Thursday, August 25, 2011

Ivanhoe: Research Summary

Mission
To be a truly thriving community. Building a clean, beautiful and safe neighborhood. To revitalize a depressed community by cleanliness, beauty, capacity building, housing, economic development, jobs, and enrichment programs for families, youth and senior citizens.

Addressing the Problem
Poverty concentration, foreclosure/vacancies, high mortality rate, single-parent households, education attendance/completion/opportunity, crime, traffic, drug activity

Need Ivanhoe residents to take back the neighborhood.
How to inspire them?
How do you make people feel like they are a part of something?


Questions for Friday
  1. What are the top 5 values that are most likely shared by the residents of Ivanhoe
  2. Would adults or youth benefit more from organized community services?
  3. Would adults or youth be more responsive to organized community services?
  4. Are there sub-neighborhoods found within Ivanhoe (rivalries?)
  5. Give an example of the daily life of a resident in Ivanhoe (Male, Female, Child)
  6. What are some of the biggest challenges with setting up positive services within the community?
A Few of the Solutions Already in Place
Deconstruction and Demolition of Single Family Residential Properties
Ivanhoe Land Bank
Block Contact Program
Sporting, Scouting, Music, Restorative Justice Program, Special Community Events


Volunteers Needed To:
Mentor children and youth
Assist with clerical tasks
Organize special projects
Recruit volunteers
Here are some goals set up by the Green Impact Zone for Ivanhoe:

· Innovative strategies to address weatherization of homes within the zone.

· A coordinated community policing and community services center.

· A multi-pronged housing improvement program for current homeowners and residents.

· An employment and training program coordinated both with zone activities and business interests outside of the zone.

· Development and implementation of a sustainability strategy for the zone, including energy efficiency and renewable energy sources and green solutions to water and waste water issues

· Installation of a smart grid by Kansas City Power and Light, and integration with other energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives.

· Development and implementation of an economic development strategy.

· An integrated strategy to address abandoned and foreclosed properties and vacant lots.


Their Solution = the zone has assembled a core team of leaders within the neighborhood and community development organizations in the zone, as well as the programmatic, nonprofit, private, and civic leadership necessary to support a comprehensive strategy that will transform the entire zone.


No comments:

Post a Comment