The City of Indianapolis, Department of Metropolitan Development, asked our firm to partner with the engineering firm and the existing project steering committee to develop a vision for the site based on the previous neighborhood plan and priorities established by the steering committee.
Through a series of community workshops and input sessions, we developed three scenarios for redevelopment based on urban agriculture as a catalyst for place-based community development.
The scenarios focused on urban ag/food as a trigger to provide jobs, produce healthy food, and highlight the cultural and social assets of the neighborhood. A primary objective became creating a new "town square" that maximized the benefits of this food ecosystem made possible by growing food locally and adding value to these crops.
The development will provide youth and older people opportunities to engage and interact through placemaking. The new neighborhood center also generates jobs, highlights cultural heritage, fosters entrepreneurship, and transfers wealth to the community by building a local economy around food, a catalyst for community development.
The place-based design scenarios create a neighborhood-scaled, compact urban center that is a new city destination and economic engine and a social gathering place to celebrate a new resilient community.
