MPC’s Community Building Initiative provides community assistance to provide solutions to development challenges faced by communities; test and refine policies and strategies; provide models for other communities; and create a network of regional partners
Illinois has vested authority in municipalities to plan for their futures. Through recent legislation and administrative actions in the areas of housing, natural resources and comprehensive planning, municipalities have new tools available. Yet, communities face a number of challenges due to market pressures, lack of fiscal incentives and need for expertise. Since 2001, MPC has been working to help communities meet these challenges by providing technical expertise, and market-based strategies for community redevelopment and sensibly planned new development.
The Initiative coordinates and steps-up MPC’s existing work into a unified program, drawing on the strengths from housing, regional development, transportation and urban development. We will continue existing partnerships with organizations such as the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Chicago, and the Campaign for Sensible Growth and will not compete with other technical assistance being provided in the region. In the long-term, it is MPC’s goal to demonstrate successful community building in targeted areas around the region, demonstrate both local and regional impact of the policies pursued and the assistance provided, and “work itself out of the job” by building the capacity and political will of state and regional agencies to fill this gap in the future by providing financial incentives and technical resources to communities that practice sensible growth and development policies.
ISSUE PRIORITIES
1. Community revitalization – opportunities for creating or adding to mixed-use development near existing resources such as transit stations in the city of Chicago and suburbs, and strategies to improve housing and economic development in distressed communities.
2. Housing options in job-rich areas – providing assistance to municipalities that wish or need to create and implement housing plans in areas with a lack of affordable housing opportunities; and
3. Sustainable development and conservation of resources in growing areas.
ORGANIZATION
An Advisory Board, chaired by Karen Butler, senior development director of General Growth Properties, and Todd Brown, vice chairman of ShoreBank, provides policy guidance to the initiative. Members include both MPC Board of Governors and Resource Board members, national experts, and local elected officials. The program is coordinated by Heather Campbell, with each major assignment led by a senior staff member contributing to a unified budget and program.
PRODUCTS
MPC’s Community Building Initiative’s main product is Community Partnerships. These are long-term community redevelopment, housing or sustainable development projects guided by a memorandum of understanding specifying roles and responsibilities for each partner. The goal is to carefully select community partners to represent “thought leaders” throughout the city of Chicago and region that will lead to ripple effects in similar communities that surround them or face similar circumstances. Existing commitments include Lawndale, Rogers Park, Riverdale, and St. Charles.
In addition to Community Partnerships, MPC provides short-term consultation with community leaders focused on an immediate need. This could range from a consultation on a specific issue to a short workshop to train community leaders on how to use existing tools, such as Sensible Tools for Healthy Communities or other similar workbooks.
As part of its community building work, MPC participates in the successful ULI Chicago-Campaign for Sensible Growth Technical Assistance Panels (TAPs). The format includes planning for several months in advance to structure the session, and then conducting a two-day session with a “panel” of approximately 10 industry leaders. The panel is followed by a written report that the community can be used to implement the strategies recommended by the panel.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
1. Project provides opportunity to advance sound and innovative public policy.
2. Land use and development challenges in the three issue areas — community revitalization, housing in job rich areas and sustainable development, and conservation.
3. Demonstrated leadership and staff capability to follow through with the assignment and communicate the vision to local residents, but who need some assistance to ramp-up.
4. Challenges that exemplify redevelopment, equity of opportunity, and infill development.
5. Issues shared by others in the region, so that solutions developed for the community can be replicated by others.
6. Community either possesses existing racial and economic diversity or community needs more racial and economic diversity. MPC will recommend, where applicable, solutions that break down existing barriers.
7. Project promotes regional collaboration and encourages collective approaches to problem-solving shared planning and development challenges.
MEASURING IMPACT
MPC keeps track of local implementation, including which recommendations that are adopted by the local community; what ongoing assistance is needed from MPC or its partners; and what are the outcomes of the project – e.g. number of affordable housing units preserved or constructed; increased value of new or redevelopment in commercial or residential areas, increased transit usage, etc. It is equally important to assess the regional impact; the extent to which other communities in the region learn from the projects and adopt similar policies that are locally appropriate, particularly on the three issue priorities.
RESOURCES AND LOCAL MATCH
Financial resources to support the projects include fee for service, as well as foundation, corporate and individual grants and contributions. The Initiative also serves as a model program that, if successful, could complete its mission by recruiting the state or a regional government entity to fill the need for technical assistance. Partners will be chosen based on need and ability to implement the actions, not based on ability to pay. However, clients are expected contribute a local match to ensure that they are committed to the process. The fee is tailored on the capacity of the community and the level of services requested.
Corporate sponsorships are available both for the project as a whole, for issues (such as housing plans), and for individual assignments.
MPC is thankful to the following supporters of this Initiative: Grand Victoria Foundation, Harris Bank, Steans Family Foundation, Fannie Mae Foundation, Allstate Foundation, Woods Fund of Chicago, Chase, The Chicago Community Trust, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and Sara Lee Foundation. Additional support is provided through MPC’s Regional Action Agenda funded by MacArthur Foundation and McCormick Tribune Foundation.
For more information about MPC’s Community Building Initiative, please contact Joanna Trotter at 312-863-6008 or jtrotter@metroplanning.org.