NW CLI 135 Strategies for Creating Great Neighborhoods

10/22 NeighborWorksCLI, Louisville KY; Strategies for Creating Great Neighborhoods; Michael Schubert

MS manages Milwaukee Housing Initiative, which affects middle neighborhoods, not high or low income ones. Built organization framework. Has consulted for 20 years focusing on neighborhood change. Worked for Richard Daly Jr. as Housing Dir for a couple of years. Before that, he worked at National Housing Services of Chicago for 14 yrs.

Most goals are working with people in neighborhood and attracting new people. That’s redevelopment. Neighborhood confidence matters—keeps folks engaged and need to build it. Things can change positively if folks are engaged.

Course objectives: understand the components of what makes a great neighborhood; understand the ‘neighborhood story’ and how to shape it, present some important ideas about neighborhood change—connect strategies to build on strengths and overcome obstacles.

What makes a great neighborhood? Good people, safe/clean, economy, blight is not focus though may be present in some degree, visible pride. Neighborhoods have names. Each has hst and stories. A great neighborhood is a place where it makes econ and emotional sense for neighbors and other stakeholders to invest and a place where neighbors can successfully manage day to day issues and are connected to each other in positive ways. Doesn’t mean that a neighborhood is problem free. It is a place where neighbors have capacity to manage problems.

Principles of Neighborhood Change: Neighborhoods are always changing. The tenor of change is driven by how people read who’s moving in and who’s moving out. What about gentrification? MS says class doesn’t matter, find positives. Markets are so soft now that there isn’t any gentrification. There is speculation and this is on the whole negative. In ‘80’s, there was anti-speculation ordinances. One had a high tax on flipping properties in less than a year. Small developer has always been great asset to neighborhoods. Over the Rhine Cincinnati was mentioned [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over-the-Rhine].

Many make the mistake of thinking of neighborhoods as projects. They are systems. Do things to suggest a positive future. Neighborhoods improve when residents feel confident.

Work with realtors. Market and sell. Give people a sense of control. Build on strengths; don’t just focus on negatives.

How do you create great neighborhoods? 1)know the neighborhood: who’s there, geography, market, neighborhood story. The neighborhood story is the narrative people inside and outside tell about the neighborhood. What 3 things do you want people to say about the neighborhood? One can learn the story by: walking & talking, listening and engaging and analyzing data.

2)have the right language. What does positive change look like? What outcomes do you want? What are the real issues?

3)right strategies and right program tools. Don’t have a crime watch but a welcome committee. Don’t focus on affordable housing but housing demand. How? Understand the market: who to market to and what does this group want. Understand neighborhood: what can it provide, what’s the message, and how do you reach them with the message? Use market to benefit the community. Activities need to reinforce positive image.

4)the right organization does the right things. Gave Layton Boulevard West Neighbors and Enderis Park in Milwaukee as youtube participants.

5)know if things are changing. Results push us forward. Evaluate what you are doing. Generate outcomes, not just output.

What undermines efforts to create great neighborhoods? Folks invested in maintaining a culture of dependency so that a neighborhood becomes a group of clients instead of citizens. He referenced James McKnight’s work on this. Also know that things perceived are real in their consequences. Planning is not the new doing. McDonald’s doesn’t blame me when I don’t buy a hamburger—if what we aren’t doing isn’t working, maybe it’s not good enough. Sometimes there are one or two buildings that symbolize decline; addressing these may have a great impact.

FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE