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ART + SOULOUR TOWN ARTS AND CULTURE PLAN for PEORIA SOUTH SIDE NEIGHBORHOOD

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The Art and Soul South Side Arts and Culture Plan would not have been possible without the support of the National Endowment for the Arts and its former Director Rocco Landesman as well ArtsPartners Director Suzette Boulais . Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (TCRPC) staff Melissa Eaton and Kathryn Shackelford sustained this project for nearly two years through their diligence.

Many thanks to the initial committee who helped research and select the artist team; Melissa Eaton, Linda Huff, Phil Newton, Jane Genzel, Josh Naven, Pamela Rumba, Steve Fairbanks, and Suzette Boulas.

Special appreciton to the TCRPC staff Maggie Martino and Kathryn Shackelford for composing the document and refining the data.

Community leaders and dedicated citzens were an invaluable asset to providing information on the neighborhood, not only sharing with us their progress, but committing their time and effort to invest in their community: Kim Smith, Senior Urban Planner City of Peoria Planning Department; Robin Berry, PCCEO; Denise Moore, City of Peoria 1st District Councilwoman; Roberta English, Peoria Neighborhood House; Brittany Brown, Greater Peoria LISC; Robert L. Johnson Sr., Southern District Representative Peoria Parks District; Joe Alexander, CityLink Peoria; Debbie Ryva, FamilyCore; Cynthia Smith, Manager of Lincoln Branch of Peoria Public Library

Images in the plan have been provided by members of staff and the Artist Team: Kathryn Shackelford, Melissa Eaton, Jacob Grant,

R. Rashaad Reed, Brenda Gentry, Benjamin Watkins, and Kyle Hoff. Additionally, supporting images were provided by the Peoria Parks District, Proctor Center, Greater Peoria LISC, and various local angencies. Supplemental graphics and maps were produced by Kathryn Shackelford, Matt Junker, and Ryan Harms of TCRPC and Doug Ward at the Peoria Police Department.

Funding for the project was provided by the National Endowment for the Arts 2012 Our Town Grant, the Peoria Parks District, and the City of Peoria.

Acknowledgements

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Table of ContentsPrefacePurposeCommunity OverviewArts and Culture Plan Protect and Preserve Assets Address systemic issues Program Arts and Culture Artist Team Impact StrategyFiscal Impact/Feasibility/FundingImplementation

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The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $5 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with sate art agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector. Visit NEA at Arts.gov

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The origin of Art + Soul began in the in August of 2009 with a comment from then Director of the NEA Rocco Landesman. In an article published in The New York Times on Aug. 8, Mr. Landesman spoke about his inclination to support art on the basis of quality, not geography, in implied contrast to his predecessor’s policy of directing agency funds to every Congressional district. “I don’t know if there’s a theater in Peoria, but I would bet that it’s not as good as Steppenwolf or the Goodman,” Mr. Landesman said in the article, making reference to two acclaimed Chicago theater companies.

Mr. Landesman’s Peoria remark, made around the time of his confirmation, generated considerable controversy among cultural groups, journalists and bloggers, as did some of his other comments in the article. That remark motivated ArtsPartner’s Suzette Boulias and Eastlight Theater’s Kathy Chitwood to invite Mr. Landesman to the City to explore the historic and vabrant local arts scene for himself. Peoria wanted Landesman to learn something beyond the connotations of the question coined from shows on the old vaudeville circuit: “Will it play in Peoria?”

“We’re smaller — we get that — we know our place in the food chain of the arts,” Kathy Chitwood added. “But we really have a place too, and our work is worthy.” To Chitwood and Boulais’ surprise, he accepted.

Rocco Landesman hit the art scene hard in the modest city on the Illinois River on November 6, 2009 and he liked it. Well, no, that’s not quite correct: He loved it! The then newly installed chairman of the

National Endowment for the Arts visited Peoria for an immersion in culture. After a grueling day of 13 hours of arts appreciation tours, meetings, and receptions in central Illinois, meetings and receptions. His response, its a “Vibrant arts community.” The visit becomes a way to launch his national cultural crusade, under the NEA slogan he dreamed up: “Art Works.”

Stories like Peoria’s are ones that Landesman wants legislators - especially legislators who think the arts are impractical and pointless - to hear. It was a point echoed at a roundtable held at the Civic Center earlier in that day and attended by more than 65 arts and civic leaders, including Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis.

But what difference can the NEA make to Peoria or any other city’s cultural scene? NEA funding really matters to smaller organizations such as the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, Landesman said. The orchestra, which has a $900,000 budget, receives $10,000 annually from the agency. The NEA also contributes indirectly to grass-roots arts by devoting 40 percent of its now $158 million budget to state arts agencies, which in turn disperse money to local agencies.

2012 NEA announced 80 Our Town grant awards represents the NEA’s latest investment in creative placemaking, totaling $4.995 million and reaching 44 states and the District of Columbia. Through Our Town, the NEA supports creative placemaking projects that help transform communities into lively, beautiful, and sustainable places with the arts at their core. The grantee projects will improve quality of life,

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encourage creative activity, create community identity and a sense of place, and help revitalize local economies. All Our Town grant awards were made to partnerships that consisted of a minimum of a not-for-profit organization and a local government entity. ArtsPartners of Central Illinois was awarded a $50,000 Our Town grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. ArtsPartners was selected to receive the grant out of over 300 applicants from across the country. The grant will help the organization conduct Art and Soul, neighborhood-level art and culture planning for the City of Peoria’s hertiage South Side neighborhood. The partners for Art and Soul partners include the City of Peoria, Peoria Park District, Dream Center Peoria, Artist Team, and Tri-County Regional Planning Commission.

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CONTENTSThe document begins with a community overview and provides data regarding the specific socio-economic conditions of the South Side neighborhood. History of the district as well as previous planning

efforts are discussed to provide a thorough understanding of the state of the community. The overview is followed by the Arts and Culture plan which contains three main themes; Protect and Preserve Assets, Address Systemic Issues, and Program Art and Culture. Proceeding those chapters is an implementation strategy developed by our team of artist that suggests specific art programming to be incorporated into the community. The final chapter discusses the fiscal impact of arts in the community and provides examples of funding strategies and grant opportunities. This document can also be used as a guide for similarly affected communities wishing to implement successful arts and culture plans in their locality.

All data is current as of the 2008-2012 American Community Survey Data unless otherwise noted.

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Art + Soul Our Town Arts and Culture Plan is a document geared toward civic leaders, not-for-profits, private business owners, and citizens involved with improving and investing in Peoria’s South Side neighborhood. Residents are the key community stakeholders and the plans is built to inspire and engage them with community art while further empowering and encourage them to think creatively, become artist, or express themselves in their daily lives.

The purpose of the Arts and Culture Plan is to identify neighborhood assets, explore opportunities, and determine successful strategies for art implementation. This process is known as ‘creative placemaking.’ The main objective is to preserve, celebrate, and enhance the community’s identity through arts and culture initiatives.

Art + Soul strategiezes how best to develop and execute art in the community, be that events, installations, or infrastructure. Through best practices, we can better leverage local assets to impact social, economic, and environmental change in the district. The ultimate goal of the plan is to use art as a way to stabilize and revitalize the South Side, draw other Peoria residents to the neighborhood, and expand the existing artist community in the region. Developing a community of art on the South Side will also expand the potential for artistic commissions for the existing local artist community.

Art + Soul provides readers with background, methology, and framework for implementing this plan. It also provides examples of effective strategies and recomendations from other similar communities for enhacing the influence and impact of arts and culture. Descriptive text, photography, charts, and renderings are provided throughout the document.

PURPOSE

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PARTNERSNumerous sectors of the community were involved in this project, ranging from the grant partners (ArtsPartners, Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, and Peoria Parks District), to informal partners like Greater Peoria LISC, South Side Mission, Peoria Citizen Committee for Economic Opportunity, neighborhood associations, fraternities and sororities incorporated, public schools, and local universities. In addition, a team of Artists were contracted to developed artistic renditions of art installations, describe the artistic process, and propose construction and long term maintenance strategies.

