Knowledge Bank

The energy building on the Southside is palpable. Already, more than $20 million in housing redevelopment alone has occurred in the neighborhood. Investments in health, safety, and education have also occurred. With all of the redevelopment activity on the Southside, Kirwan and our partners began to ask some key questions: How can we ensure that everyone in the community benefits from these renewed investments? How can we do redevelopment in a way that bridges people from different walks of life together? And how can our organizations help in that effort? Our broad goal through all of this work is to support the creation of an opportunity-rich and diverse community in the Southside. Through the Office of Outreach and Engagement, the Kirwan Institute and Community Development for All People received a 2-year grant to look deeper at those questions through a series of activities centered around inclusive community planning and engagement. These activities include asset mapping, developing and leveraging existing "third places", and developing programming around food, children, and housing.