City of Flint Receives Grant Award from Ruth Mott Foundation for Imagine Flint Neighborhood Planning Initiative
Flint, Michigan – November 16, 2015 – The City of Flint is pleased to announce that it has been awarded $320,000 from the Ruth Mott Foundation for the support of the Imagine Flint Neighborhood Planning Initiative. The Initiative is designed to help neighborhoods create “neighborhood specific” strategies in order to address degradation and restore vibrancy. This initiative is a direct objective of the City’s Master Plan as outlined in Chapter 5: Housing and Neighborhoods, which calls for the adoption of neighborhood plans that align with the newly developed place types and zoning districts as laid out in the Plan. The aim of the initiative is to develop four neighborhood plans over the course of the grant cycle.
Through the Neighborhood Planning Initiative, neighborhood groups will have the chance to evaluate their neighborhood using a resident developed planning prep-kit in order to determine whether their neighborhood is both ready and committed to embark on a planning process. Upon completion of the prep-kit, the groups will have the ability to apply and chosen neighborhood groups will jointly select a professional planning consultant who would serve to strengthen the relationship between the City Planning Department and the group. “Helping to choose the consultant will help ensure that the group remains committed and retains ownership throughout the process,” said Planning and Development Director Brian Larkin.
The overall goal of the initiative is to encourage and ensure resident participation in neighborhood revitalization efforts. Knowing what challenges their particular areas face and sharing in a common vision of what can be done to improve them will help create sustainable change that is led by the residents themselves. “We feel the neighborhood plans will allow us to more closely focus on particular areas of the city and by working with residents, develop appropriate recommendations that best suit the needs of all community members, businesses and property owners,” said City Planner Kevin Schronce.
“By having the direct stakeholders such as residents and business owners contribute to the vision of their area, the directed use of City resources is made more efficient,” said Larkin. “We can move ahead on implementation is those areas with the assurance that we are devoted to work that is in the best interest of those affected.” The Imagine Flint Neighborhood Planning Initiative grant period is December 1, 2015 – November 30, 2017.