ArtsPartners was the grant recipient. ArtsPartners ensured adequate communication amongst project partner agencies and neighborhood stakeholders, provided available data and information to the partners as necessary, and coordinated public meetings with full support of the partners.

Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (TCRPC) was contracted as an experienced organization in partnering with granting agencies. TCRPC provided direction and guidance to ArtsPartners on grant program administration including but not limited to overall program management, invoicing, and reporting. TCRPC also served as the lead agency in conducting the neighborhood-level arts and culture plan. Specific tasks included but were not limited to: developing the planning process, providing and facilitation resident outreach through mailing and one-on-one connections, assisted Peoria Parks District in community events, mapped potential art programming/projects, and compiled the final neighborhood level plan with input from program partners.

Peoria Parks District (PPD) was contracted to work with program partners to develop a scope of work that emphasizes the participation of residents in plan creation. In addition PPD held (2) celebration and planning meetings engaging residents, children and adults, of targeted underserved neighborhoods of the City of Peoria. These meetings were held in conjunction with the Children Theater Arts Program end of season performances. Peoria Park District will provide space for Art + Soul partners to set up informational booths to interact with residents and will allow partners to address attendees to discuss the program.

Members of The Artist Team attended and participated in at least 2 – 4 community meetings with residents before, during, and upon completion of the planning process, and developed the concept plan for the selected neighborhood. The concept plan included artistic renditions, a description of the process for construction, description of long-term maintenance, and a budget for construction and maintenance. The team then created a maquette of an example public art project, and prepared a final presentation for the community.

City of Peoria provided technical guidance in plan development as it pertains to local ordinances and the City’s comprehensive plan.

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Art + Soul partners selected the neighborhood in which the team focused the efforts for art and culture planning. The team mapped out the schools involved in the Community Children’s Theater Arts program. This program was used as an indicator for art/culture interest because the program requires intensive involvement and commitment from the schools and larger community. The team also mapped community organizations that could be valuable partners and pertinent City zoning districts.Met with various stakeholders in inner city neighborhoods including a neighborhood group meeting in the East Bluff, several Hispanic/Latino community meetings in Peoria’s Near North Side, and several meetings in Peoria’s Southside Neighborhood including two engaging meetings of the art community at Trewyn School and Thrive Capital Small business incubator. Assessed the geographic location of community assets as well as the involvement of community organizations and decided to focus on Peoria’s Southside neighborhoods.

After selecting the neighborhood and connecting with vital partners, the Team selected an artist as a consultant for the project. The main task for the artist consultant is to develop the concept plan for the select neighborhood including artistic renditions, a description of the process for construction, description of long-term maintenance, and a budget for construction and maintenance.

A community celebration planning event held Saturday, May 4, 2012

at Peoria Park District’s Cornstalk Theater. This event drew hundreds of residents throughout the day from inner city neighborhoods as families watched their children in Theatrical performances. The Team planned for this year’s event to be outreach focused including several presentations and a booth with information to prep residents for a year of engagement activities.

Secured a team of local art consultants to advise the planning process. Developed new partnerships and grew the core Our Town team to include HUB Peoria, Southside Mission, and Peoria Citizens Committee for Economic Opportunity. Conducted walking and windshield assessments of neighborhood aesthetics and art placement. Visited cultural centers and interviewed staff on history and relevance of centers to community. Participated in community celebration events including health fairs and fundraising programs for resident college scholarships. Identified a priority planning corridor and potential integration for art programming at a vacant alternative school currently owned by the region’s largest school district.

Project partners have conducted the assessment phase of the neighborhood including familiarizing themselves with the social, organizational, and physical structures of the neighborhood.

Identified art/culture recommendations for Southside neighborhood including: garden corridor, graffiti park, sculpture parks, sculptures on a gateway bridge that depict civil rights activists whom the streets are named after, a mosaic wall for display at a public park, and securing the

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location on the southside for the Central Illinois’ Arts Organization’s First Friday Art Studio Tours• Artists created maquett for demonstration purposes to compliment the plan.

Created new partnerships with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, predominate black Greek organizations that specialize in the arts.

Met with the artist team on three separate occasions to transition project from previous project manager, identify and assess progress, and reestablish goals and objectives. Inventoried the Southside Neighborhood for artistic, architectural, and cultural aspects. Organized and compiled crime, vacancy, community facilities, zoning, sidewalk inventory, bus shelter/stops and historic maps. Gathered housing, demographic, economic, and educational statistics for the neighborhood. Used maps and artist site survey to identify potential sites and corridors for strategy implementation. Met with neighborhood leaders, community stakeholders, LISC, and City Councilwoman to identify opportunities for community engagement and feedback. Instructed artist to prepare maquettes and design renderings to showcase potential implementation strategies at Bradley Civil Rights Celebration events. Arranged with Peoria Parks District to have an interactive children’s mural activity at the Corn Stock Theater Drama Festival to incorporate children’s community vision into the plan.

In progress: Sought to discovery neighborhood history. Working with Peoria Public Works to identify streams and water systems that could be daylighted and restored. Planning event with local neighborhood organizations to showcase final plan when it is complete.

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Public ParTicipationPublic participation is an important component of any planning process. A planning process should both communicate information about the process to the general public and enable the general public to provide input into the process. The constant exchange of information and ideas between planners and the general public helps save time and money by discovering and avoiding issues long before they become burdens on the tax base. Effective participation also builds trust and buy-in from the general public, resulting in not only a better plan, but a more easily executable plan that is more likely to be supported and embraced by the region.

The geographic scope of the arts and culture plan in Peoria’s South Side, an area that consists of densely developed hertiage neighboodhoods stretching from the McArthur Bridge to Trewyn Park and the Illniois River to the Peoria Bluffs. Given the socio-economic conditions and persistant crime in this area, engaging residents is meaningful interaction is challenging. Also, residents of the Southside also tend to have planning fatigue—they are often the site of the latest and greatest idea to “save” them. Many different solutions have been attempted to save the Southside and failed. Those residents no longer trust outside interest groups to follow through with promised outcomes. The community also suffers from “planning fatique,” the result of numerous plans and failed efforts to stabilize and revitalize the community and distrust is local government.

In order to effectively engage the general public in this planning process, a variety of outreach methods were used in order to maximize

the number and type of opportunities for residents to become involved in the process. From participating in special meetings, attending community events, to one-one-on interviews and personal tours, residents became involved in the planning process.

Outreach Methods

Art + Soul Technical Committee. The technical committee that oversaw the art and culture planning process included individuals who represent the city, local arts advocacy groups, public parks, charitable serices, and public schools. Including non-practitioners on the committee enabled direct input from community members into discussions pertaining to the management of this arts and culture planning process. This committee structure also enabled a variety of perspectives to be shared when different issues were being discussed.

Focus Groups. In order to obtain detailed input from stakeholders on important community-related issues, several focus group meetings were held. For each focus group meeting, TCRPC brought together a group of stakeholders, posed questions to the stakeholders about a particular topic, and facilitated a group discussion. The following focus group discussions occurred during the LRTP process:

Interviews

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IGNITE PEORIA Events. IGNITE Peoria was a celebration of cre-ativity that featured events which inspried innovation, released artisitc vision, and sparked the passion-ate imagination of our

community. Residents joined us at the Civic Center for ArtsPartners first “Big Bang” Creativity Celebration. Aug. 9, 2014

Media Coverage. The LRTP attracted coverage from media outlets in the region. The Peoria Journal Star newspaper published an article on October 27 promoting the WMBD-TV aired a story promoting the Open House events during its November 18 evening newscast. The story described the purpose of the Open House events and notified viewers of the November 20 event occurring in Peoria.

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Community Overview

Peoria County City of Peoria overview, transi-tion to its neighborhoods, then SS

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Sources: Esri, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, TomTom, Intermap, increment P Corp., GEBCO, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, IGN, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, EsriJapan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), swisstopo, and the GIS User Community

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Environmental ContextThe physical area bounded by Southwest Adams Street to the south, South Laramie Street to the west, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and the Western Peoria Bluff to the North, and McArthur Highway to the east is generally accepted as the geography of Peoria’s South Side Neighborhood. This area is not strictly or formally demarcated, nor is it directly situated within census tracts or zip codes; however, the zip code 61605 most closely aligns with these boundaries, and many residents consider the data results of 61605 indicative of the South Side experience.

