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DateSat, 1 Aug 1998 162439 EDT
FromJFurman835@aol.com
SubjectReLitter & Crime
I am the Program Planner of a community-based organization in Utica, NY which
conducts neigborhood organizing, environmental education, rental assistance, HIV prevention, economic development, housing development, education and job training programs, and human service programs. Perhaps you or your colleagues might have information on the following areas
1) Within the past ten years, the Utica area has suffered great economic
dislocation due to the closing of an air force base and downsizing of local companies. A total of 20,000 jobs have been eliminated. In addition, our area has the highest poverty rate of similar cities in the Northeast. Our City has several EPA toxic waste sites. The following would be appreciated concept papers on innovative environmental projects involving low-income neighborhoods, information on urban gardening, and supermarket development in the inner-city; sample grant requests, newspaper clippings.
2) Our organization operates three youth community service programs - the Utica Youth Corps funded by the AmeriCorps program through the New York State
Corps Collaboration, the Green Team fianced by the New York State Department of Labor, and a HUD funded Youthbuild Program. We are currently developing a community service project aimed at restoring a wetlands/marsh area situated in the City of Utica. This project is intended to maximize the recreational, tourist, and environmental education potential of this area. Any ideas on the following would be appreciated
1. Information on comparable projects in the United States and elsewhere;
2. The use of community service corps in such projects;
3. Restoration of marsh/wetland areas in urban areas;
4. Ideas for using youth corps in restoring the area;
5. How to develop environmental education projects related to the marsh restoration and ideas for creating a permanent environmental education center;
6. Developing bike paths, trails, and other recreational uses;
7. Sources of funding and how to mobilize community support, volunteers, and in-kind donations;
8. sample grant proposals and funding requests;
3) We are also interested in receiving information on innovative local transportation policies designed to increase
pedestrian traffic, revitalize central city business districts and neighborhoods, and reduce air pollution and congestion.
4)
We are assisting the City of Utica in restoring and preserving its beautiful park system. Would you have any suggestions on this topic? The following are particular items of interest we are interested in sources of funding, mobilizing volunteers, creative methods for developing green spaces in central city neighborhoods.
5) Our organization is developing and implementing a plan for creating green space and community gardens in Utica's
inner-city neighborhoods in order to provide food security, enhance neighborhood living conditions, and build capacity for community empowerment. We are seeking information on these topics and resource lists.
7) We are attempting to create alternative economic development strategies
utilizing sustainble development including recycling, green enterprises, and eco-industrial parks. Our organization would appreciate any information and resources on this topic.
Thank you.
John Furman
Program Planner
Utica Community Action, Inc.
253 Genesee Street
Utica, NY 13501
(315) 797-7364
Fax (315) 792-1983
JFurman835@aol.com
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>DateFri, 7 Aug 1998 134902 -0400 (EDT
>From"Harrison Bright Rue" <hbrue@citizenplanner.com> >Cc<build-com@spruce.libertynet.org>, <jsalmons@earthlink.net>
>SubjectRELinking community-based planning & environment
>John-
>We do a lot of work with most of the issues you discussed in your request >for info. You're on
the right track for sustainable economic development by linking so many problems and solutions together. The quick answer - for both >funding and impact - is to look for existing dollars being spent - on sewer
projects, road repairs, school renovations, a new health clinic or YMCA, a >housing project. Pull all those groups together to do a community-wide plan that stretches scarce resources while making the community more livable and restoring the environment. From your questions, you're already moving in >that direction.
Look at the Florida Sustainable Communities website
>http//sustainable.state.fl.us > There are a number of
articles that address
your concerns. Check out a couple of my own; go to 'News, State & Regional" >and look for The Corner StoreCornerstone of a Livable Community and The
>Citizen Planner.
I have enclosed a PR file about the Institute's activities. As an ex-Ithacan I'd love to help you out on some of your projects.
>Harrison Bright Rue
Citizen Planner Institute
PO Box 402886
>Miami Beach, FL 33140
>Tel (305) 538-0966
>Fax (305) 538-4186 (office)
>J-Fax (305) 418-7433 (forwarded to e-mail)
>e-mail < hbrue@citizenplanner.com >
>web < http//www.citizenplanner.com >
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DateMon, 3 Aug 1998 133732 -0400
From"Dohoney, Milton" <MDOHONEY@louky.org>
SubjectRELitter & Crime
i have people sending you info on community gardens, green spaces,
parks, and the environmental education curriculum that we have placed in all the schools here in louisville kentucky. we also have a neighborhood travel center that is part of our economic opportunity campus in our empowerment zone that is a reverse commute using door to door service but it's not quite consistent with the rationale you've presented focusing on increasing pedestrian traffic. hope our info helps.
milton dohoney
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DateWed, 5 Aug 1998 120344 EDT
FromRobertW254@aol.com
SubjectReLitter & Crime
Please send info on green space and parks.
