The Rosewood Choice Neighborhoods Plan has been developed with the active involvement of Rosewood Courts residents, community leaders, residents of the City’s designated Rosewood and Central East Austin planning areas, City staff and a variety of affordable housing, education and social service providers who have long-standing relationships with the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) and the Rosewood community. The Plan that we have developed is consistent with and builds upon the City’s recently adopted Imagine Austin comprehensive plan and other citywide planning initiatives.
The Rosewood Choice Neighborhoods Plan provides a roadmap for revitalization of HACA’s Rosewood Courts property and enhancement of the surrounding neighborhood to re-establish Rosewood as one of Austin’s complete communities. A complete community is one that is livable, mobile and connected, prosperous, educated, creative, natural and sustainable, and one that values and respects people.
To achieve these core goals, the Rosewood Choice Neighborhoods Plan lays out an approach to the redevelopment of Rosewood Courts as well as suggested neighborhood improvements that support positive outcomes for families from all walks of life. The planning process was structured to give a strong voice to Rosewood Courts residents in planning for the revitalization of this property. While neighborhood associations have long been active participants in development and neighborhood improvement decisions, the same cannot be said for residents of public housing. Our approach is designed to expand and strengthen neighborhood connections and set the stage for future accomplishments.
Located immediately west of Downtown Rockford, the Ellis Heights neighborhood demonstrates the larger struggle by the Rockford region to cope with impacts of economic downturn and population decline. Social indicators for the neighborhood demonstrate decreasing population, decaying housing and increasing fears by families and individuals that they are losing the opportunity to build a safe and secure life. The Ellis Heights Choice Neighborhoods Transformation Plan presents a path to reverse these negative trends and create a neighborhood full of opportunity and choice.
Developed by members of the neighborhood, working under the leadership of the Rockford Housing Authority (RHA), the recipient of a HUD Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant, our Plan sets forth a positive vision for the future that can be obtained by pursuing community-based initiatives that address infrastructure reinvestment, housing redevelopment, improved education opportunities, job creation, health and human services, and public safety. Most importantly, our Plan does not presume that success can occur in a vacuum. It stresses coordination and integration with significant ongoing city and regional programs, and a reorientation of the neighborhood from one of isolation to one directly linked to the heart of the community.
Our work for the Rockford Housing Authority is complete with the acceptance of the Transformation Plan by HUD, but we have continued to provide informal assistance such as connecting RHA with a potential non-profit grocery store developer, and forwarding information on potential funding opportunities to support implementation of specific programs and projects.
The Southside Choice Neighborhoods Plan will employ a comprehensive approach to neighborhood planning by revitalizing the distressed Thomas James Place, R.V. Taylor Plaza, and Boykin Tower while investing and leveraging investments in well-functioning services, high quality public schools and education programs, high quality early learning programs and services, public assets, public transportation, and improved access to jobs.
Early in the Rosewood Choice planning process, Camiros led a Community Workshop utilizing a unique Story Boarding approach to identifying neighborhood assets. Each group consisted of approximately eight community members who identified physical, social, cultural and economic neighborhood-valued assets within the Rosewood community.
Children are a constituency often overlooked in design development outreach. In collaboration with Communities in Schools and Lifeworks, HACA held several focus groups with Rosewood Courts youth in 2013. The youth discussed the things that are important to them as their neighborhood changes and grows, amenities and services they would like to see as part of a new Rosewood Courts, as well as their concerns about potential changes.
In April 2014, a Kids Design Meeting was held to develop ideas for play areas and green spaces that could be incorporated into the Rosewood Courts site plan as design development proceeds.
Finally, Rosewood youth will assist in a video project to provide information on the Rosewood Choice Neighborhoods initiative and other HACA programs, by learning about film-making and assisting the film crew.