The neighborhood lies in the river valley located below the Peoria Bluffs. The steep grade of the bluffs acts as a physical and psychological barrier between the South Side and the adjacent neighborhoods, preventing the street grid from extending northward and isolating the residents. Western and McArthur Avenues are the only direct routes that traverse the bluffs linking the South Side to Greater Peoria.

The South Side is shrinking community, yet retains many of its heritage corner shops, boulevards, and building character. As the neighborhood’s population decreases, and more structures become vacant, change will occur altering the community’s fabric and leaving gaps in goods, services, and basic infrastructure. It is important to ensure future land development follows a thoughtful strategy to accommodate changing needs while protecting the neighborhood’s historic character.

ZONINGIt is important to emphasize that a comprehensive plan and a future land use map are advisory documents. Their purpose is to provide a framework for land development and guide village growth. A zoning ordinance governs how land is used within a community—it is the toolthat regulates land use in the community. Metamora’s zoning ordi-nance regulates land use within the city. The zoning ordinance estab-lishes thefollowing districts:

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Planning for the future Arts and Culture of the South Side requires an evaluation of the local populations, conditions, and economy. Such trends are likely to have a significant effect of long-range investment and development, and will influence policies and strategies for the Neighborhood. This section will review Peoria’s South Sides current population, demographics, variables, and development trends.

DEMOGRAPHICS

For the ease of census research, the boundaries of the South Side were relaxed slightly to include the entire zip code of 61605. Since the mid-century, the South Side has experienced population decline. Though zip code specific records are not available before 1990, housing trends indicate no significant new housing developments have taken place since the 1960s. From 1990 to 2000 the population of the South Side dropped 8.8%. The decline gained momentum from 2000 to 2010 to a reach a rate of 12%. In a span of twenty years 61605 has lost 19.8% of its population. This is contrary to local and regional growth where both Peoria and Peoria County experienced population increases after 1990. See table X.X for comparison.

This loss of population can be attributed to many factors; first “white flight” during the mid-century; followed economic recessions; a decline in housing quality; rise in violent crime; and underperformance in area schools. Compounded by infrastructure disinvestment, the results offered a poor quality of life. Many who were able to leave the South

Side chose to do so. Those who were unable to relocate, either by financial or social obligations, remained.

Though there is an abundance of vacant lots and housing available in the neighborhood, investors have been detoured by area crime and the high cost of renovating. Blight busting efforts have attempted to remove abandoned structures; however, even with a decrease number in overall buildings the demolition was not able to keep pace with abandonment, as seen in X.X. If blight and crime are not addressed, these trends of disinvestment and abanonment will continue and accelerate.

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AGE

According to the 2008-2012 ACS Survey, 61605 has a high number of children and middle aged adults. The age cohorts with the highest population are 35-44 (12%), 44-55 (12%), 25-34 (11.3%), and 5 and under (10.8). Compared to surrounding areas and the region, the number of children under 19 is significantly higher. The number of

children under five is almost double the cities average. The median age for the South Side is 30, nearly 9 years younger than the regional average. This data indicates a high population of young families is concentrated in the neighborhood. Using art and culture strategies that target and involve these cohorts will be more successful when addressing the needs of the community.

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EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTThe South Side neighborhood has a significantly lower level of education attainment compared to Peoria County and the Tri-County Region. In the South Side 71.5 percent of the population 25 years and over have obtained a high school degree or higher, and only 4.5 percent have obtained a bachelors degree or higher. For comparison, 91.3 percent of Tri-County residents have a high school degree or higher, and 26.2 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Chart X.X compares the South Side’s educational attainment to Peoria County and the Tri-County region (as well as several nearby counties).

Along with its lower levels of educational attainment relative to surrounding communities, the South Side public schools perform poorly; Manual Academy High School’s graduation rate was 62 percent for the 2013-14 school year, and 77 percent of the students came from low-income families. Only 5 percent of Manual Academy graduates were considered ready for college based on their achievement scores. The low graduation rate coupled with the low educational achievement rate for the neighborhood indicates that many children who drop out of school remain in the community.

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RACE

The South Side is one of the most racially diverse areas in the region. Over 60 percent of the residents of the South Side identify as black, while 31 percent identify as white according to the 2010 U.S. Census. The neighborhood has nearly double the regional rate of individuals identifying as 2 or more races at 4.1 percent. In a region where only 9.8 percent of the total population is black, 28.9 percent of total black residents reside in one neighborhood within one zip code. Furthermore, 5.7 percent of the South Side’s population identifies as Hispanic or Latino which is higher than Peoria County’s result of 3.8 percent and significantly higher than the regional result of 2.8 percent.

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INCOME

The South Side has one of the lowest median household incomes in the state of Illinois. The median household income on the South Side is $19,552, less than half of Peoria County’s median income of $50,925 or the Tri-County Regional median income of 58,352. Though it would appear that residents of the South Side have increased their median income slightly from $19,481 in 2000 to $19,552 in 2010, the results are deceiving. When adjusted for inflation, a South Side household in 2000 would be making $24,668.69 in 2010. That inflation represents a net loss of $5,116 earning potential since the past decade. Nationally on average, the American household is making $3,130 less than they were in 2000. These results are reflected in similar (though not as dramatic) trends from the Tri-County Region, but it is clear the recession more dramatically affected this neighborhood. Only Peoria County, in which the South Side resides, has increased income at pace with inflation.

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HOUSING

The median home value on the South Side is $44,700 according to the 2005-2012 ACS 5-year estimates. Table X.X breaks down home values within the neighborhood. Compared with nearby communities and the region, this median value is well below average. The South Sides’ average housing value is only one third of the regional average ($137,066) and dramatically less than an neighboring community.

It is generally accepted that households should be spending 30 percent or less of their gross annual income on housing in order for it to be affordable. According to recent ACS data, nearly 52.3 percent of South Side households with a mortgage have monthly costs that equate to less than 30 percent of household income. In comparison, approximately 47.7 percent of households with a mortgage are spending more that 30 percent of the income on housing. Nearly half of all South Side residents live in unaffordable housing despite the already dramatically lower housing cost in the neighborhood. In contrast, the majority of housing units, 72.1 percent without a mortgage are categorized as affordable; however, 17.8 percent of non-mortgaged households do have monthly costs exceeding that threshold. Chart X.X above shows the monthly housing costs as a percentage of household income.

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RENTAL PROPERTY

Rental property within the South Side proves to be even less affordable. In 2010 median rent in the South Side was $657; on pace with the neighboring communities despite it’s dramatically lower housing values. Over 68.8 percent of renter households are paying over 30 percent of their monthly income on rent.

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HOUSING TYPES

The South Side neighborhood has experienced vacancy and blight for decades. In an effort to address this issues the city of Peoria has been demolishing abandoned homes. Since 2000, the South Side has decreased the number of housing units by 482; yet, vacancy rates over this time have increased. Now, though there are fewer structures overall, more of the structures that exist are vacant. See X.X for details.

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A community typically has a mix of owner-occupied and renter occupied housing. Families often prefer to own their own homes, while some single persons and young professionals prefer to rent. Socio-economic factors also affect home ownerships rates. When residents have poor credit or cannot provide suitable collateral, obtaining a mortgage becomes incredibly difficult if not impossible.

Unlike homeowners, renters are not fully vested in their property. As a result, renters are less likely to invest in property maintenance and beautification due to the temporary nature of the investment. Those responsibilities then fall to the landlord. Absentee landlords who do not maintain and invest in their rental properties can result in lower property values in the neighborhood. In the South Side, over 60

percent of all properties are renter owned.

This is significantly higher than the Peoria County rate of 33.1 percent. With such a high proportion of rental properties, the South Side is highly susceptible to absentee landlords. Special care should be taken to educate property owners on their responsibilities and opportunities should be made available to allow renters to improve their chances at owning a home, or at a minimum renters should be given libertarians to buy ownership rights to certain areas on the property or within the community.

