SKINKER DEBALIVIERE BETTER BLOCK PROJECT Kick-Off Public Meeting| - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

SKINKER DEBALIVIERE BETTER BLOCK PROJECT Kick-Off Public Meeting| February 22, 2014

Welcome!  Agenda  Introductions  Coffee!

Today’s Goals  Learn about the Better Block Project  Select the Location & Date  Brainstorm for the Event  List out Community Assets/Resources  Form the Better Block Planning Team & Schedule Next Meeting

What is a Better Block?  Giant, temporary art installation  Demonstration & experimentation tool  Planned by community members  Collect feedback from attendees  Goals: Alter the perception of that block, test ideas, facilitate permanent change

Why in Skinker DeBaliviere  The Community Development Administration approached us with the idea. Thru CDA, we are receiving funding from HUD for the project.  Great fit for our neighborhood  New & energizing activity  Encourage action on the new Master Plan

The Better Block Project  TEDxOU Talk by Jason Roberts: “How to Build a Better Block”

What could we address?  Safety  Shared Access  Stay Power  8-80 Amenities  More

Select the Location  Considerations:  Proximity to a neighborhood  Area with good pedestrian form  Lacking a “complete street”  Potential for permanent change  Recommendation: Des Peres Avenue

Des Peres Avenue  Neighborhood Center  “Low - hanging fruit” + significant impact  Build on existing momentum

Select the Date  Considerations:  Conflicting events  Weather  Latch to an existing event  Planning time  Recommendation: Saturday, Sept 6

Saturday, September 6  Combine with last BBQ Concert  Other events:  Monday, September 3: Labor Day  Friday, September 19: Balloon Glow  End of September: SD Homecoming; baseball playoffs begin

Brainstorm!  Imagine your ideal block.  What purpose(s) does it serve?  What does it look like?

Brainstorm!  What could we create for one day?  “Pop - up” businesses: cafe, bookstore, art studio  People-friendly: dog park, garden, plantings  Street improvements: bike lanes, crosswalks  Block Party: music, art, interactive activities  What do we want to test & evaluate?

Community Resources  We need a variety of expertise , r elationships, and supplies . What assets or resources do we have in our community?  Volunteers  Donations  Property owners & developers

Better Block Planning Team  Will you help create our Better Block?  March Team Meeting: Sat March 15, 10am  Develop preliminary Event Plan: activities, map  Select the activity(ies) you want to make happen  Discuss evaluation methods  April Team Meeting: Sat April 5, 10am  Finalize Event Plan

Before the March Meeting  What can we do before the March team meeting to make progress quickly?  Keep learning about Better Blocks betterblock.org/how-to-build-a-better-block/  Reach out to other people and resources  Think about activities for the event  What else?

Thank you!  We are excited to get to work together with you to create Skinker DeBaliviere’s first Better Block! See you in March! Liz Pund liz.pund@skinker-debaliviere.com (314) 862-5122