The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) asked Teska Associates to work with five local neighborhoods to create "Smart Communities Plans," that would incorporate ways to use technology to spark economic development and community renewal.
Teska facilitated planning processes in Humboldt Park, Pilsen and three communities on the Southwest Side - Auburn Gresham, Chicago Lawn and Englewood - to develop a comprehensive set of recommendations to take advantage of broadband technology, software, and hardware to meet their neighborhood planning objectives. Key recommendations were the establishment of "FamilyNet Centers" to provide a comprehensive set of employment and training services to families, including having kid-friendly computers, and access to employment and income counseling services; funding "tech organizers" to ramp up local adoption to targeted populations; community web portals; and technical assistance to small businesses to develop business plans.
Teska worked with LISC/Chicago and the City of Chicago to submit applications to the federal Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP), a $4.7 billion Recovery Act program, to underwrite a two-year campaign to adopt the strategies highlighted in the plans.
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