HOUSING FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS

According to the 2010 Census, 17.3 percent of South Side residents are aged 65 or older. Comparatively there are more young-adults, and young children currently living in the neighborhood; however, only one senior housing facility exists to accommodate the existing elderly population. This represents a multiplied issue when taken into account the “Baby Boomer” generation. Boomers make up 12 percent of the community and will begin aging into the 65 and over cohort within the next decade. Lack of affordable elderly housing is a concern for residents wishing to stay in the community and near family.

As individuals age, their housing necessities change. With reduced and fixed incomes, retired individuals generally prefer smaller, more manageable homes. Furthermore, as individuals age and become less mobile, their needs for accessible homes increase. Older

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individuals may need a one-story home, for example, or a wheelchair accessible entrance. Understanding these needs is important when planning for the future culture investments in the community. Lack of affordable and abundant senior housing restricts residents from aging in place, thus forcing them to leave the neighborhood (and possibly their social support system) to seek proper a c c o m m o d a t i o n s elsewhere.

HOUSING CONDITION

The South Side’s housing stock is significantly older than that of the region, but on par for Peoria’s heritage neighborhoods. Approximately 41.4 percent of homes on the South Side were built prior to 1939. Furthermore, nearly 75.5 percent of the neighborhood’s housing stock is over 50 years old. Older homes present many issues including lead contamination, inefficient heating and cooling, poor accessibility, lack of modern amenities, and natural deterioration over time. The aging housing stock of the South Side has implications

for maintenance and home values for neighborhood residents. If not maintained, property values can quickly decline, and energy costs can increase significantly due to inefficient construction. Chart X.X shows the age of the South Side’s housing stock as compared to that in surrounding Peoria County and the Tri-County Region.

Though old homes can be expensive to maintain, they also offer an opportunity to protect the character of a community. If maintained, old homes can be beautiful, historic assets to the South Side by highlighting period style architecture and craftsmanship, and serve as a reminder to neighbors of times long past. Leveraging this asset by

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proving educational tours or creating a historic housing district would attract new investment to the area, and may encourage improved maintenance of homes, thus stabilizing or increasing property values.

TRANSPORTATION

A community’s transportation network is important because it supports economic development and quality of life. An effective transportation network enables people and goods to move efficiently through a community while also promoting safety and enabling the use of multiple modes of transportation.

MOTORIZED TRANSPORTATION

Not surprisingly, a personal automobile is the primary form of transportation for South Side residents. According to the 2012 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 85.9 percent of South Side workers 16 years and older drove alone or carpooled to work. According to this data source, 7.8 percent use public transit, 2.4 percent of residents work at home, .8 percent of residents walk to work and 3.1 percent use other means. The mean travel time to work for a resident of the South Side was 21.1 minutes, longer than any other commute in the Peoria.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) provides average daily traffic counts for major roadways in Peoria. The most heavily travelled roadway in the South Side is Western Avenue (Illinois Route

8). This roadway is the only centrally located north-south thoroughfare that connects the South Side to Greater Peoria. The highest average daily traffic count for Illinois Route 8 in the South Side is between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in the north and Howett to the south is 11,800 vehicles. McArthurt Highway is the only other north-south thoroughfare that connects the Side Side to Greater Peoria and it has an average daiy traffic of 10,300 vehicles per day.

South of the neighborhood lies Jefferson and Adams, both one-way streets running parallel to the river and leading directly into and away from Peoria’s Downtown Core. Though Jefferson and Adams are business corridors, adjacent to 61605 they are mostly vacant properties, scrap yards, and automobile servicing. Jefferson and Adams lead to the downtown core, but this area of the city does not offer basic goods and services such as a grocer, pharmacy, or retail clothing. NON-MOTORIZED TRANSPORTATION

The South Side is a walkable neighborhood with an interconnected street grid and alley system throughout. Illinois Route 116 is divided into two one-way boulevards( Lincoln and Howeet) and contain a green painted dedicated bike lane. As mentioned above, .8% of South Side workers 16 years and older walk to work and 3.1% of workers use other means to get to work. It is presumed that some of the trips made via “other means” are made via bicycle. The low number of walkers and bikers reported is not indiciative of the South Side experience. A large portion of the population walks or bikes to destinations within

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Sources: Esri, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, TomTom, Intermap, increment P Corp., GEBCO, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, IGN, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, EsriJapan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), and the GIS User Community

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the neighborhood; however, there are few employment centers on the South Side so walking or biking to work is impractical for most workers.

Sidewalks enable pedestrian travel on the South Side. While not all neighborhood streets have sidewalks, sidewalks are prevalent in the village. The conditions of the sidewalks vary throughout the neighborhood as can be seen in Map X.X.

CRITICAL ISSUES

The South Side is presented with a clear challenge. The neighborhood is isolated from the remainder of the city by the physical barriers of the river bluffs and has been presented with limited options to traverse them. With only two North-South access points, the neighborhood is dependent upon few options. McArthur becomes University and connects to the Campus Town Shopping Center and Bradley Univeristy. Western climbs the bluff and remains a commerical corridor on one side and exclusive residential on the other. Therefore, residents have only two truly convenient option to access goods and services outside of their own neighborhood.

Sidewalks exist in many of the residential blocks, along Illinois Route 116, and in the main commericial corridor of Western. However, the sidewalk system is in severe disrepair in areas with high pedestrian traffic, incuding W. Wiswall street near Manuel High School and nearly all streets adjacent to Trewyn Grade School. The most at risk pedestrian population has the least access to infrastructure. In addition, there is

limited to no street lighting along the South Side street, making bikers and walkers vulerable and sometimes undetectible at night. While this sidewalk system does enable pedestrian access to destinations thoughtout the South Side, there are gaps in connectivity that could improve non-motorized access and safety.

There are no multi-use trails or greenways available on the South Side. Though the community has numerous parks, they are not connected through any trail system. With proximity to the river, the neighborhood is ideal for a greenway or walking path connecting residents with a beautiful natural resource. The resident interview suggests that further improvements to sidewalks and development of a local trail can be made. This finding suggests these developments should be a priority for the neighborhod moving forward.

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Illinois River

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MURDER_AGGRAVATED ASSAULT/BATTERY_ROBBERY_SEXUAL ASSAULT‐STRANGER_WEAPONS_2013‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐Query: [CVC ‐ CITY OF PEORIA]Dates: 01/01/2013 ‐ 12/31/2013‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ppd_dpw_250‐800

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“Creative placemaking animates public and private spaces, rejuvenates structures and streetscapes, improves local business viability and public safety, and brings diverse

people together to celebrate, inspire, and be inspired.”

-Anne Markusen and Ann Gadwa, NEA Creative Placemaking Report

What is creative placemaking?

The goal of Art + Soul planning for the South Side is to archieve stabilization and hopefully regernation. The arts and culture plan is not meant to significantly change the character of the South Side. Rather, its intensions are to preserve and enhance the neighborhood’s character, while laying the foundation for complementary future opportunities.

Historically, planners utilized art and culture as a community revitalization tool; more recently, however, we are realizing the potential contributions of art and culture to other social, economic, and environmental aspects of community life. Arts and culture provide a medium to:

• preserve, celebrate, challenge, and invent community identity;• engage participation in civic life;• inform, educate, and learn from diverse audiences; and

• communicate across demographic and socioeconomic lines.There are community outreach events and art maquettes that will supplement the plan and provide evidence for enacting the proposed strategies.

This section will begin by identifying the current conditions in the South Side, and will then lay out a guide for future development. Understanding one’s own historic, cultural, economic and social context is an essential foundation for creating and cultivating a sense of place. Key elements among the South Side’s long list of assets include a passionate, strong, and tight-knit community, walkable and connected streets, and home of architectural and civic treasures. Despite these assets, the neighborhood has been plagued by high crime, poverty, and limited access to jobs, goods, and services for decades. The neighborhood’s community character is often referred to as “Dangerous, Blighted, and Vacant.”However, it is clearly much more than that.

Within the South Side, boulevards, schools, parks, and neighborhood associations have

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In addition, a major obstacle is lack of morale and pride. Celebrating a culture of brothels, gang violence, and poverty is a challenge, but as a part of community character it cannot be ignored. Instead the project must seek opportunities to celebrate what the neighborhood aspires to be and how residents overcome those obstacles.

