eBlackChampaign-Urbana Certificate of Advanced Study Project Report and Appendices

Community Informatics, eBlackStudies, Campus-Community Engagement, Archives, Cultural Heritage, Memory

Project report and appendices of the eBlackChampaign-Urbana project. Access all material at:

http://eblackcu.net/CASAppendices/CAS-CD.htm

Noah Lenstra

Planners Network Files

Urban Planning, Douglass Park, Booker T. Washington School, Champaign Unit 4 School District

Research files of the Planners Network, a University of Illinois student group doing research in the local African-American community.

Planners Network

2000-2011

Public Housing Deconcentration Strategies: Conducted for the Housing Authority of Champaign County

Public Housing, Urban Planning

Executive Summary:

Executive Summary
Since the demolition of the Pruitt-Igoe towers in S1. Louis, public housing authorities
across the nation have recognized the need for a new approach to public housing.
Unfortunately, the desire to expedite the process may preclude thoughtful analysis on where to
best site these developments.
This report focuses on three elements: whether scattered site public housing should be
pursued, what constitutes an appropriate site for this endeavor, and available funding
opportunities for scattered site housing.
Crucial elements for success of scattered site public housing include:
" Proximity to employment, education and social services
" Incremental responsibility
" Development of strong social networks among neighborhood residents

Liz Davis
Jeff Engstrom
Jennifer Forbes
Tim Macholl
Gretchen Minneman
Elaina Osterbur

Unpublished report

2004

Leonard Heumann

IMPROVING NEIGHBORIIDOD PLANNING INPUT IN CHAMPAIGN'S NORTH END: A HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP

Housing, Urban Planning, Community Development

Report based on workshop in North End, under the direction of Leonard Heumann

Students in an Urban Planning course

unpublished

1982

Leonard Heumann

North First Street Neighborhood Survey

North First Street, North End, Economic Development, Health

Survey form prepared by Stacy Harwood for Urban Planning Students to carry out.

2010

Stacy Harwood

Lawrence Johnson Memory Map of North End

Oral History, Maps, Memory Mapping, History Workshop

Produced at Douglass Annex, October 2009

Lawrence Johnson

October 2009

Noeighborhood Improvement Program for the Douglass Park Neighborhood

Douglass Park, Urban Planning

Executive Summary:

The Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP) planning process was designed to
encourage the active involvement of neighborhood residents in the development of a
strategic neighborhood action plan in the Douglass Park area. The NIP has two primary
goals: (1) to encourage citizens to take an active role in organizing their neighborhoods,
and (2) to prioritize neighborhood needs through a series of community meetings, dati}
collection, and strategy development to ensure the best use of City resources.
The NIP involves a collaborative, neighborhood oriented planning process with input
from residents in the identification of neighborhood strengths, weaknesses, and
opportunities. The City Council approved a contract with the University of Illinois
Department of Urban and Regional Planning to provide technical assistance to the
neighborhood during the planning process and assist with plan research. The NIP is a
true partnership between the neighborhood, the City, and the University of Illinois.
In December 1995, the City Council approved the implementation of a pilot
Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP). The planning areas chosen were Area 2
(Douglass Park Neighborhood), and Area 8 (Garden Hills). Area 2 was selected to
support the initiative taken by the Concerned Citizens for Better Neighborhoods who
had previously contacted the University about conducting a neighborhood planning
process in their area. This report reflects the findings for the Douglass Park
neighborhood. The borders for this neighborhood are: University A venue on the south,
Bradley Avenue on the north, Wright Street on the east, and First Street on the west.
Existing conditions within Planning Area 2 were gathered using a multi-step research
process. The steps utilized by residents, staff, and students during the research process
were: a windshield survey of the entire planning area, US Census Data, archival
information, a land use survey, a resident perception survey, resident fieldwork, and a
series of community meetings. All planning activities, including data collection, data
analysis, and strategic planning were carried out in consultation with the residents
during community meetings or with the Steering Committee representation of the
entire neighborhood. The involvement of residents in the research process reduced the
chance of faulty analysis or inappropriate conclusions.
Using an exercise involving photographing sections of the neighborhood, residents
identified the strengths and weaknesses in Planning Area 2. They were then given the
opportunity to join small groups to brainstorm strategies for addressing weaknesses.
The strategies were later prioritized according to their importance to neighborhood
residents and the neighborhood's ability to effectively respond to each problem. A
complete listing of the strengths and weaknesses can be found in Appendix 10.

