By Ian Colgan | Redevelopment & Revitalization | Jun 30th
Neighborhood Revitalization in LeDroit Park near Howard University - Image courtsey of Flickr user NCinDC
The growth of American metropolitan areas since the Second World War has resulted in a distinct trend related to urban institutions of higher education. As population and wealth left the central city, some College and Universities – many of which were once located on the periphery of their communities – found themselves surrounded by urban neighborhoods that went through periods of significant decline and disinvestment.
Until the late 20th Century, a common practice for these institutions was to turn their back on what was going on around them. This often created a schism between the university and the surrounding neighborhood, straining “town-gown” relations. However, the past two decades have seen a major shift in thinking, and now hundreds of universities have become more open to their environs as they see their future success linked to their location. Several models of university community engagement are emerging. They range from multi-billion dollar investments in real estate, land and facilities to community based programs that link college education with community participation and education.
Below are examples from around the country that have produced tangible results in terms of university-led neighborhood revitalization. This is meant to go beyond programs and strategies that simply focus on improving town-gown relations to examine initiatives that have leveraged investment and physical development. Continue Reading »
Tags: acquisition, education, Neighborhood Redevelopment, public-private partnership
Posted in Redevelopment & Revitalization | 4 Comments »
By Ian Colgan | Market & Economic Analysis | Jun 29th
Development Concepts has done a considerable amount of research regarding the economic factors that drive successful neighborhood business districts. A Neighborhood Business District, as we call it, is a concentration of retail, dining and other services serving local residents, located outside of a Downtown area. If they are large enough, they can be retail, dining, arts and entertainment destinations that draw in visitors from across a metropolitan area. Nationally, well known examples of NBD’s are Lincoln Park in Chicago, South Street in Philadelphia, Fells Point in Baltimore, or Capitol Hill in Seattle. NBD’s represent the types of neighborhoods that have become highly desirable across the country – urban amenities easily accessible by walking or easy driving distance by nearby residents.
Through our research, we have identified a series of indicators that can be used to understand the retail viability of a particular NBD – whether established or planned. With the knowledge of the core factors that generate viability for successful NBD’s, we have created a “Retail Viability Report” for 16 existing and potential NBD’s in the City of Indianapolis. It is our intention to share the understanding of how NBD’s work economically so that Indianapolis can move towards a more sustainable future.
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Tags: Business Districts, Indianapolis, Neighborhoods
Posted in Market & Economic Analysis | 2 Comments »
By Ian Colgan | Redevelopment & Revitalization | Jun 29th
This article is Part 1 of a four part series titled “Framework for Strategic Neighborhood Redevelopment.” This series provides the considerations involved in formulating a meaningful neighborhood redevelopment strategy. From Development Concepts Inc.’s 19 years of redevelopment experience, we’ll explain what is involved in establishing redevelopment strategies that produce sustainable private investment.
Since the rise of suburbs after World War II, many urban neighborhoods in central cities throughout the country have suffered from disinvestment and distress. In order to redevelop and revitalize these neighborhoods, it is important to craft a strategy for neighborhood redevelopment. Before crafting a neighborhood redevelopment strategy however, it is important to understand the common problems that exist in these distressed neighborhoods.
There are a host of reasons contributing to the economic abandonment of a neighborhood. Initially, one or two causes may have played a significant role in precipitating an area’s decline – ultimately resulting in a new and expanding list of factors that serve to expedite the rate of disinvestment and ultimate stagnation. The issues and problems identified in this section are not necessarily the root cause of the decay. Instead, almost without fail, they are pervasive long term factors which create a “closed for business” mentality in these distressed areas.
The following is an overview of the problems/ issues inherent in our most distressed urban geographies.
Tags: Brownfields, Disinvestment, Economic Distress, Neighborhood Redevelopment
Posted in Redevelopment & Revitalization | 4 Comments »