Neighborhood Planning

Teska Associates, Inc. was retained by the City of Aurora to help initiate the citywide Aurora Neighborhood Planning Initiative (ANPI) that is being implemented to help residents and other stakeholders shape the way their neighborhoods will grow and change over the next 20 years and beyond. The Bardwell Area was chosen as the first neighborhood to utilize the new planning process. Located to the southeast of Downtown, the Bardwell Area is home to 5,277 residents, of which almost two-thirds are Hispanic or Latino. Chosen in part for its complexity, (ethnic diversity, historic preservation, hospital campus redevelopment, aging homes, perception of violence) the neighborhood regularly produced more than one hundred residents at planning meetings. The process was hailed as one of the most engaging and successful public planning projects in the City's history.

Teska Associates, Inc. led the planning process in conjunction with City staff and volunteer members of a neighborhood Leadership Team. Over a six-month period, four public meetings were held to allow residents and other stakeholders to identify neighborhood issues, craft a vision for the neighborhood, vote on priority action items, and recruit/volunteer to participate in neighborhood Task Forces. The resulting framework for neighborhood improvement has two critical components: a Physical Framework and an Organizational Framework. The Physical Framework can be used by neighborhood residents and the City to understand the key relationships between physical elements in the Bardwell Area. The Organizational Framework for neighborhood improvement reflects the ongoing use of the collaborative partnership utilized during the planning process.