborhood open space, and a graduate class from Northwestern University is looking into the rehabilitation of the historic Raber House.
Across the Mississippi River in Dubuque, Iowa, a new organization is being formed to lead the implementation of the Washington Neighborhood Plan. The new Washington Neighborhood Development Corporation will be the first of its kind in Dubuque, and already has commitments for housing resources from the City, a local non-profit organization, and the neighborhood will receive funds for 7 townhomes to be rehabilitated with NSP funding. Teska is being retained to guide the initial development of the development corporation.
In an age of scarce resources, these three examples illustrate how collaborative processes can leverage resources and transform neighborhoods in a comprehensive, grassroots effort.
