Revitalization Task Force Initiative Technology Presentation

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Revitalization Task Force InitiativeTechnology
Presentation
Morehouse College
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Progress through Neighborhood Partnerships

• Morehouse College

March 2004
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Revitalization Task Force

• Revitalization Task Force
• Assists Neighborhood Planning Unit T with
  building neighborhood organizational capacity.
• Reinforces and enhances Morehouses relationship
  with
• adjacent communities,
• local government, and
• civic organizations

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Task Force Goals Objectives

• To prepare a neighborhood revitalization plan
  that emphasizes community-articulated preferences
  for development and preservation.

12 Websites built already

• To establish community-based momentum for driving
  neighborhood revitalization initiatives. Through
  website hosting, online journaling, and other
  creative means

• To promote and strengthen meaningful linkages
  between the community and Morehouse College. By
  providing neighborhood organizations with student
  interns and other technical support.

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Task Force Staff
André Bertrand, Director Gwen Cain, Program
Manager Torrey O. Johnson, Program Assistant Ruth
Price, Neighborhood Watch Coordinator
Faculty Partners Dr. Glenwood Ross,Dept. of
Economics Dr. Lawrence Blumer,Dept. of Biology
Dr. Harold Braithwaite,Dept of Psychology Dr.
Ebenezer Aka Dept. of Political Science Matthew
Laney, Michael BellamyInformation Technology
Dr. Uzee Brown,Dept. of Music Dr. Hasan
Crockett Dept. of Political Science
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Task Force Partners

• Community Partners
• Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Fannie Mae Foundation
• City of Atlanta Bureau of Planning
• State Street Foundation
• Councilmember Cleta Winslow, City of Atlanta
• State Senator Vincent Fort
• The Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership
• Clark Atlanta University
• University Community Development Corporation
• United Way of Greater Atlanta

• Neighborhood Organizations
• Neighborhood Planning Unit-T (NPU-T)
• Ashview Heights Neighborhood Association
• Booker T. Washington Neighborhood Assoc.
• John O. Chiles Resident Association
• JUST US
• Its Our Neighborhood
• University Villas Resident Association
• West End Coalition Group Inc.
• West End Neighborhood Development Corp.
• West End Merchant Coalition
• Westview Community Organization

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RTF 2000-2004In Review

• Collaborative Workshops
• Year 1 3
• Year 2 6
• Year 3 8

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RTF 2000-2004
(10) Computers Distributed to the Neighborhood
Organizations
(11) Neighborhood Organization Histories Completed
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RTF Using Technology to Strengthen the Community

• The community requested demographic information
  and Morehouse College responded by creating a GIS
  Lab to help the community identify the resources
  available to address the needs of the Community.

Scene from GIS Day. Elijah stands by his map
which describes the spatial prevalence of
female-headed households in the Atlanta area

• The GIS lab has been used to
• Identify and map data within NPU-T
• Map public safety data
• Partner with the city, county, and state to
  produce current data

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• RTF 2000-2004
• Outcomes and Initiatives

Helping Organizations Build Capacity In the
Following Ways RTF has Delivered
1. Technical assistance to neighborhood
organizations in applying for grants Year 2
8 organizations received assistance 2.
Neighborhood organizations received funding from
grants Year 3 5 organizations
funded 3. Computer literacy training to
neighborhood organizations Year 2 3
organizations received training Year 3
5 organizations received training 4. Computer
training sessions Year 2 35 classes
held Year 3 50 classes held
5. Helping Organizations build membership Year 2
5 neighborhood histories were
written Year 3 11 neighborhood histories
were written Year 2-4 12 websites were
developed/built 6. Enhancing Communication
Inter Organizationally and Intra Organizationally
Year 2-4 9 computers
distributed to 7. Neighborhood
Organizations Year 2-4 13, 595 newsletters
completed and distributed Year 2-4 8,150
brochures completed and distributed 8. (11)
Neighborhood Organizations Completed Year 2-4
2 community wide surveys conducted Year 2-4
33 workshops were conducted based upon survey
results

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Phases For Continued Grant Implementation

• Need For intensive Technical Assistant Training
  with each neighborhood organization
• Concept phase/Introducing GIS as a concept, (for
  membership development and planning Tools)
• Documenting issues( have community select a
  community person as co-facilitator)
• Create strategic planning committee
• Develop methodology and discuss solutions
• for strategic planning process,

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Visions For The Future

• Greater collaboration between businesses and
  faith-based organizations,
• More NPU-T housing within specified design
  standards,
• Assist organizations in becoming self-directed
  in influencing public policy,
• Greater research emphasis using Morehouse
  Colleges Brisbane Institute with the Citizens
  Participation Model, and research faculty and
  students.
• Rehabilitating (14) homes owned and occupied by
  senior citizens,
• To construct (6) affordable houses on existing
  vacant lots, near homes that are to be
  rehabilitated,
• Continue Training (15) Student Planning
  Assistants in Geographic Information Systems
  (GIS) Technology to allow for databasing of
  neighborhood characteristic information
• To increase homeownership opportunities for (60)
  low and moderate-income persons