Great Indy Neighborhoods: How We Got Here

How We Got Here

In early 2004, local community development corporation leaders, through the Indianapolis Coalition for Neighborhood Development (ICND), met with Mayor Bart Peterson to discuss a renewed vision for neighborhood improvement in Indianapolis. As a result of this discussion, stakeholders recognized that maximizing the impact of their efforts would require getting more people involved in developing a vision for community development. ICND, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and the City of Indianapolis worked together to convene focus groups to exchange ideas about community development in Indianapolis. The enthusiasm demonstrated through the focus group discussions resulted in the Community Development Summit, convened by Mayor Peterson and ICND in October 2004.

The summit was an essential step toward strengthening the base of support for community development activities, engaging more than 400 stakeholders representing neighborhood residents, organizations, and businesses in a dialogue about efforts to build on our successes and affect positive change in our neighborhoods. As a result of the summit, an effort was begun to create an action-based process to develop a shared vision and coordinated support for community development activities. The effort was directed by a diverse group of civic leaders actively involved in community development, collectively known as the Community Development Strategy Group.

Based on the summit discussions, the strategy group articulated principles of healthy neighborhoods. These principles describe a system that integrates economic, physical, and human development and outline a framework for working together to affect sustainable change. These ideas are not new, but instead corroborate neighborhood activities and call for systematic support of these activities. Guided by these principles, the strategy group began a process of identifying strategies that would foster greater engagement and support for a more comprehensive approach to neighborhood development.

In spring 2005, the strategy group sponsored two community forums to explore key concepts of neighborhood development: vision for community building and collaboration across boundaries. Open to the public, these forums were opportunities for interested citizens to participate in and work on the priorities identified at the summit and in early strategy group work. Each forum brought together more than 150 participants who heard from national speakers and panels of local leaders discussing how they turned ideas about engagement and comprehensive community development into action.

In July, the strategy group traveled to Chicago to learn more about the New Communities Program: Chicago’s nationally recognized and celebrated approach to comprehensive community development. Strategy group members heard from residents, community organizations, the faith community, local government officials, and private sector representatives, and visited two neighborhoods participating in the program. In addition, Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson met with Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley to discuss the importance of this program and the role of city government in comprehensive community development.

Building on these initial efforts, the Community Development Strategy Group began to explore the idea of comprehensive community development: an approach to community development activities that integrates economic, physical, and human development to create healthy neighborhoods. It recognizes that in order to transform neighborhoods, development efforts must include the physical spaces, human needs, and relationships in the places we live, work, raise our families, and participate in our community.

Comprehensive community development approaches neighborhood life as a whole and encourages neighborhood-based, multi-faceted, and cooperative improvement efforts. These collaborative neighborhood efforts give residents and stakeholders more control over the direction of their communities. Behind this approach is the conviction that the community accomplishes more when it is an active partner in decision-making.

In October 2005, the Community Development Strategy Group convened a community meeting to share the first draft of the GREAT INDY NEIGHBORHOODS INITIATIVES: an action plan that uses these founding ideas to call for more community building, holistic community planning, and collaborative partnerships over a three-year period. In late October and early November, the strategy group convened seven community input sessions for public comment and idea sharing. Those ideas are incorporated into the initiatives outlined on this website..