The proposal aims to plug the Southside into an existing local economic catalyst for the art community, Central Illinois Artists Organization’s (CIAO) First Friday Art Studio Tours. engage Southside residents in the arts through monthly events at a highly utilized park district cultural center where partners will bring African American and urban artists from throughout the Midwest to conduct public celebrations as part of each CIAO First Friday tour. In addition, local artists will provide art classes for Southside residents, and the resulting art will be displayed at First Friday celebrations. These celebrations, including reggae performances, storytelling, choirs, etc. will bring two major benefits: 1) It will develop appreciation of African American arts in a predominately black, low-income neighborhood, and 2) it will plug the Southside into a regional art/culture tour each month thus providing a conduit for residents throughout the larger metropolitan area to engage with the Southside community on the platform of art and culture.

Creates opportunities for all income levels: Supports economic diversity: Creates interesting places and fosters connections across cultures: Presenting to the public: Creates a place where business wants to be: A place can have a better future

HUD Sustainable Communities: The Peoria Region has Preferred Sustainability Status among Federal Partnerships, as we are a HUD Sustainable Community Grantee. Our region has undergone intensive regional planning that integrates art/culture with economic development, housing, and other planning elements. The art/culture portion of the plan involved the collective participation from artists across a three-county region and specifically calls for engaging more residents in cross-cultural celebrations for the purpose of improving community vibrancy.

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NEA Our Town Planning: Through partnerships created through the HUD Sustainability Program, regional partners secured NEA funding to specifically focus art and culture planning on the Southside of Peoria, an urban, low-income neighborhood with vast culture resources largely under-recognized by the greater region. The incorporation of a Southside location in CIAO First Friday tours is a direct recommendation of this plan.

Within the last year, the community has received funding from the HUD Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant, the National Endowment of the Art’s Our Town Grant Program, and the Department of Transportation’s TIGER II program. These programs aim to create resiliency by investing in underserved communities and taking an integrated approach to community development. The proposed project serves to implement the planning activities and takes advantage of the infrastructure investments and resultant economic activity of a nearby urban area.

Peoria City Councilman Spain, “I am pleased ArtsPartners recognizes the art and culture potential of Peoria’s Southside. We have seen where Art Works in our city. I encourage ArtPartners to continue forward with efforts to use the arts as a catalyst to redevelop our community.”

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Assets

Harrison Grade School and Harrison Community Learning Center

Proctor Center

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Lincoln Library

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Vision meets strategy in an arts and culture plan. An arts and culture plan translates the artistic and cultural needs and identity of a community into a tool for implementing recommendations. The recommendations seek to address gaps in cultural service delivery; expand participation, broaden the impact of art and culture; identify new opportunities; and stake out the Neighborhood’s identity through artistic expression. The Arts and Culture plan was l a u n c h e d to address distinct o b j e c t i v e s specific to Peoria’s South Side neighborhood, including all art forms and heritage, creative industries and resource providers. This plan outlines a broad framework for the role of art and culture in civic life. For more than a century, Peoria has been known as a city with a rich history in the performance arts, dating back to the Civil War era when show boats would cruise the Illinois River, stopping for performances at river towns like Peoria. Martin Beck, president of the Orpheum Theater in New York City, opened Peoria’s Orpheum Theatre in 1910. If an act was able to “play” the Orpheum in Peoria, that act had the potential of “playing” in New York City. Later, Peoria made its mark in radio with the iconic Fibber McGee and Molly radio sitcom that was broadcast from 1935-1959. Comedians Richard Pryor and Sam Kinison spent their formative years in Peoria, as did songwriter Dan Fogelberg and science fiction writer Philip Jose Farmer. Actors David Ogden Stiers, Susan Dey, Steve

Vinovich, and Camryn Manheim all called Peoria and the surrounding area home. Today, there remains a rich fine arts presence in the Tri-County area. There are more than thirty-eight art galleries and studios where Tri-C o u n t y residents can create, admire, and purchase works of art in various mediums. Patrons and artists who desire opportunities in music, vocal, and instrumental have a choice of around thirty

organizations that sponsor, present, teach, and support music in the Tri-County region. Thespians and theatre lovers can choose from ten area theatres. These theatres reach out to diverse audiences – some produce edgier, experimental fare while others focus primarily on classic and popular productions. Finally, there are three area dance studios where residents of all ages can study and learn various styles of dance. These studios also present recitals and productions for the public.

DescriptionStructure of Local SupportIn a series of listening sessions with members of the Tri-County arts community, there was much discussion about the issues facing the arts in Central Illinois. While there is a rich fine arts community in the Tri-County area, most arts groups operate as independent entities. Currently, there is not a central hub or organization that oversees,

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coordinates, and works for the benefit of all.

While each group typically operates independently, there are organizations that strive to work for the good of all. One such organization is ArtsPartners of Central Illinois. ArtsPartners was founded in 1999 as a not-for-profit organization. This group’s primary focus is creating public awareness of the arts in our area; in addition, ArtsPartners works to strengthen the arts as an economic catalyst for the Peoria area. ArtsPartners accomplishes their mission in the following ways:1. Facilitating collaborative initiatives among arts groups and o t h e r entities2. E x p a n d i n g audiences3. Acting as a liaison and c o o r d i n a t o r of arts information and resources4. E x p a n d i n g educational opportunities5. E n c o u r a g i n g public participation6. Keeping the arts on the community agenda

It is important to note that while ArtsPartners strives to make connections among and oversee the various arts groups, they have no authority when it comes to making decisions or setting policy.

Unfortunately, the organization does not have the structure, resources, and formal relationships necessary to advocate for the arts at the level this region needs.

Fiscal Impacts Another issue to consider when making decisions about land use and growth is the fiscal implication for public and private entities related to the costs and revenues generated by various land uses. Commercial land uses generally create revenue and will contribute positively to the Village budget while residential uses generally cost more to serve than they contribute through fees and taxes. It is therefore important that South Side balances residential and commercial growth to ensure a fiscally sound budget.Demographic Context

ArtsPartners of Central Illinois actively partners with Illinois Arts Council, Illinois Arts Alliance, and Bradley University to document the economic impact of arts and the activities of non-profit arts organizations in the Greater Peoria Area. Several studies including “The Arts as Big Business” by ArtsPartners indicate that art activities generate millions of dollars for the local economy; the art activity proposed for the Southside of Peoria will be no exception to this rule. In addition, in creating the Our Town art/culture plan for the Southside of Peoria, every partner from the District Council person to local artists have expressed support for focusing energy and efforts to revitalized this underserved community through the arts.

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their own separate, identifiable significance to the community. Many of these elements are unique to the City of Peoria and provide exclusive opportunities and quality of life for its residents. Modern development has substantially changed this neighborhood, affecting its character and sense of place and depleting its population. In order to restore identity and pride, we must make sure special care is exercised when and where development and investment occurs. By its very nature, modern development has required extensive land clearing that favors large scale buildings on large lots with significant space and resources allocated to accommodate automobiles. Since it was more difficult to transform the existing roads and plats in the grid pattern of the traditional inner city neighborhoods, most of this development occurred on greenfields sprawling around the city. The development spreads along in a strip fashion, abandoning once dense neighborhoods with identifiable commercial centers for congested regionally-oriented developments and cul-de-sacs with no special identity and lacking pedestrian accessibility and safety. The character of the South Side is important not only for maintaining and enhancing civic pride, but also for increasing self awareness and economic competitiveness within the region. Continued disinvestment

and abandonment has placed the burden of cultivating local character on an ever smaller and already overburdened population. For this reason, ArtsPartners and Tri-County Regional Planning have taken steps toward making that burden lighter by developing an Arts and Culture plan and vision for future investment in a way that is sensitive to the many characteristics that already exist. The tools that the community

has at its disposal influence not only the appearance of the South Side, but also the way the neighborhood functions and the feelings of visitors, citizens, and those doing business in the area.

Community Context

Despite its challenges, the South Side is full of many unique assets that link modern residents to the rich heritage of the originally community builders. Many of the early buildings still remain and the original inter-connected, walkable street

and alley system is intact. Historic churches, homes, libraries, parks and storefronts are scattered through the South Side.

