Walkshops Walking Workshops Guide Community Environmental Empowerment
Communities In Partnership (CIP) May 2016
Cover image credit: Google Earth Pro
This guide was prepared for Community Environmental Empowerment (CEE), a collaboration with Communities In Partnership (CIP) and supported through a Kenan Collaboratory Grant. Thank you to our collaborators. Research Team: Kofi Boone, NC State University, Department of Landscape Architecture Dr. Deborah Gallagher, Duke University, Nicholas School of the Environment Kay Jowers, Duke University, Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions Dr. Danielle Spurlock, UNC Chapel Hill, Department of City and Regional Planning Chandra Christmas Rouse, Duke University, Research Assistant
Walkshops Walking Workshops Guide Community Environmental Empowerment
Communities In Partnership (CIP) May 2016
WALKSHOPS Case Study 1: Brooklyn, NY Over the past 70 years Downtown Brooklyn has survived public and corporate disinvestment. It has emerged as one of the most profitable shopping districts in New York City, mostly due to the commitment of African-American and immigrant-owned businesses, and the high use of the area’s public spaces for socializing. Instead of supporting this community strength, city officials have repeatedly targeted the area for large-scale re-development projects that result in no benefits to existing users. In the early 2000s city planners developed two major initiatives: The Downtown Brooklyn Plan, a 20-block rezoning authored by local property owners that dramatically inflated real estate values and led to the commercial core becoming an upscale residential neighborhood. The Adjacent Atlantic Yards mega-development is funding public subsidies for a single development firm, Forest City Ratner, that committed to creating housing and quality jobs for local residents that have yet to happen. Association for Community Design, a network of individuals, organizations, and institutions committed to increasing the capacity of planning and design professions, held a mobile workshop that focuses on race and class in planning, public approval processes, community benefits negotiations, recapturing public investment for the needs of existing communities, retail gentrification, historic preservation of social space, and state capitulation to private development interests.
Case Study 2: Raleigh, NC
THE VISION-IMPACTING POLICY !
South Park East Raleigh is one of oldest historically African American Communities in Raleigh. As redevelopment accelerated in nearby downtown Raleigh, residents were concerned that development would displace current residents and erase community history. In addition to many prominent residents, the neighborhood is home to significant insitutions including Shaw University and John Chavis Memorial Park.
Through a partnership with NC State University, community residents identified the places in their neighborhood that had cultural significance. The community led mobile tours of these places to confirm that they were important. The places and the route became The Heritage Walk, and formed the structure for proposed community improvements including walkable streets, interpretive public spaces, and potential locations for affordable housing and neighborhood amenities. The Heritage Walk was adopted as a Cultural District by the City of Raleigh. The route is used to promote City-wide African American history and culture by the Tourism board. John Chavis Memorial Park, a key element of the Heritage Walk, recently received $12.5 million for first phase renovations. unique culture of the community.
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FROM CIP TOWN HALL: Communities In Partnership (CIP) sponsored a Town Hall Meeting at Holton Career Resource Center on March 5, 2016. The goals of the Town Hall meeting included sharing recent community survey results, sharing activities by local community organizations, hearing community voices, and sharing research activities being led by area universities. The town hall meeting concluded with discussion between community residents and researchers working with CIP through a Kenan Collaboratory Grant. Researchers asked residents to join three different projects; Photovoice—residents will respond to questions describing community characteristics through photography, Community Mapping—residents will assist in “groundtruthing” maps confirming key mapped information, and Walkshops— community residents will work with researchers to determine walking tours throughout the community that highlight important community issues. CIP Monthly Potlucks: First Thursdays of every month are held at 801 Gilbert Street at 6pm. NECLDLC Monthly Town Hall Meetings: Third Thursdays of every month are held at the Holton Career Resource Center at 5pm.
