New Albany Renewal

More Sustainable Consuming

2009-01-27T22:12:00.002-05:00

The Story of Stuff explains between consumption and a huge number of social and environmental problems. It takes about 20 minutes to watch this entertaining and informative production.

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

A Comeback Story

2008-07-08T15:06:00.006-05:00

Only 114 miles (or so) to our north, formerly down-at-the heels Fountain Square has re-made itself into a thriving, vibrant Indianapolis neighborhood.

Starting in the 1860's Fountain Square developed into the primary commercial district for the south side of Indianapolis. It was known as a solid working class neighborhood until decline began in the 1950's.

In the 1960's the interstate came through separating the business district from the adjacemt residential areas. During that time, Fountain Square lost 6,000 residents, almost 25% of its population.

Read more about the history of Fountain Square courtesy of IUPUI

www.polis.iupui.edu/RUC/Neighborhoods/FountainSquare/FSNarrative.htm

I was in the Fountain Square area in the late 1980's and gritty is probably the best description of what it was like then. It's so exciting to read about what it's like now.

http://www.discoverfountainsquare.com/index.cfm

Southest Neighborhood Development (SEND) is responsible for much of the work that has been done in the Fountain Square neighborhood, along with nearby Fletcher Place and Bates-Hendricks.

http://www.sendcdc.org/

See for yourself at the Fab for Less neighborhood improvement tour in August.

http://www.fabforless.org/

One of My Favorites

2008-01-21T12:36:00.000-05:00

It's one of my favorites and now you can read it too!

Compromise, Hell!: Why have we let those entrusted with our country's defense beome it's destroyers? by Wendell Berry from the Nov/Dec 2004 issue of Orion magazine is a favorite clipping that I have read several times.

"...we have allowed ourselves to believe, and to live, a mated pair of economic lies: that nothing has a value that is not assigned to it by the market; and that the economic life or our communites can safely be handed over to the great corporations."

"It is true that economic violence is not always as swift, and is rarley as bloody, as the violence of war, but it can be devastating nonetheless. Acts of economic aggression can destroy a landscape or a community or the center of a town or city, and they routinely do so."

Want more? Read the entire article: http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/147/

Living Economies

2008-01-21T10:52:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that I haven't posted anything about BALLE. Evidently not. So here it is.

The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies or BALLE is working to create a group of local business networks dedicated to building strong Local Living Economies.

Living Economy Principles

A Living Economy ensures that economic power resides locally, sustaining healthy community life and natural life as well as long-term economic viability.

A Living Economy is guided by the following principles:

Living economy communities produce and exchange locally as many products needed by their citizens as they reasonably can, while reaching out to other communities to trade in those products they cannot reasonably produce at home. These communities value their unique character and encourage cultural exchange and cooperation.
Living economy public policies support decentralized ownership of businesses and farms, fair wages, taxes, and budget allocations, trade policies benefiting local economies, and stewardship of the natural environment.
Living economy citizens appreciate the benefits of buying from living economy businesses and, if necessary, are willing to pay a price premium to secure those personal and community benefits.
Living economy investors value businesses that are community stewards and as such accept a "living return" on their financial investments rather than a maximum return, recognizing the value derived from enjoying a healthy and vibrant community and sustainable global economy.
Living economy media provide sources of news independent of corporate control, so that citizens can make informed decisions in the best interests of their communities and natural environment.
Living economy businesses are primarily independent and locally owned, and value the needs and interests of all stakeholders while building long-term profitability.

They strive to:

Source products from businesses with similar values, with a preference for local procurement
Provide employees a healthy workplace with meaningful living-wage jobs
Offer customers personal service and useful safe, quality products
Work with suppliers to establish a fair exchange
Cooperate with other businesses in ways that balance their self-interest with their obligation to the community and future generations
Use their business practices to support an inclusive and healthy community, and to protect our natural environment
Yield a "living return" to owners and investors

Find out more: http://www.livingeconomies.org/

A Different Way to Do Business

2008-01-21T08:41:00.001-05:00

I have some time to catch up on my posting today, so I have been flipping through my stack of clippings. It seems that I always have more information to share than I have time available for posting.

This particular clipping is from Orion magazine, Nov/Dec 2004 (yes, I am a bit behind). It's titled The Morning After and I just realized that it is by Bill McKibben, a leader in the sustainable ecomony movement and author of Deep Economy. Since I am going to have the privilege of hearing him speak later this week at a conference that I am attending, I decided to share this article here.

I'm sorry that I can't find the article online because I would like for you to have the opportunity to read the entire thing, but I'll do my best to give you a summary here.

This story is about a small community, Powell, Wyoming, that is bucking the big-box trend with a downtown clothing store. Powell Mercantile is a small store with racks of inexpensive clothes. What's different about Powell Mercantile? For one thing it is actually making money competing against the big chains.

It works because it is community owned. Five hundred people each invested between $500 and $1,000. They were told "to consider it more of a donation to the community, not a great investment."

It works because it's nothing fancy. It's carries what the residents of Powell want to wear. Jeans and shirts much like they would purchase at Wal-Mart. It works because the costs are strictly controlled.

And, mostly it works because "people looked around and decided that they wanted more than "always low prices"--they wanted neighbors, a downtown, a community that worked. They couldn't afford to pay gobs more than they would at Wal-Mart, but they also couldn't afford to watch their town slowly crater. So they did something about it."

You can read more about Bill McKibben and sustainable economies at his website http://www.billmckibben.com/index.html

The Crusade to Clean Up

2007-10-18T13:54:00.000-05:00

I recently read From the Bottowm Up: One Man's Crusade to Clean America's Rivers. This book by Chad Pregracke is the story of how he started the Living Lands and Waters organization which has a mission to clean up the Mississippi and other rivers, including the Ohio River.

This is an inspiring story that shows how much impact one person can have. Pregracke was sick of the trash the littered the Mississippi River and after realizing that no one was doing a thing about it decided to take action. When his first attempt to raise money to fund a clean-up organization didn't work out, he decided to just start cleaning up the trash himself. In 9 years the organization has grown from one man and a small boat, into a fleet of barges and workboats with a paid staff and thousands of volunteers.

The book includes the following tips:

Start Your Own Crusade: 13 Tips

1. Get involved with your cause, and not just by joining but by becoming active. Serve on a committtee, help with fund-raising, coordinate an event, do whatever you can--but do something.

2. Work with what you have at the time.

3. If you start with nothing but an idea, then there's nothing to lose. What have you really lost by making a phone call isfsomeone says no?

4. Don't expect anything from anybody--you'll just set yourself up for disappointment and despair.

5. Set high goals but realize that the bigger the goal, the more persistence, dedication, focus, and sacrifice it will take to achieve it. Big goals are accomplished only by taking small steps, and it starts with a single, small action.

6. Work as hard as you can every day and know that you can only do so much. As long as you've worked as hard as you can, then that's all you can do.

7. Plant trees. Lots of trees.

8. Your greatest weaknesses could be your biggest asset. It depends on how you look at it.

9. It's who you know, yes, but it's also who you don't know, yet.

10. Pick your battles and try to stay focused, because there are so many different problems that you could easily become distracted.