Through community meeting discussions and analysis of the area's strengths,
weaknesses, and opportunities, the overall developmental goal and four planning
objectives to address these issues were derived. The neighborhood objectives are:
• Overall Development Goal - Enhance the quality of life in the Douglass Park
neighborhood by assisting and empowering the grass roots efforts of community
organizations. Through a comprehensive stabilization'strategy of the Neighborhood
Action Plan, create and implement programs which address residents' concerns for
strengthening neighborhood· organizations, improving area housing, increasing
awareness for public safety, and providing residents with opportunities for
employment.
~ Community Organization - Strengthen the neighborhood association through
training, recruitment, staff support, and other activities to sustain planning and
program strategies supported in the Douglass Park Action Plan.
~ Housing - Beautify the neighborhood with programs to reduce the deterioration
of the housing stock and provide self-help activities for improvements.
~ Public Safety - Improve public safety and deter criminal behavior by altering
traffic flow with infrastructure improvements and by creating alternative
activities for youth at risk.
~ Economic Development - Address unemployment and underemployment in
the Douglass Park Neighborhood by providing residents with access to training
on the elements of the job search (i.e., application and resume writing,
interviewing skills, and improved information resources).
Strategies for each objective were developed by all participants in the planning process.
During NIP community meetings, residents reviewed each strategy to determine
whether each was a low or high priority for implementation in Douglass park. The
grids below illustrate the objectives, objective strategies, agencies responsible for
'strategy implementation, and approximate time required for initiation. High priority
strategies (Table A) are described in detail in Section VIII of the Neighborhood Action
Plan. Low priority strategies (Table B) are described in Appendices 5 - 8.


Acknowledgments
Douglass Park Steering Committee
Rosie & Bennie Drake, Sr. Antonio Cadena
Katie Henry Rev. William Keaton
Rev. Mary E. Mullen Juanita Mason
Muhammad Abdullah George Pope
Arnetta Rogers Willie Thomas
Clyde Walker Vera Wesley
Concerned Citizens for Better Neighborhoods Board Members
Beverly Bell-Thurman Nathaniel Banks
Catherine Hogue Jackie Vonner
Muhammad Abdullah Clyde Walker
Vera Wesley
Mayor
Dannel McCollum
Deputy Mayor
JuneMank
Council Members
. Thomas Bruno Wend Gibson
Michael La Due Maggie Mattingly
J.W. Pirtle Ed Ryan*
Jerry Schweighart Marty ~mith
(*Council Member Present when Project was Initiated)
The ~oncemed Citizens for Better Neighborhoods, the City of Champaign, and the
Department of Urban and Regional Planning would especially like to thank all the
residents of Douglass Park who attended Neighborhood Improvement Project
meetings, participated in planning activities, took the time to assist in the surveys and
data collection, and allowed us the opportunity to experience and explore their
neighborhood. Their input into the forces and concerns of residents in Douglass Park
was crucial in this process.

The Concerned Citizens for Better Neighborhoods, City of Champaign, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Urban and Regional Planning

unpublished report

1997

Stacy Harwood

Champaign County Affordable Housing Analysis:
A Look at Affordable Housing Needs of Champaign
County Past, Present, and Future

Champaign County Housing Authority, Public Housing, Urban Planning

From Introduction:

Purpose
This study examined the past, present, and future need of affordable housing so that the
Champaign County Housing Coalition could use this information to assist them in their
efforts of providing affordable housing.
Background
Respondents:
The first step in our study was to break down the different types of providers for
affordable housing. We ended up with the following 4 categories:
1) Champaign County Housing Authority (CCHA).
2) Community Development Corporations (CDC's).
3) Private Landlords
4) Tax Credits
*List of Respondents were acquired through: Champaign & Urbana Planning
Departments, Champaign County Housing Coalition, Central Illinois Apartment
Association, and Illinois Housing Development Authority.
Survey:
The second step was to organize the structure of the survey and determine the questions
that would be included in it This was done by Len Heumann. The survey questions
were broken down into 4 sets. The first two sets used the same format and were broken
into the affordable housing provided in the Past (1990) and Current (2003). The template
is attached in the Appendix. The third set asked the respondent their estimate on the
amount of affordable housing need in 2008, and what their organization/company could
provide in 2008. The final question set focused on the planning and delivery of
affordable housing in Champaign County. Each Providing group received slightly
different questions that were tailored to their role as providers of affordable housing.
Outline of Questionnaire:
I. Past 1990-Affordable Housing Provided by Respondent
II. Current 2003-Affordable Housing Provided by Respondent.
m. Future 2008-Affordable Housing Expect. Need in Community & by Respondent.
IV. Questions asked regarding planning and delivery of Affordable Housing.

