healthy northeast initiative presentation
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Healthy Northeast Initiative
Hartford, Connecticut
Robert Wood Johnson FoundationRoadmaps to Health Community Prize Application
June 7, 2012
A Vision For a Safer, Healthier and more Prosperous
Northeast Hartford
Healthy Northeast Key Collaborators
• Donaghue Foundation• Connecticut Health Foundation• Conway School of Landscape Design• Ebony Horsewomen Children’s Program• Friends of Keney Park• Hartford Catholic Worker• Hartford Foundation for Public Giving• Husky Sport• Hartford Housing Authority• Journey Home• Judah House• Martin Luther King School• NAACP • North Star• Northeast Neighborhood Partners, Inc.• Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Zone• Peacebuilders• Salvation Army• Smith College• Three Generations Navaehn• United States District Attorney Office• Urban Alliance• Vine Street Blockwatch Group
• City of Hartford• Department of Health and Human Services• Burgdorf/Bank of America Health Center• University of Hartford College of
Education, Nursing and Health Professions• University of Connecticut
Center for Public Health and Health Policy• Central Connecticut Area Health Education Center • Community Solutions• Saint Francis Primary Care Center
and Health Equity Center• Hartford Food System• Catholic Charities• Center for Children’s Advocacy• Chrysalis Center• Community Health Center, Inc.• Community Health Centers
Association of Connecticut• Community Health Services• Community Partners in Action• Community Renewal Team/Generations• Center/Hartford Childhood Wellness Alliance• Connecticut Community Care
By connecting vulnerable populations to the supports they need, and strengthening the social
and economic fabric of their neighborhoods, people can remain stably housed within the
context of their own communities
Hartford Connecticut
Downtown Hartford
At $75,086, Hartford had the highest per-capita GDP in
2011 of the 200 largest metropolitan economies in the
world
Northeast Hartford’s estimated median household income is
$20,389 and the neighborhood has a poverty rate of 38%
Northeast Hartford
The Northeast NeighborhoodPopulation: 10,137•Foreign Born 892: (8.8%)•Black, Non-Hispanic: 8,039 (79.3%)•White, Non-Hispanic: 142 (1.4%)•Other Race: 30 (0.3%)•Hispanic: 1,926 (19%)
KeneyPark
Keney Park makes up 40% of the neighborhood
Community Asset Map
We mapped everything in the neighborhood that was not a house to determine what assets and resources already existed in the neighborhood and where there were gaps.
Community Resource DatabaseWe converted the information gathered on the map into a database of all existing
resources serving the neighborhood. We are partnering with Hartford Public Library and Hartford Department of Health and Human Services to make the database a user-
friendly online resource for the whole neighborhood.
How do we address Northeast Hartford’s
challenges and leverage its assets for positive
change?
The remediated factory complex will be renovated to provide space for light industry, entrepreneurs, artisans and food production,
creating 50 jobs and serving as a catalyst for economic development throughout the neighborhood.
The Swift Factory Swift Factory
Five-Corners FarmIn partnership with Hartford Food System and Knox Parks Foundation, we
transformed the open space on the Swift factory site into an urban farm that is in its second growing season.
Strengthen the Economic and Social Fabric of the Community
Anchor Neighborhood Revitalization
Swift Factory Redevelopment
Create 50 Jobs
Grow Healthy
Food
Supportive Housing
Integrated Health, Employment & Social
Services
Northeast Neighborhood
Residents
Enhance walkability and
physical connections
between neighborhood
assets
Keney Park
Interior of the Swift Factory
Address Neighborhood
Conditions & Health Issues
Build Partnerships and Social
Connections
Parker Memorial Community Center•Brand new multi-million dollar facility with Gymnasium, Pool & Computer labs
Westland StreetWestland Street
Nelton Court Public Housing•Recently torn down•Will be replaced by 80 new low-income rental units4New entrance off of Westland Street will add activity to the street and could connect to PMCC
Exit Only DrivewayExit Only Driveway
Brackett Park•Open greenspace•New playscape and shelter slated for construction
New Private Low-Income Housing•Construction has begun for new homes on land that was part of Brackett Park
Churches are a sourceof social capital•23 churches in the neighborhood•Already active communities
Building a visible public life in the
neighborhood
Swift FactorySwift
Factory
5-Corners Intersection5-Corners Intersection
KeneyPark
KeneyPark
Urban Hope Church
Urban Hope Church
“We used to go to services and afterwards everybody gathered in Keney Park, the place to meet.”