11. Don't expect the governmnet to take care of something. We are the government.

12. If you're just starting out and someone tells you to have your people call their people, say, "Okay, my mom will call tomorrow."

13. Don't forget to water your trees.

Developing Your Vision

2007-10-18T13:37:00.000-05:00

Do you desire change in your community? Have you decided that in order for change to happen you will need to help make it happen? If you answered yes, the following is for you:

A Vision for Change
Create a vision for change by focusing on community needs.

In order to help you focus on what your vision might include, consider answering these questions:

What are the top five needs in my community?
o How do I know that this statement is true?
o Why do these needs exist?
o What project can be done to address the root causes of these needs?
o Where do I fit in to address these causes?
o What will the community look like after the project is completed?
o What will be the long-term effects of the project on the community?

These helpful guidelines for creating a vision for change are from the Girl Scout Gold Award. High school age girls earn the highest award in Girl Scouting by creating a vision for change and then developing and implementing a service project that addresses the community need they have identified. They must invest at least 50 hours in the project.

I have had the pleasure of working with many of the girls in our area who have earned Gold Awards in the past few years. It is amazing how much leadership these girls show and what an impact the projects have. Many of the adults who I have worked with on community projects don't have the kind of vision and leadership skills these girls possess.

Hands-On Restoration -- Hardware Help

2007-09-21T14:15:00.000-05:00

I'm cleaning out my clipping file -- never know what I might have stuck in there.

A tip on how to strip paint from hardware from Bungalow magazine.

Boil water; add Arm and Hammer Superwash. Add hardware and boil until the paint is gone. It takes about 10-15 minutes.

I have not tried this but it supposedly orginates with the folks at Rejuvenation.

Insurance for Historic Property

2007-09-21T14:05:00.000-05:00

Need insurance for your historic property? The National Trust for Historic Preservation has an insurance affiliate with experience and understanding of insurance needs specific to historic properties.

www.nationaltrust-insurance.org

From Farm to Table

2007-09-21T13:37:00.000-05:00

Heather and Marc Hill, farmers from Greenfield, IN, are part of a small, but growing effort to sell food directly to consumers.

As part of coursework for her MBA, Heather developed a business plan for The Pork Shoppe. As part of her plan she says she, "studied the demand for locally-raised livestock and people being in the know about where their food comes from."

The Hills have implemented Heather's business plan and now have some of the 11,000 hogs they sell commercially custom butchered and packaged. They sell their products to an ever-growing list of customers, mostly at farmers markets. The Edibles market in the Irvington neighborhood of Indianapolis is another outlet for their pork. Their ultimate goal is to have a retail location at their farm.

They find that their customers like knowing where their food is coming from.

From The Hoosier Farmer, Winter 2006-2007.

How Sustainable Can You Go?

2007-09-21T13:14:00.000-05:00

George Wilkes, the owner of a sucessful fish-and-chips restaurant on the north shore of Lake Surperior, knows sustainability and applies his values to every aspect of his business.

At the Angry Trout Cafe he serves locally produced food, his servers wear locally made organic cotton aprons, takeout containers are reusable, wooden pens are refillable, and the straws are compostable.

If you would like to find out more about this example of sustainability in action you are in luck becuause Wilkes has written the Angry Trout Cafe Notebook: Friends, Recipes, and the Culture of Sustainability. (Northwind Sailing)

From Jul/Aug 2005 Orion magazine.

Walkable New Albany

2007-03-22T12:22:00.000-05:00

The inner core of New Albany was originally designed as a walkable community. When our streets were laid out and our sidewalks first constructed no one had ever heard the term walkable cities, but they knew that the residents needed to be able to walk to work, school, church, and shopping. After all, there were no cars.

We are fortunate to have inherited the infrastucture for a walkable city. This is a valuable asset that we can take advantage of. A few minor changes and upgrades will position us to make the most of the growing demand for walkable, urban environments. This is a sound strategy for keeping our older neighborhoods viable.

From Walkable Communities Inc. at www.walkable.org

Walkability is the cornerstone and key to an urban area's efficient ground transportation. Every trip begins and ends with walking. Walking remains the cheapest form of transport for all people, and the construction of a walkable community provides the most affordable transportation system any community can plan, design, construct and maintain. Walkable communities put urban environments back on a scale for sustainability of resources (both natural and economic) and lead to more social interaction, physical fitness and diminished crime and other social problems. Walkable communities are more liveable communities and lead to whole, happy, healthy lives for the people who live in them.

According to AARP, urban living appeals to retired people, empty nesters, baby boomers, and young families alike. They like the convenience of having stores, entertainment, and services all within walking distance.

http://www.aarp.org/health/fitness/walking/a2005-01-19-walking

Green Roofs

2007-02-19T14:17:00.001-05:00

A new movement in improving the environment is the concept of green roofs.

Rooftop gardens lower temperatures and filter the air that passes over them which helps to reduce air pollution. Green roofs last twice as long as conventional roofs and may be used to grow useful vegetables, herbs, and flowers.

According to the Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, "Green roof technologies not only provide the owners of buildings with a proven return on investment, but also represent opportunities for significant social, economic and environmental benefits, particularly in cities."

Find out more about green roof technologies at their website:

www.greenroofs.net

Sounds radical? According to the Winter 2006 issue of Herb Quarterly, in Chicago even Target, Walmart, and McDonald's have green roofs.

Report on Housing

2007-02-01T14:39:00.000-05:00

The Metropolitan Housing Coalition produces a yearly report on the state of housing in the Louisville metropolitan area which includes New Albany.

The report looks at 9 measures of housing conditions:

Concentration of subsidized housing
Housing segragation by race, income, and gender
Renters with excessive cost burdens
Production and rehablitation of affordable rental housing
Homeownership rate
Affordability of homeownership
Foreclosures
Numbers of homeless
Use of CDBG funds

The State of Metropolitan Housing Report is available online at the MHC website

www.metroplitanhousing.org

Cash for Trash

2007-01-31T12:32:00.000-05:00

Encouraged by cheap and plentiful consumer goods we are becoming more and more of a throwaway society each year. According to author Stacy Mitchell in Big-Box Swindle the amount of trash that we generate has doubled since the mid-1980's.

Many of our discards have a lot of life left in them and where some see a trash problem others see an opportunity.

In the spirit of asset-based thinking some enterprising nonprofit organizations have been raising funds by running thrift shops stocked with donated merchandise for years. The latest nonprofit venture of this type seems to be salvage stores selling discarded or unused building materials that have been donated. It's a great way for an organization to turn trash into cash and encourage re-use and recycling.

In Louisville Habitat for Humanity is taking advantage of this new trend with their Habitat Re-store.

http://hfh.psbackup.com/ReStore/tabid/518/Default.aspx

I have run across several mentions of salvage stores hiring artists and desingers to turn some of their donations into art, furniture, and household or garden decorations. Their ideas inspire customers to re-use creatively.

The December/January issue of Hoticulture profiled Building REsources a combination junkyard, idea store, and art gallery run by a nonprofit, San Francisco Community Recyclers. The business sells more than 12,000 tons of goods each year--discards that would otherwise end up in landfills.