It is not only the physical elements that are significant to the sense of place on the South Side. Much of the neighborhood’s rich heritage comes from its civic minded citizens who have worked collaboratively since the turn of the century to fight for justice and make the

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neighborhood a caring community where residents can live, work, and play. Documenting and celebrating this local history, architecture, food, and festivals is as important to maintaining a vibrant community as ensuring clean water and well maintained roads. Investing in local culture through religious organizations, social clubs, and recreational clubs will build the intangible benefits of community

Local Implementation framework

Protect and Preserve Existing AssetsPreserving and enhancing the local identity, uniqueness, and arts assets require that local decision making, planning process, policies and regulations reflect and support this community character. Incorporating these elements into an underlying philosophy or

identity of a community can provide a framework for decision making, encourage development that is place based, and reinforce cultural goals and vision. This also supports the work of civic leaders and community advocates and can help bring new allies, talent, and ideas to the table.

Address Systemic Neighborhood IssuesCrime and blight have plagued the neighborhood for decades. This in turn has led to disinvestment resulting from real and perceived unsafe and undesirable conditions. Implementing arts to combat these issues involves adopting the strategy of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). Strategic use of art, lighting, and even landscaping can curb or deter potential criminal activity and create a sense of ownership where once none existed. Public Investment in InfrastructureThe design of urban infrastructure, such as architecture, streetscapes, transportation facilities, and so on, present artist an opportunity to interpret the many elements of a sense of place. Through the development of creative streetscape design, public facilities, street signage, and other infrastructure, artist can inform, educate and comment on these local considerations

Arts and Culture ProgrammingArts and Culture programming provides education about the historical and cultural context of a community and opportunities for participating in community life through festivals, events, performances, interactive classes and workshops, and a variety of other activities. Programming

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initiates conversation about arts and culture and establishes a structure of happenings and plans that ensure that these activities will continue to flourish.

GOAL: Preserve and Enhance Neighborhood Character:Encourage investment and development of diverse, attractive, and unique uses that showcase the community as a unique place to live, work, learn, shop, dine, and enjoy cultural activitiesObjectivesInvest and Encourage Local ArtsCelebrate and promote local arts (including artist, dancers, actors, and musicians) though regular public art displays and performances.Encourage annual community events and promote membership in

local organizations or clubs.Protect existing public art and encourage additional mural and sculpture opportunities in the NeighborhoodCreate Educational Opportunities to the local residents to learn skilled crafts.Invest and Encourage Local FoodsCelebrate and promote locally grown produce through farmers markets and roadside stands. Encourage residential agriculture, including allowing for chickens, ducks, and other small farm animals in residential zoningDevelop and promote local events where locally grown food is showcasedParticipate in regional local food initiatives

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Encourage Buy Local InitiativesPromote local goods and servicesDevelop a Buy local campaignCreate educational opportunities for South Side residents to learn how to start and operate a small businessIncentivize local business start-ups though competitive grants, fees and/or tax abatementReduce barriers to entry including high permit fees and unnecessary zoning restrictionsProtect and Preserve Local HeritageEstablish a historical society focused on learning about and protecting the historical legacy of the South Side. There is no compiled documented history beyond this document. Identify and protect the South Side’s historic structures and neighborhood features. Encourage the preservation, rehabilitation, maintenance, and adaptive reuse of high quality older buildings.Retain and enhance public and community-based institutions and facilities, such as schools, churches, libraries, and parks, as important community center and providers of employment, services, and amenities.Preserve the character of the South Side by utilizing existing transportation routes (Western, Adams, Jefferson) and protecting the natural features (like the bluffs) and resources (like the springs) located within the neighborhood.Ensure that public and private investment and development within the South Side is consistent with and support the Neighborhood’s goals, objectives, policies, and programs for the creation of an attractive and

engaging built environment that respects the community’s unique setting and established character.Implement planning, urban design, and architectural design standards that foster creation of a unique sense of place for the Neighborhood as a whole, as well as within specific districts and gathering places.

Enhance Unique Neighborhood AssetsMaintain and enhance Western Avenue as the predominant activity center and north-south corridor through the South SideEstablish or improve relationships and communication among developers, City staff, and community organization to leverage unique South Side assets.Develop streetscape standards and design guidelines for significant corridors. Recognize that the design of streets and the features that line it are some of the most important determinants of the visual quality of the Neighborhood.Promote the South Side Strong identity as a means of creating a sense of belonging to the community.Seek to ensure that the placement and design of signage and public utility facilities are consistent with the goal of creating a beautiful Neighborhood.Enhance and define South Side Gateways. Primary entry routes into the Village are important icons and should be attractive and welcoming. Preserve natural areas with outstanding ecological and aesthetic qualities. Establish and interconnected system of parks, greenways, and other types of open sace that contributes to the unique sense of place and

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natural beauty of the South Side.

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PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN INFRA

ARTS AND CULTURE PROGRAMMING-- Arts and Culture Programming Arts and Culture programming provides education about the historical and cultural context of a community and opportunities for participating in community life through festivals, events, performances, interactive classes and workshops, and a variety of other activities. Programming initiates conversation about arts and culture and establishes a structure of happenings and plans that ensure that these activities will continue to flourish.The South Side Neighborhood has long been home to the area’s working class families. The blue collar workers of the South Side were often among the first to feel the impact of economic recessions and changes to the local employment climate.

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As part of the arts and culture plan, the grantees partnered with a team of local artists to developed a concept plan for the selected neighborhood. The concept plan includes artistic renditions, a description of the process for construction, description of long-term maintenance, and a budget for construction and maintenance. The team then created a maquette of an example public art project, and prepared a final presentation for the community to be presented at IGNITE Peoria. The following section contains their final report.

PURPOSE

To create a plan in which public art is introduced into poverty stricken, under-served areas of Peoria’s South Side. This plan could be used to secure grant funding in the future, to implement ideas described within.

OBSTACLES

What is the purpose of introducing art into this area?Peoria’s poverty stricken South Side has many areas with blighted, run-down houses and other properties. According to 2014 Peoria Police Department crime stats, crime rates are higher in this district of Peoria, than any other district.

Introducing the right kind of art could help enhance the aesthetics of the community. Changing the look of the community is the first step toward changing behavior in a community. It could also serve to bring people together and help build a sense of pride within the community through the creation and maintaining of the artwork.

What kind of art should be used?

Art Created by Local Artists

To be most effective, artwork should be created by local artists working with residents of the neighborhoods where the

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art is to be displayed. Education programs can be set up to facilitate this connection. This will create more of a sense of ownership and pride over the artworks for the neighborhoods.

THEMES

Any artwork created for specific neighborhoods should include elements of the neighborhood’s cultures/subcultures. Ideas for art can come through surveys of the local neighbors, incorporating inspiring stories/urban myth about local residents, past residents, significant events directly related to the neighborhood. Even street or neighborhood names can be used as inspiration for art. This would help create a sense of ownership for the people residing here.

• Examples: Artwork that reflects street names• Stars on Star Street• Gardens on Garden Street• Wild West on Western, or the Western World on Western

Interactive Art

Artwork in its creation can be interactive through inclusion of people from the neighborhoods where the art is to be displayed.

Artwork can also be created in a manner where people can interact with it in a personal manner• Painted bus benches• Park equipment

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MATERIALS

Paint: Murals, telephone poles, etc.; easiest material to use, but not good longevity in outdoor elements. Anything painted would need retouched every couple of years.

Ceramic: Can be used to create mosaics, murals, sculpture, pottery; best longevity. Once fired, ceramic objects last forever, therefore, very little maintenance is required. Every few years, maintenance would include cleaning, and possibly re-grouting.

Concrete: Used for decorative walls, sculpture; good longevity. Concrete has great versatility in which it can be used to create forms. It would also be a necessity with infrastructure projects. Paint and/or ceramic elements can be used to decorate the surfaces of concrete forms. Concrete would need maintenance every few years.

Bronze: Used for sculpture; great longevity, but expensive. Once created, bronze sculpture can withstand elements of weather better than any other material, except ceramic. Maintenance would include retouching patina surfaces, but this is only after several years of outdoor exposure. The downside to bronze is cost. It would be the most expensive material to use.

