Transcript Fostering Neighborhood Revitalization and Expanding

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FOSTERING NEIGHBORHOOD
REVITALIZATION AND EXPANDING
OPPORTUNITY
Presentation to:
City of Columbus – Planning Department
August 19th 2008
Jason Reece, AICP
Senior Researcher
The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race & Ethnicity
The Ohio State University
[email protected]
www.kirwaninstitute.org
Today’s Discussion
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More on Kirwan and our Neighborhood
Revitalization Research
Neighborhood Revitalization in Columbus
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Trends, issues and conditions in Columbus
Key Strategies/Principles for Neighborhood
Revitalization
Emerging Challenges
More on Kirwan
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Background
Community Development Work
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Opportunity Based Model of community development
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Moving people to opportunity; building/nurturing opportunity in
distressed neighborhoods
Recent Neighborhood Revitalization Projects
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Land Bank Advising - Detroit
Cleveland Regionalism and Equity Initiative
The Columbus Foundation – Neighborhood Revitalization
Assessment
West Baltimore – Neighborhood University Initiative
Neighborhood Revitalization
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General Issues/Concerns in all Projects
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Common challenges
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Larger market forces are critical
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Movement back to the city; gas prices and urban living (+)
Housing market trends & foreclosures (-)
Geographic context is critical
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Concentrated poverty, limited opportunity, disinvestment
Both within the city and when thinking about the region
Language, Framing and Definitions are Important
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Avoid the terminology-concept of gentrification
We still need to define successful (and equitable) revitalization
Neighborhood Revitalization
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General Issues/Concerns (continued)
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Limited public resources
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Social/Organizational/Human capital critical
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Must be strategically used
Must catalyze private investment/individual action
Neighborhood leadership and technical capability
Issues outside of the direct influence of neighborhood
planning are critical
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Public safety (crime) and educational opportunity
Neighborhood Revitalization
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General
Issues/Concerns
(continued)
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A combination
of elements
provide the best
opportunity for
revitalization
Neighborhood Revitalization in
Columbus – Trends, Issues & Conditions
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Tale of two cities
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Old Columbus vs. New
In the Central City (Stable-Revitalizing vs. Challenged)
Common challenges across neighborhoods
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Housing quality
Vacant property/foreclosure
Economic development/poverty
Public safety/education
Infrastructure needs/public spaces (parks)
Tale of Two Cities: Old vs. New Cols.
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Tale of Two Cities:
Revitalized vs. Challenged
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Neighborhood Revitalization in
Columbus – Trends, Issues & Conditions
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Macro level issues
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Columbus is a relatively healthier region than its regional peers
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Although statewide housing and economic challenges may be reducing
this condition
Neighborhood Revitalization in
Columbus – Challenges and Needs
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Stakeholder observations:
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We must successfully define what revitalization is to successfully
inform strategies.
 The process of resident engagement is critical -- many
neighborhood residents do not feel engaged or like real partners
in the planning process and redevelopment activities.
 Gentrification is a real threat in some areas; redevelopment
should not force out residents; proactively thinking about efforts
to avoid widespread displacement early is critical to avoid this
threat.
 Social inclusion and equity (fairness) for local residents must be
part of the driving goals for revitalization.
 Reinvestment activity must be focused on the long term (long term
goals, multi-year).
Neighborhood Revitalization in
Columbus – Trends, Issues & Conditions
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Stakeholder observations
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Local capacity building: Local organizing capabilities and capacity were identified
as critical ingredients to effectively guide redevelopment initiatives and to engage
local residents. Although local organizing and capacity is crucial, most respondents
felt that this capacity was disorganized and in need of significant additional
resources. Several examples were noted:
 Scale up issue: not enough funds existed to build on successful programs and
initiatives.
 Connection / information sharing: Not enough networking to share best
practices and success stories among local organizations.
 Community organizations and representation critical, but existing organizations
are stretched and lack sufficient resources.
 Park , open space and public meeting spaces were critical to help build
community and spur community engagement, but these resources were lacking
and often not maintained in most distressed communities.
 The most significant hurdle for local organizations is moving from an allvolunteer organization to funding permanent staff.
Neighborhood Revitalization in
Columbus – Trends, Issues & Conditions
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Several existing programs and neighborhood assets were
identified as beneficial and critical to promoting revitalization.
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Historic character of housing stock is critical in determining suitability for
revitalization, historic housing stock was a crucial asset to spur
revitalization
The Mayor’s Home Again program and Neighborhood Pride
programs were often identified as key assets to promoting revitalization
in distressed communities
Systematic code enforcement was often mentioned as a critical tool to
address the physical neglect in distressed communities
Potential for Revitalization:
Input from local stakeholders
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Good
Probability
Mixed
Results
Weinland Park
Low
Probability
Franklinton
Parts of the Near
East Side
Milo Grogan
Far South Side
• King Lincoln
• Driving Park
• Woodland Park
• OTE
South Linden
Hilltop
Near Southside
• Hungarian Village
• Reeb Hosak
• Steelton
Strategies for Success
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Define success before intervening
Equity “fairness” and inclusion must be an explicit goal
Adopt a long term approach
Adopt a multi-faceted approach
Network and support existing local civic organizations
Engage critical stakeholders such as the universities, urban
hospitals and major employers
Focus on “turning point” neighborhoods
Bring small success to scale
Address specific macro level issues
Support establishment of anchor institutions/developments
Make catalytic investments
Strategies for Success
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The need to think in a long term and comprehensive manner were
summarized by Jonathan Fanton, President of the MacArthur
Foundation, at a recent LISC National Leadership Conference last
year.
“…sustainable neighborhood improvement requires long-term,
simultaneous investment in all the issues-schools, housing, health, jobs,
economic development, safety, community cohesion, and more-that
must improve together in a reinforcing virtuous circle. Practically
speaking, this may mean applying a comprehensive lens and working
first on the few interventions with the greatest potential to stimulate
further change.”
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Quote taken from remarks made by Jonathan Fanton at the Local
Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) National Leadership Conference,
October 3rd 2007, full remarks available on-line at:
http://www.macfound.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=lkLXJ8MQKrH
&b=1137397&ct=4498087
Strategies for Success
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Improving local organizational capacity:
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Assist neighborhood organizations in their attempt to “scale up”
to an efficient, well-resourced organization with trained and
dedicated staff
Support an intentional, inclusive networking effort among existing
organizations, so that they can share best practices and cut costs
by minimizing the “learning curve”
Improving educational opportunities:
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Create new educational opportunities in distressed areas; new
outlets for educational opportunity are needed in distressed
communities
Address early education issues for children in poverty, work on inschool reforms to promote positive educational outcomes
Strategies for Success
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Economic development:
 Small business/Minority business development. Targeting
reinvestment in traditional commercial
corridors. Workforce/labor force training and
development. Public transportation investments.
Housing initiatives:
 Aggressive and strategic land banking. Foreclosure
prevention activities. Encouraging market rate housing,
homeownership and mixed income
development. Supporting historic preservation.
Strategies for Success
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Expanding basic services:
 Provide access to affordable/healthy food.
 Provide support for community or park space.
Promoting public safety:
 Support community policing activities.
 Anti-poverty initiatives, redevelopment and vacant property
mitigation to address crime.
Emerging
Challenges
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The escalation of the
national
housing/foreclosure
crisis is going to create
new challenges in many
of these neighborhoods.
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Hitting “on the fence”
neighborhoods
Undermining reinvestment/spurring
vacancy
Undermining community
organization/capacity
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