The artist/manager, Matthew Levesque, is known for his imaginative use of discarded materials in gardens. He contrives containers, fountains, and sculptures out of trash.

He has also developed a creative re-use for window glass which was not selling and could not be recycled. Levesque tumbles window glass into 3/4" to 1 1/2 " pebbles that are smooth enough to walk on. This "beach glass" can be used for paths and as mulch. Chipped and broken terra-cotta pots are broken and tumbled into terra-cotta pebbles.

The BuildingREsources website has information about their store as well as the educational programs that are offered.

www.buildingresources.org

Here is the website for Horticulture although I couldn't find the article I referred to online.

www.hortmag.com

Save Money While Building Community

2006-12-22T14:55:00.000-05:00

My clipping file includes a short item about an interesting non-profit that seems to be a cross between a grocery co-op and a food bank with a mission to build community, SHARE (Self-Help and Resource Exchange).

SHARE is a loosely knit chain of groups that distribute groceries in 33 states. It was started in San Diego in 1983.

Members donate 2 hours of community service per month (this includes informal things like mowing grass or babysitting for a neighbor) in order to be eligible to buy a food order at a discounted price.

There are no income restrictions but it looks like some of the programs take a combination of cash and food stamps.

The following sites are for organizations in various parts of the country that are running these programs. The article that I saved mentions that 2 or 3 neighbors can participate in this program by setting up a distribution point.

A quick search did not come up with any information about a parent organization or any participating organizations in Indiana.

http://www.swva.net/nrca/pages/SHARE.HTML

http://www.greatertulsa.com/frc/share.html

http://www.sbnc.org/programs/selfhelp.htm

If this is legitimate it sounds like a great way to motivate people to volunteer as well as a way to help out people who need to stretch their food budgets.

Good City, Good for County

2006-09-08T13:59:00.000-05:00

The edges of almost every metropolitan area expand into the surrounding rural areas. In some cases it is a gradual creep and in others rapid development as new houses and businesses spring up in farm fields almost overnight.

The residents of Floyd county are certainly not immune to this trend. People who moved to the country to get away from the city and enjoy a rural lifestyle find that other people and businesses are following so quickly that the country is quickly turning into more of what they thought they left behind.

W magazine is not my usual fare and not the kind of publication where I would expect to run across a concept for rural preservation but the magazine was in our breakroom at work and a blurb on the cover caught my eye.

Turns out that the Derby Days blurb on the cover was for a story about Laura Brown and Steve Wilson. If you read the newspapers and the blogs I don't need to tell you that they are the couple who are using their fortune to open 21c and Proof on Main and are spending $380 million to build Museum Plaza in downtown Louisville.

I have been reading about their efforts but either I missed something or none of the stories I read mentioned their motivation. They love living in the country outside Louisville but they see development encroaching. Their goal is to slow down the suburbanization of Louisville's rural outskirts. Their idea is that by making the city center a more attractive place to live it will be less attractive for people to move out to the rural areas.

Such a simple idea and one that any rural resident can implement without spending millions.

If you don't want more people following you to the country support every effort that is being made to make the urban areas of our community a better place to live. It can be as simple as supporting activities and events that take place in the city. It could be volunteering for organizations that support historic preservation or affordable housing. It could be making an effort to patronize businesses located in the urban core so they don't have to take their business to you and build a new shopping center in your backyard.

Why Downtown Is Important

2006-09-06T14:31:00.000-05:00

Most of this information was found at www.mainstreet.org National Trust for Historic Preservation.

1. Even a small commercial district employs 100s of people. (New Albany's downtown daily working population is around 4,000 people)

2. Dowtown is a reflection of the community image, pride, prosperity, and investment. All critical factors to business recruitment and retention.

3. When property values downtown drop the tax burden shifts to other parts of town.

4. A traditional commercial district is an ideal location for independent businesses, which:

Keep profits in town
Support other local businesses and services
Support local families with family-owned businesses
Support local community projects
Provide a stable economic foundation

5. Downtown is the historic core of the community. It gives the community a visual identity and helps reinforce an intangible sense of community.

6. A historic commercial district is often a tourist attraction. When people travel or shop they want to see unique places.

7. A vital downtown reduces sprawl. Community resources such as infrastructure, tax dollars, and land are used wisely.

8. A healthy downtown protects property values in surrounding residential neighborhooods.

9. A downtown commercial district offers convenience to nearby residential areas and reduces reliance on auto-dependent shopping.

10. Downtown represents a hughe public and private investment. Imagine how much it would cost to recreate all of the buildings and public infrastructure downtown.

Remember:

1. There is no magic bullet.

2. Change will be needed. Traditional commercial districts will not be able to offer the kinds of goods and services they offered decades ago. A new business mix is needed.

3. It can't be done alone. Downtown is not entirely the city's responsibility, but independent business owners can't do it alone, and neither can citizen activists. A cooperative effort that brings together a variety of skills and views is essential.

4. Revitalization won't happen overnight. It is a slow process that begins with small steps.

5. The process is never finished.

Developing Assets

2006-07-20T19:24:00.000-05:00

Principles of Assest-Based Community Development (ABCD)

1. Everyone has gifts--With rare exceptions people can contribute and want to contribute. There is unrecognized capacity and assets in every community.

2. Relationships Build a Community--An intentional effort to build and nourish relationships is the core of ABCD and of all community building.

3. Citizens at the Center--People in leadership in everyday life (associations, congregations, neighborhoods, and local business) must be at the center of community initiatives rather than just helping agency leaders.

4. Leaders Involve Others as Active Members of the Community--Leaders from the wider community of voluntary associations, congregations, neighborhoods, local business, can engage others from their sector. Strong community leaders invite a growing circle of people to act.

5. People Care About Something--Agencies and neighborhood groups often complain about apathy. Apathy is a sign of bad listening. People in communities are motivated to act. The challenge is to discover their motivation to act.

6. Motivation to Act--People will act on certain themes strongly felt; concerns to address, dreams to realize, and personal talents to contribute. Every community is filled with invisible "motivation for action".

7. Listening Conversation--In one-on-one dialogue or in small group conversations is how to discover motivation and invite partcipation.

8. Ask, Ask, Ask--Once a person's possible 'gifts to give' and 'motivations to act' are recognized; an opportunity to act must be offered. Asking and inviting are key community building actions.

9. Asking Questions Rather Than Giving Answers Invities Stronger Participation--People in communitities are usually asked to follow outside expert's answers for their community problems. A more powerful way to engage people is to invite communities to address "questions" finding their own answer--with agencies following to help.

10. A Citizen-Centered "Inside-Out" Organization is the Key to Community Engagement--community engagement initiatives rarely succeed without residents as leaders organized to do intentional relationship building. It takes an organization of citizens to organize a community.

11. Institutions Have Reached Their Limits in Problem-Solving--All institutions such as government, non-profits, and businesses are stretched thin in their ability to solve community problems. they can not be successful without engaging the rest of the community in solutions.

12. Institutions as Servants--People better than programs engage the wider community. Institutions of government, non-profits, and business can be of invaluable help supporting the work of citizens' to engage their fellow community members.

