Since September 2012, the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy, led by Distinguished Senior Fellow and former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, has been partnering with Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson and her staff on various public policy initiatives to help revitalize the City of Gary. One result of this collaboration is the neighborhood revitalization project, which is intended to engage Gary residents, community leaders, City of Gary staff and other volunteers to work together to clean up and improve the city, neighborhood-by-neighborhood. This project was recommended by graduate students from the Harris School this past fall, based on a strategy that is being used by the City of Macon, Georgia, called the “5x5x5 plan” (Macon’s plan aims to improve 5 blocks at time over a 5 week period in 5 neighborhoods per year). During the current Spring Quarter of the school year, another group of University of Chicago graduate students has been adapting that strategy to specific neighborhoods within Gary. The strategy is being launched as a pilot project in the Marshalltown Terrace neighborhood on June 1, 2013.
MISSION
To design and implement sustainable revitalization efforts for Gary’s neighborhoods through engagement with the City of Gary, community organizations, and neighborhood residents.
VISION
The most successful community revitalization efforts are those where the residents themselves are in charge. As such, this Initiative seeks to organize and empower residents in neighborhoods across the City of Gary to help lead and sustain revitalization efforts for their own neighborhood. To accomplish this, the Initiative provides a roadmap to strategically unite the resources of the City of Gary, community organizations, and neighborhood residents to best achieve its goal: improving neighborhoods in order to help improve the quality of life for all Gary residents.
PROJECT SUMMARY
The Initiative first identifies high-need Gary neighborhoods with an active group of residents before embarking on the following process:
City officials identify and meet with community leaders (faith leaders, school administrators, block club heads, etc.) and set short and long-term goals.
Community-wide meeting held to inform residents and solicit suggestions for goals.
Residential outreach conducted to further gauge community need and recruit support.
Community kick-off event held to launch revitalization efforts.
City of Gary targets services at the relevant neighborhood during the next month.
A follow-up community event is held to report on progress.
Ongoing responsibilities for sustaining revitalization efforts are delegated.
OVERVIEW OF CITY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
Short-term: Dumpsite removals, trash and debris pickups, abandoned building identification and board-ups, targeted beautification activities, information and resource provision for residents
Long-term: Increased levels of community engagement, increased community capacity to sustain pilot phase services, increased ability of residents to identify, prioritize and initiate new projects in collaboration with the City of Gary, more efficient and effective service provision by City departments