Urban Planning Students

unpublished report

2008

Leonard Heumann

Housing Analysis and Program Recommendation for the Bristol Place Neighborhood, Champaign, Illinois

Public Housing, Champaign County Housing Authority, Urban Planning

From Executive Summary:

The Bristol Place Neighborhood is an area comprised of mixed uses, including single-family
residential, industrial, and commercial zones. It is located on north Champaign and it is
limited to the area bounded by Bradley Avenue on the south, Neil Street on the west,
Canadian National railroad on the east, and the Interstate 74 highway on the north. It features
major arterial, connecting, and residential streets. The main major streets are Market Street,
Bradley A venue, and Neil Street.
Social surveys, physical surveys, City's Assessor's Data collection and Sales data collection
and analyses led to the identification of the neighborhood's most pressing housing issues
Physical Assessment and Social Inventory Surveys were conducted to determine to study the
needs of this neighborhood. The Physical Survey found that:
411 The majority of the houses need some kind of repair
III There are significant open lots, both privately owned and by the city
4D There a number of abandonedlboarded up units
The Social Inventory Survey found that"
III The residents are mostly poor African Americans
., The residents are mostly renters
411 The residents are long term residents
• There is fear of crime in the neighborhood
In addition, City Assessor's office data collection was carried out. The Assessor's Data
reveals that properties in this neighborhood are assessed significantly below their market
value. Similarly, Sales survey form the past 5 years leads to the same conclusion, namely that
housing units were sold below their market value.
Based on the above surveys, this paper recommends the following programs to address
neighborhood issues:
2
• Clearance and In-Fill - City initiated program aimed to eliminate boarded
up/abandoned units and open spaces. The Clearance part of the program is aimed
to eliminate dilapidated structures that serve as centers for activities;
In-Fill dimension of the recommendation aims to need for more
affordable housing.
• Minor to Substantial Rehabilitation - Addresses the needs of properties
identified as requiring up to $15,000 in maintenance and repairs. The program is
designed for housing rehabilitation and is not a remodeling program. New
construction, basement finishes, etc., are not allowable.

.. New Rental Housing Construction - This program recommends
constructing new apartment complex to meet the demand for affordable houses.
This policy should be acted upon only after the first two are addressed and an
evaluation is carried out to examine ifthere is a need for more affordable housing.
The survey questionnaires and other relevant material are enclosed as appendix.

Urban Planning Students

Unpublished report

2000

THE REHABILITATION OF BRADLEY PARK AND MT. OLIVE MANOR: A PROPOSAL

Public Housing, Champaign County Housing Authority

From Introduction:

America is experiencing an acute shortage of housing for
the last four decades. To deal with this housing menace j the
government started giving assistance for the construction and
rehabilitation of the housing units. All assistance has been
channeled through five programs: low-rent public housinng and
rent supplements directed towards low-income fami es mortgage
assistance, rental assistance, and subsidized loans for
rural and small-town borrowers directed toward lowerfamilies.
Bradley Park and Mt. Olive I'1anor (BP/lvIOJl.1) are two
family projects constructed under such federally-ass ted
programs. Due to
economic environment
of management capabilities and so
ng the context of the project
BP/MOM defaulted a few years after its completion and became
a property of the Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD). This study is an analysis of the history of
leading to the current situation and possible financial/
managerial alternatives which could ameliorate this and
similarly troubled projects into posi ve neighborhood communities
of low-to-moderate-income fami es.

This report was prepared by a study group consisting of
two graduate students at the University of Illinois. l To
achieve the objectives put forward by the study, the group
utilized the class discussions and the invaluable assistance
2
of the guest speakers of wide and diverse backgrounds. 0,
library resources and available literature surveys have been
used to provide much of the background and s stical
mation for the project.
The paper initi discusses the background of B
Park and Mt. Olive Manor. Recommended disposition proposal
BP/MOM is followed by various financial and managerial alternatives.
Finally, the study group's recommendations for an
overall solution is presented. An appendix made up of
charts, maps, and statistics is a d to the
study in perspective.

Lavanga Shah and Mohamad Vaghei

Unpublished student paper for Urban Planning 495

25 April 1983

Leonard Heumann