Asset-based community development is a process of identifying, mobilizing, and connecting assets. The focus is on developing what you have rather than focusing on what you do not have or cannot get.

The greatest assest of any community are its people. The talents, experience, skills, and passion of individuals represent a huge and often untapped resource. Identifying the potential gifts of individuals along with other community assets such as associations, congregations, non-profits, government, businesses, local economy, and the physical world is the first crucial step toward developing those assets.

More information:

http://www.abcdtraininggroup.org/index.html

http://www.arc.gov/index.jsp

http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/abcd.html

A Different Perspective

2006-07-20T18:51:00.000-05:00

Asset-based is a term that is being thrown around a lot lately. You've heard it, but what does it mean? When I received an invitation to a workshop on asset-based community development I thought I might get more out of the experience if I did a little background work before hand.

While doing my homework I discovered Change the Way You See Everything? by Kathyryn D. Cramer and Hank Wasiak a 45 minute read which introduced me to the concept of asset-based thinking.

Asset-based thinking is a more sophisticated version of positive thinking and counting your blessings. The central idea is that most of us focus on our weaknesses and problems and that focusing on your assets or opportunities instead can help build energy, relationships, and productivity.

Sure, new self-improvement and business fads are a dime-a-dozen and I will be the first to admit that most of them are pretty lame but asset-based thinking really makes a lot of sense to me.

It's a simple concept that is easy to understand and, I hope, easy to practice.

Put most of your time and energy in what you do well rather than focusing on changing what you don't do well. "Magnify what's best and focus on what's next." Asset-based thinking uses the 80-20 rule in reverse. Instead of devoting 80% of your time and attention to solving problems, turn it around and focus 80% on opportunities.

"To most of us, facing a problem usually provokes us to cast blame and assign guilt. But what if you could reach into the depth of that problem and extract a treasure--a wealth of information that could propel the situation forward in a way that benefits everyone involved, exponentially! this moves you into the affirmative zone in which Asset-Based Thinkers thrive."

There is an introduction at www.assetbasedthinking.com.

Community Gardens

2006-05-11T13:27:00.000-05:00

In many places community gardens have had a tremendous positive impact. The rewards of a community garden are many:

Beautifies a neighborhood and generates community pride and involvement.
Helps people learn to work together in a positive way.
Provides access to healthy food.
Connects participants of all ages and abilities to nature.
Improves the environment because it cuts down on air pollution.
Makes a neighborhood safer by reducing the number of vacant lots and derelict property.

A popular type of community garden is one where a parcel of land is divided into small plots that individuals can use to grow their own mini vegetable garden. This allows the participants to do their own thing on their own schedule and at the same time meet new people and develop relationships with their neighbors.

Another approach is for a group to work together to grow one large garden. This is often done as a program for children to teach them about the environment and to introduce them to healthy foods by taking advantage of the idea that kids will be more willing to eat vegetables if they grow and/or cook the foods themselves.

http://www.ces.purdue.edu/CES/Marion/ccgp/girlsinc.htm

A community garden isn't always a vegetable garden. It can also be a flower garden or a small landscaped area that adds beauty to a neighborhood or offers a queit place for residents to sit or walk.

http://www.ces.purdue.edu/CES/Marion/ccgp/sturm.htm

There is a wealth of information available on the web about community gardens. The American Community Garden Association is a good starting place. Their website has links to many other community garden sites.

http://www.communitygarden.org/

Eat Locally

2006-05-11T12:43:00.000-05:00

A quick check of the website for the farmers market indicates that this Saturday is opening day for the season.

http://www.newalbanyfarmersmarket.com/

According to the 2004 National Farmers Market Directory there are more than 3,700 farmers markets across the country.

There are many great reasons to shop at a farmers market:
The food is fresher and tastes better.

Local food is usually safer even if it's not organic.
Small-scale family farms are able to grow interesting variteties which taste better.
Farmers markets help local farmers thrive.
Farmers markets keep money in the local economy.
Buying locally grown food reduces the energy that is expended freezing, refrigerating, and trucking food.

http://www.newdream.org/consumer/farmersmarkets.php

Dining Downtown

2006-05-04T13:00:00.000-05:00

As the downtown New Albany dining scence develops the next challenge could be how to keep the diners downtown and get them into other businesses.

Paducah, KY seems to be a city that is on the right track to revitalizing their downtown. Here is an idea from Paducah.

Between May and September, the Downtown After Dinner event runs every Saturday night from 7 to 10 pm. Horse-drawn carriage rides, antique car shows, and live entertainment bring people downtown to experience the festivities and have dinner at one of the downtown restaurants.

Bread and Milk

2006-05-04T11:54:00.000-05:00

One of the basics that a neighborhood needs is a grocery store. In New Albany several of our older neighborhoods are served by Daily's 24-Hour Food Mart.

Daily's fills a big need for people who don't have dependable transportation, for older people who aren't up to walking the big stores, and for residents who need something quick and close by.

As long as you don't want fresh produce you can find the basics at Daily's as well as a few items that you might not expect them to carry. The do have balsamic vinegar and anchovies! And where else could you do your grocery shopping in your pajamas and not have anyone so much as bat an eye. (No. It wasn't me shopping in my pajamas.)

Even though I know that my need for bread, milk, and Diet Coke is being met an item in the November/December 2004 issue of Preservation caught my eye.

Joe and Kim Grant, residents of a historic neighborhood in San Diego which had undergone a renaissance bought a rundown liquor store in the still dilapidated adjacent commercial district. After rehabilitating the building they opened Grant's Marketplace a vendor of wines, bread, olive oils, cold cuts, cheeses, coffee, jams, and fresh fruits and vegetables.

I put one of those on my wish list right under ice cream shop.

Making Statistics Work for You

2006-05-03T13:39:00.000-05:00

I recently ran across a blurb concerning high school graduation rates in the Midwest. Statistics for high school graduation rates as a percentage of possible graduates, 2002, were obtained from the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.

Midwest Graduation Rates

North Dakota 85%
Iowa 85%
Wisconsin 85%
Minnesota 84%
Nebraska 83%
Kansas 78%
Ohio 78%
Michigan 78%
South Dakota 76%
Missouri 76%
Illinios 74%
Indiana 72%

Indiana doesn't compare very well to the rest of the region but still manages to come in above the 71% average for the entire country. New Jersey tops the list for the country with an 89% rate.

According to the New Albany-Floyd County schools website their graduation rate for 2005 was 96%. Even though I cannot determine from the information that I was considering whether the local rate was calculated in exactly the same way it looks like we are exceeding the average not only for our state and our region but we are exceeding the highest state graduation rate.

Just remember, if you are in need of a negative statistic, our state has the lowest graduation rate in the Midwest and nationally we are barely above average.

On the other hand, if you want to remind someone of one of the good things about our community you might refer to our school system's 96% graduation rate which is higher than the highest state graduation rate in the country.

And that concludes today's lesson on making statistics work for you.

One Plus One Is How Many?

2006-04-14T11:15:00.000-05:00

Statistics are valuable for analysis and measurement but I tend to be a skeptic. When I hear a statistic quoted I want to know if it is in fact true. If it is true, I want to understand the context of the statistic, how it was gathered, and what it really means.