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3. How can the art and environment where the art is displayed be interactive?

LOCAL ART

If art is created by local artists through help from local residents of the neighborhoods, the art is interactive in its creation. This builds more of a sense of ownership and pride over the artwork and its place in the community.

Gardens

Within many urban areas throughout the United States, urban gardening has become very popular. Recently, this trend has caught on in Peoria. Decorative urban gardens could be set up in several of the local neighborhoods in the South End of Peoria. These gardens would not only be for the production of food, but also beautification of landscape. Artistic design and incorporation of local art into the gardens will enhance the visual aesthetics of the neighborhoods.

Many of the under-served in these areas come from broken families.

Many children run the streets unsupervised. Few are taught discipline or work ethic. Without these basic skills, several of these children grow into adulthood without knowledge or ability to work

steady jobs. Teaching them to grow food in their neighborhoods can help change this trajectory. It can show them the magic of planting a seed and seeing it come into fruition. Growing the food and maintaining the plants, will help teach valuable skills and also help to build work ethic.

There could be various scenarios for which to use the produce from these gardens:Personal Plots: Gardens could be divided into sections that people could plant and maintain their own produce. Anything they grow, they would get to keep.Shared Plots (residents keep produce): Local residents could work together planting/maintaining these gardens. The produce could be divided equally among partners for them to keep.

Neighborhood Plots (disperse to neighbors): Neighborhood residents could work together to grow/maintain these gardens. A system could be set up where the produce gathered could be dispersed for free to local neighbors in need of food.

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Neighborhood Plots (sell): Plots of land could be used by the neighborhood to grow/maintain produce for the purpose of selling at reasonable rates to local neighborhood residents. Neighborhoods could then create systems where the money would be fairly distributed to anyone who helped with the gardens. This could be a key motivation to get participation

Farmer’s Markets

Farmer’s markets are becoming increasingly popular within the Peoria area. However, there are currently no markets set up in the South End of Peoria. Selling or distributing of food could be accomplished easily through setting up farmer’s markets at the locations of the gardens. This would draw people to the gardens, further helping to create a

sense of cultural place, giving people more sense of ownership within their community.

Parks

Artwork can be created for the local existing parks or to also create new parks, in a manner where they are not just for display but also interacted with.• Playground Equipment• Graffiti Parks• Skate Parks• Bike Parks• Dog Parks• Rain Gardens• Water Parks

Neighborhood Art Events

Neighborhood art events can be organized to celebrate the arts within the South Side of Peoria. Events could include public sculpture/garden walks, neighborhood art parades, etc. They would be located within the vicinity of the public art. This would lead to more sense of pride through ownership within the community.

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4. Where can artwork be introduced that it will be visible and interacted with?

The most benefit of public art comes from being in locations where it is highly visible and accessible. Community entities such as Citilink, IDOT, etc. should form alliances with artists and local architects interested in making impact in the community. Architects could utilize artist ideas in the design of infrastructure or beautification projects such as bridges, streets, right-of-ways, bus stops, even alley ways, etc. This approach has the power to give a more personal, authentic, and aesthetically pleasing feel to the city. It would help build pride within the neighborhoods and thus help build culture.

• Research St. Louis City Museum to see where Artists and Architects worked together on the design of this facility: http://www.citymuseum.org/site/

EDUCATION

A system can be set up to teach under-served youths from the South End of Peoria about the arts, through inclusion in the creation of public art for their neighborhoods.

These systems could be structured similar to programs such as:

Wheel Art Pottery Studios: Aspiring Artists Program• Summer Program for High School Students• Students are taught to work in ceramic medium• In turn, they assist in teaching summer camps for grade-school

children (learning through teaching)• Program funds itself-High School Students do not have to pay

tuition: they “work” off the tuition • Summer Camp children pay tuition• Jacob Grant owns Wheel Art Pottery Studios-he set up and

facilitated this program

The Peoria Art Guild’s Mentor Apprenticeship Program• Summer Program for High School Students• Students are taught to work in several different mediums• Instruction in more conceptual aspects of art• Program could not fund itself (no longer running)• Jacob Grant worked for The Peoria Art Guild-he assisted in

instruction with this program

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21st Century Grant• 5 year grant (just ran out)• Collaboration between district 150, the Peoria Art Guild, and

(former) Lakeview Museum (now Peoria Riverfront Museum)• After-school Arts Integration Program for grades 3-6• Shows application of arts in everyday life: i.e. math forming

symmetry in art• Various Art-forms: film, dance, graphic design, public speaking,

photography, etc.• R. Rashad Reed worked through the Peoria Art Guild on this grant-

facilitated instruction• Brenda Gentry worked through the former Lakeview Museum on

the grant-instructor

Research• Researched several city art programs• Santa Fe, NM• Albuquerque, NM• Flint, MI• Detroit, MI• Grand Rapids, MI• Scouted corridors, infrastructure, and architecture in Peoria’s

South End• Gathered Visuals• Attended/Participated in Community Meetings and Events• Trewyn School

• South Side Mission• Cornstock Theater• Ignite Peoria• Created sketches, Maquettes, photoshop images

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As partners with Peoria Area ArtsPartners and Tri-County City and Planning, five Peoria-area artists worked together for 1.5 years gathering data, creating a plan, and making maquettes of artworks.

JACOB GRANT

Born and raised in rural, central Illinois, Jacob found his love for ceramics while attending Eastern Illinois University during his undergraduate studies. He has made and sold pottery since 2000. In 2005, Jacob moved to Peoria to pursue the Master of Fine Arts degree at Bradley University.

While attending graduate school, Jacob became immersed is Peoria’s local art community through working with The Peoria Art Guild. After graduating from Bradley in the spring of 2008, he set up a studio in downtown Peoria at the Murray Center for the Arts and began working as a full-time artist/potter, since. Jacob was one of the founding members of Peoria’s First Fridays open gallery and studio tours.

Jacob has displayed his work in several gallery and museum exhibitions. Working with designers, his work has been sold and displayed in significant locations such as Disney World and The Four Seasons Hotel in Washington D.C. In the past, Jacob has primarily has marketed his work through selling at art fairs and festivals, where he has won several awards, as well. Through these venues, Jacob even received attention from a national publication and was the featured cover artist for Sunshine Artist Magazine in January of 2010.

Jacob grew up in a middle class family, the fourth child amongst nine. He learned at a young age the value of growing and caring for gardens, helping provide food for his army of a family. One of his earliest memories is selling vegetables grown from his garden on a town street corner. Ever since Jacob moved to Peoria, he has been immersed in the local art scene. He has worked with inner city Peoria youth through teaching at the Peoria Art Guild and young adults through Illinois Central College. Through these experiences, he has seen the empowering results of underprivileged people working with art. Inspiration and excitement can easily be seen by Jacob when they have their hands in clay. Jacob believes in the power of collaboration. Through introducing art, gardening, and neighborhood participation, Jacob feels these could have the power to bring this broken community together.

Artist Team

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BRENDA GENTRY

Brenda Gentry is a painter and sculptor raised in Peoria, Illinois. Being an African American woman has a very strong role in her artwork and in her life's ambition. She is a teacher with the 21st Century arts integrated learning program at Harrison Elementary, where she teaches science and social studies through the fine arts. She previously taught at Ameriasian Christian Academy, an international school in South Korea, where she began an after school arts program for high school and helped start a now-annual art fair for the entire school. She also taught art classes at Lakeview Museum of Arts and Science.

Growing up with dyslexia and always struggling a little in academics yet excelling in creative endeavors, she now believes strongly in arts integrated learning, knowing that every student learns in a different way and has their own strengths and weaknesses and that intelligence will not always be marked by a letter grade. She believes that a learning environment needs to be one that encourages creativity of thought and respect of all living things, if we are to progress as a people.