We are creating a park by permission of the city. We will be closing a street in order to accomplish this. Any info will be appreciated. Thanks
Robert Woolfolk
Community Outreach Service Center
2501 California Street
Denver, CO 80205
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DateWed, 05 Aug 1998 152059 -0500
FromLori Lawrence <wininc@southwind.net>
SubjectReLitter & Crime
Robert,
I don't know what you are looking for specifically but read our story and take care. The city of Wichita decided to "upgrade" our drainage ditch that runs through the middle of our neighborhood. It was formerly 3rd Street and was used as a street as long as it was not raining. It gave us access to the north and south by going across it to get out of the neighborhood. When they upgraded it, the city brought proposals to the neighborhood to suggest how this might look when it was finished. Of the many proposals they brought to us, the one decided upon included green space and a park-like landscaping plan on both sides of the ditch with a walking trail (sidewalk) on one side and a bike path on the other side. The first to be 8 feet across and the other to be 10 feet across. These sidewalks are now in and the landscaping is finished but the one thing that they promised us to do was to build bridges across the ditch so we could still pass on foot was dropped due to lack of funds. We were also promised a playground area for the children and after months of arguing with the city to make sure it happened, a property was purchased to be torn down for the playground area. This house is standing still after several months since the city does not have the money now to tear it down!
We have been promised many things like increased lighting for the ditch area, more park benches (4 were included in the plan),
something nice to put at the ends of all our dead end streets ( we have 14 of them now), playground equipment, landscaping that should not die ( about a quarter of the plantings have diedground cover, trees, bushes,
flowering shrubs, because the city did not put in any irrigation system and as you may know this summer has been very hot and very dry for most of June), grass (what they planted was very cheap seed so
now we get weeds that are 4 feet high every month or so when they come to "mow" it), mowing services on a regular basis ( now it is scheduled for once a month or so but it cannot be mowed in the
conventional way since the grass was planted on the hillside leading into the ditch which is VERY steep, it must be weed whacked for 7 blocks on 2 sides of the ditch). The originally planned budget was
about 5 million dollars for this a few years ago but it was eaten away to less than half that amount in the time it took to actually implement the project.
Our neighborhood is a lower middle class to middle class area that is quite diverse including people from
Asian, African, Hispanic and Caucasian backgrounds but is seen primarily as a "black" area by those who are not living here.
So this area is seen as a low priority in the city since those in power and with money do not live here. Many of our neighbors were forced to sell their homes to the city for what I understand was a fair price in order for the construction to take place. Many of our beautiful, older homes built shortly after the turn of the century, were lost and many people had to move away.
We, as a neighborhood, have chosen to see this as a positive for our area. Weare still working with and having the city come to speak to us about the progress and trying to have our
playground area put in and trying to find out where to get the money for footbridges (the one they did install cost the city $46,000!!). We intend to have our needs put into the 1999 - 2000 Capital
Improvement Project budget if someone will explain to us how that needs to be
done. We did celebrate our new "park" last June 6th with a picnic and party put on by our neighborhood association in association with the parks dept. and funded by donations from a Albertson's grocery store, Pepsi-Cola and other smaller neighborhood businesses. We had a raffle and games from the parks dept. that kids (and adults, though most of us just spent the day visiting) could play in. We raised $800 on that one day from ticket sales. We had 1000 hotdogs and buns to give away and had a potluck for the other foods. Everyone had a great time and we all got to know the others who live in this neighborhood better, almost 400 children and adults attended.
Please be sure that your city has adequate funding in place for your project and that it will be available when you need
it. Be sure a plan has been put in writing that show exactly what you are expecting from the city and be sure to get an accurate map of the area that includes all the amenities and where you expect them to be
placed. Make sure you include footbridges on every block that is no longer passable by foot or car if that will be an issue for you. And be sure that there is some way across for cars so that your neighbors
will not be stranded the way ours have been.
I hope you have a great park put into place and encourage you to visit with the city at every opportunity to make sure what you think will happen will actually happen.
Good luck!
Lori Lawrence Director of Communications Uptown Neighborhood Association
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