It is very easy to find an isolated statistic to support almost any position. It is also easy to misunderstand or misinterpret a statistic and then to perpetuate the resulting misinformation. And it is easy, perhaps too easy, to toss out a statistic in an attempt to add credibility to an objection.

Here is a brief refresher of some basics of statistical analysis:

Mean or Average--To find the mean of a set of numbers sum the values and divide by the number of values.

100+77+93+145+133+86+112=746

Divide 746 by the number of values in the set (7) to find the mean/average which is 107.

Median--The median is the middle value in the set of numbers when ordered by rank.

77, 86, 93, 100, 112, 133, 145 The median is 100.

A median is used when a value at one end or the other of the ranking would skew the average either up or down.

Mode--The most frequently occurring value in a set of numbers.

The Next Generation of Preservationists

2006-03-16T14:33:00.000-05:00

From the November/December 2005 issue of Preservation magazine:

Dan Holland, a 36-year old who works as a Federal Reserve Bank advisor, watched dozens of buildings in Pittsburgh deteriorate and be demolished. Then he decided to take action and change that trend.

In 2002 he started an the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh. The group, which has 150 members, recruits people of various ethnicities to mitigate urban sprawl, promote downtown revitalization, and protect African American sites in nin southwestern Pnnesylvania counties.

Most of the members are in their 20s and 30s, although anyone can join. In order to attract the next generation Holland has sponsored some activities with a bit of an unusual twist, including a bike tour of historic sites and a "hardhat party" at which attendees toured a restoration site while enjoying music, beer, and food.

Filling In

2006-01-30T21:42:00.000-05:00

Another loyal reader (our readers have to be extremely loyal since our publication schedule is so sporadic) recently dropped off a copy of a Preservation Information booklet published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Design and Development of Infill Housing Compatible with Historic Neighborhoods by Ellen Beasley.

Since I have not been able to find the text of this very informative booklet online I will try to summarize some of the main points.

Infill development fills a vacant parcel of land in an existing built-up area. This is not some new-fangled idea. It has been going on for decades. Any number of the buildings that we think of as old could have replaced even older buildings.

Preservationists have refined the concept of infill by placing an emphasis on relating the new design to the existing, surrounding context. What is considered an acceptable design may vary according to the neighborhood.

Design is probably the biggest concern when considering infill development projects and “neighborhood residents at all economic levels have become more demanding regarding the design and construction quality of infill projects”.

The booklet focused mainly on small-scale infill projects and gave a number of reasons that various groups would be interested in such projects:

*Members of a neighborhood group want to ensure residential, rather than commercial, construction and buy a vacant lot to control development.

*A private developer sees an opportunity for profit.

*An individual home owner is attracted by an urban historic district, but wants a new house.

*A preservation group wants to demonstrate the feasibility of designing and constructing a compatible infill project.

*A city wants to put vacant land back on tax rolls.

The development process is outlined as follows:

1. Defining goals
2. Researching the project site
3. Understanding the market and the neighborhood
4. Structuring the development team and obtaining financing
5. Writing a project program
6. Selecting an architect
7. Designing the project
8. Beginning construction
9. Making the process work

Through out the discussion of the development process, participation of the neighborhood is stressed. Cooperation between the neighborhood and the developer is the key to a successful project. Some of the benefits of cooperation that are mentioned are:

*Developing an awareness and understanding of each other’s goals and interests.
*Identifying shared goals and ways to achieve them.
*Creating a defined procedure for neighborhood involvement and review.
*Minimizing surprises and misunderstandings during the planning and construction of an infill project.
*Obtaining financing and zoning variances.
*Promoting positive media coverage for the neighborhood and the developer.

A very informative case study of a project in the Edgefield neighborhood of Nashville, TN is included. This extremely successful project, which began in 1984, included the construction of a variety of housing types-condominiums, apartments, and single-family houses-in a designated historic district with 10% vacant land.

Statistics gathered in 1997 for the booklet showed that property values of both the new and old houses in the Edgefield district increased since the mid-1980s although the Nashville real estate market saw a period of flat appreciation from 1988 to 1992.

If you are interested in or concerned about infill development, remember neighborhood cooperation and design are the two most important factors for success. And, it wouldn't hurt to get your hands on a copy of this booklet either.

Preparing the Next Generation

2006-01-30T19:51:00.000-05:00

One of our loyal readers asks you to take a look at the following website:

http://www.urbanplan.org/UP_Home/UP_Home_fst.html

Urban Plan is a program where "high school students learn the roles, issues, trade-offs, and economics involved in urban development. It provides our future voters, neighbors, community leaders, public officials, and land use professionals with a hands-on experience in developing realistic land use solutions to vexing urban growth challenges."

The Urban Plan website points out that the population of the United States will grow by 60 million people in the next 20 years. Land use questions will become increasingly more complex and more difficult to make and the next generation needs to be equipped to make those decisions.

Cultural Landscape

2006-01-26T12:29:00.000-05:00

Have you encountered the term cultural landscape?

An essay in the July/August 2005 issue of Preservation says this,

". . .a "cultural landscape," a phrase that is increasingly being used these days by those interested in preserving not just structures but also settings. This new emphasis amounts to preserving what's left of the character of the country, built and natural, and is bound to gather strength as preservationsists realize that well-maintained historic buildings are diminshed by wrecked surroundings.

Cultual landscapes reflect an activity or characteristic that shaped them historically."

Our cultural landscape includes the Ohio River, the knobs, and farmland. What will we keep and what will we give up to new development?

Something to think about.

Progress Report: Preservation Forum 2005

2006-01-24T20:30:00.000-05:00

I have been in the middle of an organizing frenzy (New Year's resolutions and such) and I ran across some notes that I took at the Preservation Forum last May.

The forum was titled Preserve New Albany's Older and Historic Neighborhoods and Historic Landmark's Greg Sekula was the moderator. Around 40 people attended and participated in the discussion.

Greg started the discussion that night by identifying 3 barriers to living in older neighborhoods:

Schools (lack of or lack of quality)
Rental property
Run down property

There was quite a bit of discussion of how to market older houses and older neighborhoods. How do you identify and reach people who would like to live in an older house and/or an urban setting?

One suggestion that was made was starting a website designed to market older homes. I am pleased to remind you that this suggestion was acted on promptly and a wonderful website is up and running.

www.historicnewalbany.com
Another marketing oppotunity that was identified was to market the neighborhoods to people in Louisville. I beleive that the East Spring Street Neighborhood Association has included this as one of their goals for 2006.

A representative from National City Bank told us that the bank is open to lending for homes in older neighborhoods. A marketing plan is needed in order for this to be effective. I don't remember enough details to know if the neighborhood plans that are currently being worked on could be used for this purpose.

One other suggestion was to start an informal group of old house lovers in order to keep people who are living in older homes in touch with each other. Sounds like an opportunity.

Just a reminder of the progress that has been made in less than a year.

Plans are underway now for numerous activities during Preservation Month ( May) 2006.

Could This Build New Albany?