Churches
Baseball Fields
•Active and visible from the street
• Cricket, baseball and basketball are all popular activities in the park
h
Swift Factory
Swift Factory
Edge of Park
The Simpson-Waverly School
• 10 schools within a half-mile of the park
• Keney Park has a rich biodiversity, and could serve as a valuable educational resource.
h
Swift Factory
Swift Factory
Edge of Park
0
Pedestrian Entrance at Love Lane
•Entrances are not clearly marked or welcoming
Pedestrian Entrance near Keney Pond
• Dense forest and undergrowth prevent clear site lines and makes the park feel more dangerous Park Entrances
Swift Factory
Edge of Park
Gully Brook
•Illegal dumping occurs here and throughout the park
•Park maintenance is restricted by a limited budget
Swift Factory
Edge of Park
Keney Park Pond House
• Keney Pond and West Meadow are the most active areas in the park
• There is no sidewalk so pedestrians entering from the street are forced to share the driveway with cars
• New playground• Swimming pool• Pond• Summer camps
Swift Factory
Edge of Park
Guiding Principles for Safe DesignTaken from crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) and
prospect and refuge design theory
•Natural Surveillance
•Control and Choice
•Legibility & Coherence
•Maintenance
•Territoriality
•Known entrances and exits•Ability to escape
•Knowing where you are and where you’re going•Familiarity & ability to read your environment
•Public areas that are unmaintained invite criminal behavior
•Devote resources fully to smaller areas and expand only as more resources become available
•Places need to “belong” to somebody. Care shows ownership.
•Visibility of others and visibility by others
Pedestrian Entrance to KeneyPark on Edgewood Street
Observations:
•The entrance is unmarked•Visibility is limited by vegetation•Not wheelchair accessible
Recommendations:
•Create a managed forest edge with no underbrush near the trail.•Add inviting signage that lets people know where they are and where the trail leads.•Add a bench or plantings to formalize the entrance and show that it is cared for.•Add a curb cut for accessibility
Proposed Park Edge Greenway
Keney Park
Keney Golf Course
Keney Pond
Gully Brook
Swift Site
Vine Street
Edgew
ood
Ebony Horse Women
Westland
Street•5 new pedestrian entrances
Holcomb StreetLove Lane
Greenfield
•Pedestrians experience woodswhile being visible from the street
• More inviting walking environment than the street
•Safer park = more peoplemore people = safer park
Park Edge Greenway Parking Bike Lane Bike Lane Parking Sidewalk
Cross Section of Park Edge Greenway on Vine Street
Park edge on Vine Street Park edge on Vine Street
Why is Walkability Important?People at the lowest end of the economic stratum are particularly vulnerable to
economic or social disruption
Access to supportive social and health services can be the difference between a family or individual becoming
homeless or staying in their home
43% of households in Northeast Hartford do not own vehicles
The people who most need services, frequently have the most difficulty traveling to them.
Safe Pedestrian Crossings
Clearly marked crossings
Curb Extensions
•Make pedestrians more visible & shortens walking distance•Narrows street, causing cars to naturally slow •Expands right of way and provides more space for trees, stormwaterinfiltration or street furniture
Inviting Streets
Repair Sidewalks•Degraded sections of sidewalk are barriers to mobility
Main Street south of Battles Street
•Lighting•Trash Cans•Bus Shelters & Benches
Kuo and Sullivan, 2001
•Studies in poor urban neighborhoods have shown that vegetation that does not block visibility can actually reduce crime and help residents feel more hopeful about the future. Westland & Barbour Street
Add Street Trees & Vegetation
Parker Memorial Community Center
& Brackett Park
Swift Factory
Site
KeneyPark
Future Urban Farm
Westland Street
Earle Street
Love LaneRisley Street
•The 0.6 mile journey from the PMCC to Keney Park would be through green space and quiet residential streets.
•Crosses directly through the Swift Factory’s Urban Farm
•Avoids the higher traffic and criminal activity of Westland Street.
Keney Park Swift Factory PMCC
Future Homes &
Street Extension
Green & Residential Corridor to Keney Park
Vacant Lots• Invite crime and illegal dumping
• Cause decreased property values
•Cost money for city to maintain
•Enhance ecological health of neighborhoods
•Increase property values by as much as 30%
•Foster community connections & interactions
•Provide food and educational opportunities
•Provide green space for passive and active recreation
‘Green’ Strategies for transforming vacant lots:
Stabilize Lots
•Shows that a space is cared for •Deters criminal activities•Increases property values
•Enhances ecosystem health
Stabilize
Green Strategies for transforming vacant lots: •Community
Gardens•Pocket Parks
Public Art
Recreational Sites•Market Gardens•Urban Farms•Nurseries
Vacant Lot on corner Garden & Westland Streets
Potential Pocket Park
•Highly Visible
•Centrally located near Swift, in between Keney Park and Parker Center
•Low cost solution with large impact
•Increases bus stop safety and neighborhood safety
Plan view of intersection
Swift
Vacant lot
“That intersection of Love Lane, Garden & Westland Street had all the conveniences, from a barber shop,
Lasoff’s Bakery, a cleaners, and First National Grocery (which later became a Stop & Shop), to a
shoe repair, kosher meat market, and Shvetz Home Circle Grocery.”
Swift FactorySwift
Factory
5-Corners was once a vibrant
commercial intersection
In the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s:In the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s:
5-Corners Intersection5-Corners
Intersection
Swift SiteThe southernmost corner of the Swift site is a very visible, prominent space that could be transformed into a way-station or green oasis, as well as a destination that could actively engage the community before the building itself is renovated.
5-Corners Intersectio
n
Swift Factory
•Multi-use structure•Moveable furniture (hay bales)•Farm stand•Pocket Park•Outdoor movie nights•Performances
Possible Uses:
These diverse ideas will contribute to an ongoing conversation with residents about how
they envision their future
Building upon a Vibrant Northeast Hartford