What is a Walkshop? Walkshops are community-led workshops that use the neighborhood as the educational setting. The goal of walkshops is to increase community awareness and capacity to impact decision-making affecting their places. Are there places in your neighborhood that can serve as lessons on issues and opportunities? • Environmental justice • Transportation • Infrastructure • Land Use • Development Are there plans for changes to the community that are difficult to communicate through drawings and reports? • Zoning • Master Plans • Development proposals Research With technical assistance, stakeholders identify key issues and opportunities for community discussion. This includes gathering documents, “ground trothing” information through field study, etc. Training Technical assistance and stakeholders create the content for a walking tour using the neighborhood as a living laboratory to demonstrate issues. Also, metrics are developed to determine pre and post walkshop measures of awareness of issues and opportunities. Route A walking route is selected that includes neighborhood places reflecting Walkshop content. Walk! Neighborhood residents are recruited to join in and execute the walkshop. Recruit walkshop participants to join in subsequent community building
Walkshop study area is outlined in brown.
Housing along Driver Street in the Walkshop study area.
HOUSING FROM CIP TOWN HALL: Housing (28) -Affordability (21) -Keeping up property (3) -Abandoned Homes (3) -Language around housing/gentrification (1)
Housing . Consider buildings, yards, and issues like affordability, and maintenance. Use the red dots to mark where housing issues occur in the neighborhood. Where are there important places to address in the walking workshops? Consider the following questions: Gentrification and displacement—where is the best place to see the pattern in the neighborhood? Affordable housing--Where are the best examples of affordable housing? Where are the worst examples? Property maintenance--Where are the best kept properties? Where are the poorly kept properties? Abandoned homes--Where are concentrations of abandoned homes?
Recent transportation improvements along Angier Avenue (Image credit: Google Streetview.)
TRANSPORTATION FROM CIP TOWN HALL: -Transportation (7) -Traffic calming/speed bumps/stoplights (4)
Transportation is more than cars. Consider the importance of walking, biking, busing, and other forms of mobility.
-Road quality Angier/Driver area (2)
Use the blue dots to mark whre transportation issues occur in the neighborhood. Where are there important places to address in the walking workshops?
-Street lighting/street design (1)
Consider the following questions: Accidents--Where have there been accidents? Between cars? Between cars and people? Sidewalks--Where are there good walks? Where are there bad walks? Where are there no walks? Comfort--Where are the best places to walk? Best bus stops? Where are the worst places to walk? Worst bus stops? Stop signs and traffic signals--Where do you feel safe crossing streets? Where do you not feel safe crossing streets? Street lighting/design—Where is there good lighting? Where is there poor lighting?
Local economic context near Angier Avenue and Driver Street.
LOCAL ECONOMY FROM CIP TOWN HALL: Local Economy (9) -Supporting local businesses (9)
Local economy issues can include all of the businesses required to fulfill your daily needs owned and/or patronized by local people. Use the purple dots to mark where local economic issues occuring in the neighborhood. Where are there important places to address in the walking workshops? Consider the following questions: Daily needs--Where do you go in the neighborhood for your daily needs? Where are the best examples of local businesses? Past businesses--Where were there local businesses that no longer exist? Local economic development--Where are examples in the neighborhood of local economic development, job training, and other programs?
East Durham Park in the Walkshop study area.
ENVIRONMENT FROM CIP TOWN HALL: Environment (1) -Tree maintenance (1) -Stormwater/erosion/ flooding -Pests – rats, snakes -Animal control/ stray dogs (2) -Quality of grocery stores
Environmental issues can include many topics. Flooding, dumping, access to open space, and access to healthy food can all be considered environmental issues. Use the green dots to mark where environmental issues occur in the neighborhood. Where are there important places to address in the walking workshops? Consider the following questions: Tree maintenance--Where are well maintained canopy trees that cast shade? Where are poorly maintained trees and no shade? Parks and open space--Where are well maintained open spaces? Where are there poorly maintained open spaces? Flooding--Where has there been flooding (creeks, yards, streets, etc.) in the neighborhood? Dumping and waste—Where is there illegal dumping in the neighborhood?