2006-01-16T12:08:00.000-05:00

Take a look at this article by Betsy Pettit, president of Building Science Corp., www.buildingscience.com that originally appeared in the June/July issue of Fine Homebuilding magazine which discusses the Building American program through the U.S. Department of Energy.

http://www.buildingscience.com/resources/articles/2005-06_small_house.pdf

The objectives of Building America, www.buildingamerica.gov, are to build homes on a community scale that:

Use less energy
Are faster to build
Cost less
Provide a healthy environment for inhabitants
The house is desinged as an infill house and the author gives a very good explanation of the advantages of infill.

To me the house doesn't seem designed to be a starter house (after all 2,880 sq ft sounds huge to someone who lives with another person in less than 1,000 sq ft) and while the article talks a lot about affordable construction it doesn't offer this as a solution for low-income housing. A house like this would be for someone who wants to live in an urban neighborhood while enjoying the features of a new house.

DIY Neighborhood Improvement

2006-01-13T14:50:00.000-05:00

I attended a neighborhood association meeting where one of our city council representatives advised us that the best way to clean up our neighborhood was to buy up the properties surrounding ours. For many reasons that I won't go into here it was appalling to me that this was his solution to the problems in the neighborhood.

However, I have an article from the January 2005 issue of Kentucky Monthly magazine that shows how a version of this approach is working well for one neighborhood.

Kathy Carter and her husband originally bought a house at Chinn and Montgomery streets in Frankfort, KY in 1972. By 2000 the condition of the neighborhood had declined and after her husband's death motivated Kathy to "do something in life" she hatched a plan to buy and improve 10 houses on her block.

One at a time as houses went on the market Kathy bought them and with the help of a contractor friend she improved them. As of January 2005 she was on number 8.

Carter's work served as a model for transforming a neighborhood. Frankfort now has a task force to restore blighted neighborhoods.

One more thing, Kathy Carter ran for city council in November 2004 and not only won but received more votes than anyone-- even longstanding incumbents.

www.klc.org/u_publications/Cityscapejan05.pdf

Markets Build Relationships

2006-01-08T10:48:00.000-05:00

Project for Public Spaces (PPS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating and sustaining public places that build communities.

www.pps.org

I ran across a brief article on PPS in the Oct/Nov 2005 issue of Dwell magazine. This organization was started 30 years ago to help reclaim and rejuvenate shared spaces.

One of its most successful programs facilitates the creation of public markets all over the world.

President of PPS, Fred Kent was quoted in Dwell saying, "What people really want, more than anything, is a place to connect and create chance encounters with others."

Get Up Off the Couch: Ideas for Building Community

2006-01-01T17:41:00.000-05:00

First, my apologies to author Haven Kimmel whose second memior, She Got Up Off the Couch, inspired my title.

Building community isn't hopeless. As you will see from this list there are many easy things that we can all do. The best thing about most of these ideas is that you will gain more than you give by doing many of them.

Need a New Year's resolution? Pick a few of these and see how easy it is to contribute to your community and keep your resolutions.

www.bettertogether.org/150ways.htm

For Kids

2006-01-01T17:27:00.000-05:00

Boundless Playgrounds is a national non-profit organization that helps build play areas that are accessible to kids of all developmental levels. In addition to helping with design they help with funding by matching playground projects with potential funders.

This organization believes that every community should have at least one playground that is available to children of all abilities. There is only one in the entire state of Indiana.

www.boundlessplaygrounds.org

A Council With a Vision

2005-08-31T17:08:00.000-05:00

While I was eating my lunch today I was flipping through one of my favortie lifestyle/decorating magazines and I came across an article featuring Charlottesville, Virginia as a destination for a weekend getaway.

What I read about independent businesses prompted me to do a quick Google search to see what the city is doing to encourage them. The city of Charlottesville does encourage entrepreneurs. There was something else that really got my attention.

The Charlottesville city council has a vision statement on the city website.

Just the fact that their city council has was impressive. Take a look. There is more there to be impressed by than the mere existence of their vision statement.

Go to:

http://www.charlottesville.org/

click on City Council Vision (top right)

The rest of the website is interesting as well. If you don't have a lot of time to spend looking at it you might want to click on Interactive Community Movies (under the logo in the center) for a quick look.

Farmers' Market Brings People Downtown

2005-02-24T13:40:00.000-05:00

The primary reason that I have gone downtown for the past several years is the farmer's market. There is nothing like homegrown tomatoes and corn during the summer months.

A few years ago I was delighted that the farmer's market had added some variety with vendors selling fresh flowers, goat cheese, bread, pies, etc. For the past couple summers they have been back to the basics. While I wouldn't want to go through a summer without tomatoes, corn, and cucumbers I can't help but wonder what happened to the goat cheese and bread.

Many farmers markets in the Louisville metro area have expanded their offerings in the past few years. It seems like more variety of goods draw more people.

The farmers market in Bloomington, IN with 60 vendors draws 3,500 customers per week. In addition to produce the vendors carry plants, arts and crafts, and baked goods. Live entertainment helps draw in customers.

http://www.journalism.indiana.edu/gallery/j201fall03/DowntownBloomington

Benefits of Local Ownership

2005-02-24T09:57:00.000-05:00

Independent businesses not only compete with large chains but with prevailing attitudes that favor the large chains. Consider some of the benefits of local ownership:

The profits from local businesses circulate within the community. Independent businesses patronize smaller regional wholesalers and distributors. They rely on other local businesses for services such as banking, accounting, and printing.
Local merchants have a vested in interest in the community. Their property taxes support the services that they use. Small business owners support community organizations, volunteer, and donate more financial support locally than large corporations.
A homegrown economy composed of a diverse and numerous independent businesses provides a healthy, competitive marketplace.

Check out these links for more information about supporting independent businesses and a healthy local economy:

www.newrules.org

www.amiba.net

www.boulder-iba.org

www.livingeconomies.org

The Hometown Advantage

2005-02-18T15:14:00.000-05:00

Stacy Mitchell is a researcher for the Institute for Local Self Reliance and the author of "The Hometown Advantage." In her book she explores the trend toward a chain store economy and why that might not be the best thing for communities.

There is a perception that giant chains offer more convenience, wider selection, better service, and lower prices. It is assumed that chains create jobs and generate additional tax revenues. Economic development policy that offers incentives and grants and builds infrastructure to attract chains is based on these assumptions. When we look past the assumptions we discover that the public costs may outweigh the gains.

Chains have a place in the economy but does it make sense to use our tax dollars to give large corporations an advantage over locally-owned, independents?

Large chains reduce retail diversity. Reduced competition leaves the consumer at the mercy of absentee-owned companies that can raise prices or abandon the community.

Stacy Mitchell points out , "Local businesses enrich the civic fabric. Small merchants care about their communities more because they are part of those communities. The taxes they pay provide services, like schools and police and parks, that they and their families use. Small merchants give to community causes more than their big competitors. Their purchases and profits tend to circulate within and strengthen the local economy rather than flowing to distant suppliers or corporate headquarters."

Economic Analysis of Independent Business

2005-02-16T22:58:00.000-05:00

Small, locally-owned businesses provide economic diversity and stability.