R. RASHAD REED

R. Rashad is a sculptor and painter born and raised in Peoria Illinois. Rashad showed interest and promise at an early age and began to develop and hone his skills through area mentorship programs at the Peoria Art Guild. Working as an apprentice to area artist Preston Jackson, Rashad was exposed to the intricacies of fine art, and decided

to pursue a degree, followed by a career in the arts. A proud alumni of HAMPTON UNIVERSITY, Rashad takes pride in contributing to the long list of outstanding artists to have studied at the prestigious institution. Rashad also relishes the challenges that face artists in his hometown where he has returned to build his studio and raise his family. Rashad currently travels the country exhibiting and selling his work to collectors, dealers, and galleries. Rashad is also committed to enhancing the state of public art in the Peoria area, unveiling ‘Olmec Pryor” in John Gwynn park late last fall.

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BENJAMIN WATKINS

Benjamin Watkins, a Kansas native, moved to Illinois in the fall of 2002 after completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting. His love for clay began in undergraduate school and flourished during his internship with nationally known artist Sandra McKenzie Schmitt. He began throwing production pots and sculptural forms for Sandra during his graduate studies. Shortly after completing his MFA, Ben went to work full time managing Sandra’s pottery studio McKenzie River Pottery (MRP). He continues to throw for Sandra, but also manages her firing and production schedule allowing her time to sculpt and decorate her line of work that sells in galleries throughout the United States.

The growth of Sandra’s business over the years allowed Ben the opportunity to start an intern and resident artist program at MRP. This program allows students and artists of varying levels an opportunity to work under professional artist; in return, they gain an education in ceramics and in the art business. Ben produces his own line of functional pottery that he sells at MRP, art and craft fairs throughout the region, and various art graduate work at Bradley University. A prolific artist, Ben spent his days working in clay and nights painting. It became apparent during his graduate critiques that painting was not enough to satisfy his artistic needs. Rather than choosing between the two mediums to complete his degree, Ben was the first Bradley graduate to receive a Master of Fine Arts Degree in inner disciplinary studies focusing on both painting and ceramics.

Graduate school allowed him the freedom to learn from and work for galleries. He strives to be a master of both form and glaze, his inspiration comes from a vast knowledge of ceramic history and contemporary influences combined with his love of nature. He combines his painting and clay expertise in clay relief murals which allow him the same freedoms found with painting while working in a medium that stands the test of time.

KYLE HOFF

Kyle Hoff , 22, has been working in concrete for over 10 years, working in footing, walls, flatwork, and decorative flatwork. He has been working in ceramics for over 3 years. He is able offer knowledge and skill to create quality concrete and ceramics which can aid in the longevity of public art.

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Crime Prevention Through Environmental DesignArchitects, planners, police officers and others have come to recognize that certain buildings and site design techniques can impact their environment positively and reduce instances of crime. As a result, a nationally recognized collection of design principals has been created known as Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). CPTED is a multi-disciplinary approach to deterring criminal behavior through modifications in the built environment. The strategies of CPETD rely on the ability to influence offenders’ decisions that precede criminal acts by altering the built, social, and administrative environment. Incorporating these strateiges within the arts and culture plan can ensure public art is used in an innovative and positive way to reduce crime in the neighborhood.

Natural Surveillance

“Eyes on the street” and “eyes from the street” are two phrases that describe the concept of natural surveillance. Allowing people to see their surroundings, weather inside or outside of a building, will prevent people from “sneaking up.” Additionally, people are attracted to well-designed buildings and sites. When people look at a building, they are also observing the activity around it. An unattractive building discourages people from looking at it, thus giving criminals their necessary cover to commit a crime. Hiding spaces can also be reduced or eliminated through proper placement of windows, landscaping, reception areas, and front offices.

Territorial Reinforcement

The way that spaces are defined can give a welcoming feel towanted users or an unwelcoming feel to undesired users. There are three divisions of space:• Public Space. This space is typically where anyone in the general

public is free to travel. Such examples would include public streets, sidewalks, parks, and public plazas. The spaces are open and visible. Few or no barriers exist to control entry to these spaces.

• Semi-Public Space. Semi-public spaces are areas that are open for people conducting business or have regular permission to use, either supervised or unsupervised. Examples would include a single-family home’s front yard or porch, a hotel lobby, a retail store, or a private plaza. A postal carrier could enter a front yard only to deliver the mail. A person could enter a store to shop or browse only. A person would feel comfortable in these spaces doing limited or specified activities, but uncomfortable doing other things. Few or no physical barriers may exist to control entry to these spaces.

• Private Space. This space is designed specifically for the owner or user. Examples would include a home’s back yard or interior, an employee’s office, or a retail store’s back room. Uninvited or unauthorized people would feel uncomfortable in these spaces or feel as if they were not supposed to be there. Typically, there are barriers or controls established to limit access into these spaces.

Providing clearly defined spaces will help reinforce feelings of comfort in authorized users and discomfort in unauthorized users.

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Building Design

The following design principles aid in positive visibility for a building. These principles can be applied in both commercial and residential situations.

Visible EntrancesLocating the main entrance of a building in an area clearly visible from the street serves two functions: it assists building users in identifying the building and it allows law enforcement personnel to monitor the entrance during routine patrol.

WindowsWindows create a welcoming feeling from the outside. They also allow users of the building to see people approaching the building. The use of some unobstructed opaque windows should be used in every business and multi-family application, especially near entrances.

Gathering SpacesPeople tend to feel safe when in groups. Plazas, lobbies, and parks provide places for people to interact and should be encouraged wherever possible. Porches have similar effects in residential areas.

Building PlacementIn commercial settings, buildings that are oriented towards the publicright-of-way provide opportunities to people of all mobility types drivers, pedestrians, and transit users) a means to access the building

easily. Typical suburban building placement places buildings away from the street and away from each other. The only way to access these buildings safely is by automobile. When a building is placed close to a street, it gains more attention from users of the adjacent streets and sidewalks. Additionally, buildings that are isolated from each other do not allow for natural surveillance that close buildings enjoy.

Interior DesignsCrime prevention methods should also be considered within a building. In business applications, the concepts of territorial reinforcement and natural surveillance can be addressed through (but not limited to) proper placement of reception areas, limiting shelving height, and limiting hallway lengths. In multi-family applications, design of common areas (such as social rooms or laundry facilities) should be open and visible. The City will should work with businesses and multifamily building owners or managers through the design process.Access control can be managed through mechanical means such as locks or card-key accesssystems. Security cameras should not be relied upon as the sole means of security or access control.

Site Design

LandscapingLandscaping can be used in a variety of ways to both enhance a site visually and detract crime. Improperly placed landscaping can give a potential criminal a place to hide. Like building design, people tend to look at attractive landscaping therefore providing natural surveillance

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to a building and site.Territorial Reinforcement Trees and shrubs, planters, walkways, fences and walls, and other landscape features help define a space into public, semi-public, and private areas. The landscape design should be created with this in mind.

ScreeningBerms, fences, and landscaping used for screening purposes should be designed based upon the adjacent land uses and for what is being screened. For example, when screening parking lots from adjacent roadways, screening only needs to be high enough toshield vehicle headlights. Building design should be considered first when placing loading and waste areas. Fencing and walls may be a better screening tool than berms and should be considered.

Parking Lots & StructuresAdequate convenient parking is essential for businesses success. Proper design and placement of a parking lot or ramp can provide safety for its users and protection of the vehicles and property. Visibility from the building or public areas is critical in providingsafety for its users as well as discourages improper use of the lot (i.e. loitering).

Lighting

Proper lighting can create a welcoming feel to an area as well as thwart criminal activity.

Site Lighting/Exterior LightingProper exterior lighting should enhance the architecture of a building and provide a safe environment. Poor lighting can focus attention in the wrong area, create shadows, and/or glare. Different light sources produce a different color light—choosing the right color is important based on the use and setting. The City should work with property owners about choosing the right light source and fixtures for their situations.

Public Lighting/Roadway LightingRoadway lighting is primarily designed for vehicle safety. A secondary effect of street lighting is pedestrian safety and comfort. Street lighting can be effective with shorter standards that more pedestrian in scale. Another effect of street lighting is providing security lighting to adjacent properties. The City should consider these other effects of street lighting with roadway projects.

Social InteractionPositive constructive social interaction between residents of Brooklyn Park will have long-lasting benefits on the community. Annual and scheduled public events or activities that encourage social interaction are recommended.

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