Check out Civic Economics, a economic analysis and strategic planning consulting firm that conducts economic impact studies of specific types of development for various communities.

www.civiceconomics.com

Click on Economic Analysis and Strategic Planning For Sustainable Prosperity then click on Retail Economics for some of the studies conducted by Civic Economics.

See also, www.AndersonvilleStudy.com

The Andersonville study found that for every $100 spent in an independent business $68 stays in the local economy while for every $100 spent in a chain only $43 stays in the local economy.

For every square foot occupied by an independent business the local economic impact is $179 while it is $105 for chains.

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance is another interesting resource:

www.ilsr.org

Food-for-thought:

One study, actually paid for by Wal-Mart, showed that putting a superstore in Greenfield, MA would cost existing businesses $35 million in sales, leading to a net loss of 105,000 square feet of retail space and result in declines in property tax revenue .

Historic Preservation: An Economic Revitalization Tool

2005-02-16T22:52:00.000-05:00

Yesterday's Courier-Journal reported that Gov. Fletcher has included a historic preservation tax credit in his proposed tax plan for Kentucky.

The governor of Maryland was quoted regarding a similar program in Maryland, "the most successful economic and community revitalization tool available in the state today" -- generating $3.31 for every $1 invested."

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050215/NEWS0101/502150350/1024

Is Greenway Funding in Danger?

2005-02-15T11:09:00.000-05:00

Recent news stories suggest that Federal dollars for the Ohio River Greenway project have not been included in the early version of the budget.

Is the Greenway an important element in the revitalization of downtown New Albany?

http://www.indianatrails.org/ORG.htm

The Monon Trail in Indianapolis is an example of a successful greenway project. It is interesting to note that it started as a grassroots effort. Since the mid-1980's 10.5 miles of abandoned Monon railbed have been developed into a recreational trail. The Monon Trail connects with other greenways, including the 5-mile Monon Greenway of Carmel and the White River Trail.

http://www.indygreenways.org/monon/monon.htm

A study done in Sept and Oct of 2000 counted 45,000 to 55,000 users per month and found that trail users will:

come after work and on weekends
come for fitness and exercise for an hour or more
walk, bike, run, skate
be mostly upper-middle class and between 26 and 55
mostly drive to the trail
be satisfied

For more details from the study use the following link and click on Presentation Materials, and then Trail Study Presentation.

http://www.indiana.edu/%7Eeppley/trails/

The Monon Trail has been good for businesses that have located near the trail entrances. There have been some problems with crime on the trail and some homeowners have objected to having a greenway near their property but overall the project appears to be a great asset.

http://www.indystar.com/special/monontrail/

What Would You Do With $25,000

2005-02-05T20:15:00.000-05:00

I read in the Courier-Journal today that the Jeffersonville City Council has decided to give each member $25,000 for special projects. This started me thinking about what I would do with $25,000. What needs in New Albany could be met with $25,000?

So, I chllenge you, if you had $25,000 to spend on a project that would benefit New Albany what would you do?

Please, no comments regarding the propriety of the Jeffersonville City Council giving themselves $25,000.

If You Know Where You Are Going . . .

2005-01-29T23:41:00.000-05:00

. . . it's easier to get there. Does New Albany have a plan?

Take a look at the Asheville, NC city website and make sure to read the Strategic Operating Plan (select it from the drop-down menu under "Featuring"). Asheville has a comphrensive plan that includes funding for small business development among other things.

http://www.ci.asheville.nc.us

Museum Suggestion

2005-01-29T23:30:00.000-05:00

A suggestion by a reader, Brandon Smith:

Just thinking on the spot here, but I wonder if an Immigration museum, focusing on, but not limited to the massive influx of German and Irish settlors would have a big enough draw? That would certainly tie into regional history and be interesting to lots of folks in the Midwest. Outside of the German and Irish core, you could easily tie in African-Americans, Scandinavians, Latin Americans, etc. Could actually serve as a type of cultural center as well, if done right. In fact, part of the description of the City Flag ("Standard") reads:"white shield edged in gold, symbolic of the character and courage of the varied nationalities of our ancestors,"Just a random idea...

Munice has a cultural center, Minnstrsita. Take a look at the website:
http://www.mccoak.org

Develop New Albany Debuts Website

2005-01-28T16:29:00.000-05:00

http://www.developna.org

Develop New Albany is a non-profit organization that supports historic preservation and economic development of the downtown district. Read more about the organization on the new website.

Museums Bring Tourists

2005-01-27T16:53:00.000-05:00

One of the keys to creating tourism with a museum is to find a topic with wide appeal. A museum of local history, for instance, would not stand alone as a tourist destination.

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, which opened in August, honors a part of history that is both important to the Cincinnati area where it is located and has a wider audience.

The idea of an of an Underground Railroad museum, perhaps a traveling museum, was first suggested at a meeting of the Cincinnati chapter of the National Conference of Christians and Jews. The idea grew from there and the center ended up raising $60 million from private donations (there were a number of celebrity donors) and $50 million from public sources, including the Department of Education.

http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues04/dec04/free.html

http://www.freedomcenter.org

Build It and They Will Come?

2005-01-27T16:14:00.000-05:00

A group of local businessmen in the Northern Kentucky partnered with Oceanic Adventures, a company that specializes in aquariums to build the Newport Aquarium on the bank of the Ohio River in Newport, KY.

It is important to note that they were able to take advantage of incentives offered under the Kentucky Tourism Development Act which encourages the growth of new attractions over $1 million by allowing up to 25% of the development costs to be recovered over a 10-year period.

The Newport Aquarium is the anchor for an entertainment complex which includes movies, restaurants, bars, and retail stores. The majority of the businesses are owned by chains. It is very much like a family-friendly version of Third Street Live in Louisville.

www.newportaquarium.com/pdfs/Timeline.pdf
www.newportaquarium.com
http://www.newportonthelevee.com

More About Paducah

2005-01-26T10:35:00.000-05:00

Perhaps you have heard Paducah, KY called Quilt City USA and wondered how Paducah came to be Quilt City USA.

Bill and Marilyn Schroeder of Paducah, owners of Schroeder Publishing (collectors know them for their top-notch price guides) and collectors of contemporary quilts, started the American Quilter's Society in 1984 to support quilters by promoting the study and development of quilts.

In 1985 the AQS held their first quilt show in Paducah. Over the years the show grew and became know by quilters all over the world. Ask a quilter (there are a lot of them in New Albany) and even if they have not attended the show they will most likely be familiar with it. The Paducah-McCracken Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates that the quilt show brings in 15 million a year to the local economy. Hotels in a 60-100 mile radius fill up and local families rent out rooms to the overflow. Local restaurants cannot accomodate the crowds so local churches step in to serve meals (and raise funds). In 1991 the AQS built a museum in downtown Paducah giving the downtown a year-round boost.

The folks in Paducah recognized the pennies from heaven that were raining down and started to build on that by branding their city Quilt City USA.

Two years ago when I was in Paducah much of the downtown redevelopment was centered around tourism--antique malls and shops, gift shops, quilting supply shops, and restaurants. At that time a performing arts center was under construction downtown and was expected to draw residents from the surrounding area. Things were looking up for Paducah.

www.quiltmusem.org
www.paducah-tourism.org
www.fourriverscenter.org

Economic Development that Works

2005-01-24T16:59:00.000-05:00

The good news is that New Albany has hired a full-time economic development director. The bad news is that it isn't as simple as just hiring an economic development director.

It's worth taking a look at the economic develpoment organization that the city of Fort Wayne, IN has put in place, Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance.

"The Alliance was created as a result of the collaboration of Allen County, the City of Fort Wayne and the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, but it will operate independently as neither a unit of government nor of the Chamber. The Alliance, a not-for-profit entity, is contracted to deliver the community's message as a coordinator of information and resources. The mission of the Alliance is to speak with one consistent, informed and empowered voice to businesses about the benefits of a location in this community."

Check out Fort Wayne's website. Click on "For Businesses". In addition, to reading about The Alliance take a look at how the website promotes Fort Wayne to businesses interesting in locating there.

http://www.cityoffortwayne.org/

Historic Preservation in Paducah

2005-01-20T12:08:00.000-05:00

Many people have heard of the artist relocation program in Paducah, KY (a testament to the efforts of their publicist). The artisit relocation program is not a downtown redevelopment project. It is a historic preservation program in a residential neighborhood.

Lower Town was a neighborhood of shabby older houses that had for the most part been divided into substandard apartments by absentee landloards. The city's approach to this problem neighborhood was to allow the houses to deteriorate until they were abandoned. Then the city condemned them and bulldozed them.

A new city adminstration sympathetic to historic preservation and a local artist with a vision gave birth to the artist relocation program.

The first thing that was done was to adopt a strcit rental-licensing ordinance. As you can imagine this was not without controversy. Low income residents were displaced and landlords were forced to upgrade properties.

Since artists have a need for affordable houses where they can both work and live they were chosen as the target group for the Lower Town properties.

A large amount of information about the artist relocation program is available.

Search: artist relocation paducah ky

Here is a good article from Preservation Online:
http://www.nationaltrust.org/magazine/archives/arch_story/051702.htm

The Artist Relocation website:
http://www.paducaharts.com

And the Courier-Journal's coverage of the controversy:
www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2004/01/03ky/wir-fronts0103-9871.html

The Bright Side

2005-01-19T11:46:00.000-05:00

A couple months ago I heard it mentioned that Greg Roberts, president of the East Spring Street Neighborhood Association, had set up a meeting with represenatatives of Operation Brightside in Louisville with an eye to creating a Brightside-like organization for New Albany.

Just exactly what is Operation Brightside and what does it do?

Operation Brightside was set up by Mayor Jerry Abramson in 1986 as partnership between citizens and governement with a mission of cleaning up Louisville. It operates as a non-profit corporation with a full time paid staff and a volunteer board of directors.

Operation Brightside oversees 4 programs:

Cleanups--Operation Brightside sponsors neighborhood cleanups by suppling bags, gloves, and trash disposal.

Beautification Programs--Neighbor groups and businesses purchase intersections, meadians, street-side parks. There is also a community garden program.

Green Mile--Groups and businesses sign up to keep stretches of roads clean.

Environmental Education--Conducts programs for schools.

www.loukymetro.org/department/brightside/default.asp

One thing that the Operation Brightside web page doesn't mention is whether the help they provide to neighborhoods doing cleanups extends to code enforcement.

It seems obvious that an organization like this would be an asset to New Albany.

Several specific projects immediately come to mind:

Neighborhood Clean Ups--especially in the older neighborhoods and downtown the alleys need to be cleaned up. Many yards in the older neighborhoods and in some subdivisions need to be cleaned up.

Parking Lot Beautification--we all know that parking will be the first objection to downtown business development. Since so many buildings have been torn down there seems to be ample room for additional parking. Wouldn't it be nice if the parking lots could be attractively landscaped? Businesses and organizations could sign on to maintain the landscaping.

Park Beautification--a couple years ago I had the opportunity to visit all of the parks in New Albany with teenagers who were doing an inventory of outdoor recreational facilities in New Albany. Except for Community Park, our parks have only the most basic equipment and facilities. A little landscaping would go along way toward improving the aesthetics of our parks.

Community Gardens--in our older neighborhoods there are often vacant lots where the houses have been lost to fire or neglect. Some community gardens tucked into open spaces would add to the character and appeal of the older neighborhoods.

Can New Albany be a "New City"?

2005-01-18T16:31:00.000-05:00

The NewCities Foundation is a Kentucky organization established by the Kentucky League of Cities. A "New City" is tomorrow's city. The foundation was created to cultivate civic leadership and citizen involvement. The foundation has identified 12 principles that encourage citizenship and leadership.

1. Connect to the World

2. Encourage Youth, Diversity, and Inclusiveness

3. Feed the Mind, Nuture the Soul

4. Embrace Healthy Living

5. Remain True to the City's Uniqueness

6. Don't Merely Grow - Plan and Develop Over Time

7. Build Beautifully and Steward the Environment

8. Cultivate Leadership and Citizen Involvement

9. Recruit, Retain, and Generate Wealth

10. Mimic Bigness, but Think Samll

11. Rethink Boundaries

12. Buy Locally, Sell Globally

The NewCities principles empasize that successful projects need to involve both citizens and elected officials.

An article in the December 2004 issue of Kentucky Monthly describes a successful downtown development project in Springfield, KY. A circa 1900 opera house that had been acquired by the city in 2002 was rennovated. A volunteer board managed the project which used state funds.

The mayor supported the project by starting the Mayor's Fund for the Arts. He personally raised funds from corporate donors to sponsor performances at the opera house.

In addition to being used as a venue for performances, a welcome/tourism center and the offices of 3 organizations (which take turns staffing the welcome center) are housed in the building.

While Springfield, a small, rural community located more than 60 miles from Louisville cannot be compared to New Albany, the example of a successful downtown development project is useful.

www.newcities.org

www.springfieldky.org

Sorry, the Kentucky Monthly article is not available online.

Introduction

2005-01-17T12:57:00.000-05:00

"Well I was born in a small town
And I live in a small town
Prob'ly die in a small town"

Substitute New Albany for small town (because we can't quite call New Albany a small town) and you have my story. I was born and raised here and I have lived here my entire life.

New Albany has a reputation for being a place where mediocrity is tolerated and where no one really expects anything to change, especially not for the better. I am tired of settling for mediocrity. Amazingly, over the past few months I have discovered that I am not alone.

There are people in New Albany/Floyd county who are doing their best to establish and maintain viable businesses, preserve historic buildings, protect the environment, clean up and improve older neighborhoods, and revitalize downtown. These are intelligent people who are not only passionate about what they believe in but are determined to do their best to see their visions realized.

Our elected officials should take note that for these people it IS about passion for the community and desire for improvement and not about political aspirations. These are not partisan issues and the citizens who are becoming activists for their causes are becoming political because they must in order to effect change.

We need leadership and a workable plan but in the meantime I hope that I will be able to pull together some ideas and information that could spark creative thinking and be useful in crafting a plan.