Sample CNI Neighborhood Vision Statements:

  • Restablish this in-town neighborhood as a desirable and vibrant mixed-use community that offers residents and visitors access to a wide range of goods and services. (Springfield, MA)
  • A safe neighborhood with effective pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular connectivity to economic opportunities, quality schools and early childhood learning, childcare, quality healthcare, healthy foods, sustainable affordable housing and quality parks and recreation spaces. (Durham, NC)
  • The Midtown Kingsport CNI will build upon the legacy of the Nolen Plan and the existing assets of place and people to create a strong and diverse community of choice, and improve the quality of life for the citizens. (Kingsport, TN)
  • Rosewood is a stable, true mixed-income community that respects the different cultures and values of residents of today and tomorrow. (Austin, TX)
  • The Oaks at North Intown Choice Neighborhoods Transformation Plan envisions the transformation of the distressed West Central Albany community into a viable mixed-income neighborhood with access to services, public assets and amenities. (Albany, NY)
  • Kuhio Park Neighborhood is a dynamic and livable urban community, with a balance of residential, recreational, and employment uses that enjoy high quality transit access and reflect the central location of the area, along with the rich cultural heritage. (Honolulu, HI)
  • The guiding vision for the neighborhood is to celebrate the past and present in a healthy and sustainable environment inclusive of all the residents and businesses that make this place “The Great City of Opa-locka.” (Opa-locka, FL)
  • Leveraging our assets, making the right connections…creating a community of choice. The River District-Railyards neighborhood is a dynamic and interconnected community that is the premier in-town living and destination for residents and visitors across the Sacramento region. (Sacramento, CA)
  • Transform this important South Norwalk area from an “underperforming asset” into a socially and economically diverse neighborhood of choice, improving the quality f life for existing residents and businesses, while maintaining housing affordability, and attracting new residents and businesses to the area. (Norwalk, CT)

Sample Guiding Principles:

  • Preserve the traditional single-family “core” neighborhoods
  • Create centralized neighborhood activity nodes
  • Redefine the traditional commercial corridors within the community
  • Preserve, enhance and create public open space
  • Encourage homeownership and rehabilitation
  • Strengthen code enforcement
  • Create a pedestrian-friendly environment
  • Create gateways to downtown Columbia
  • Enhance community identification
  • Encourage continued community involvement
  • Construct priority streetscapes
  • Increase access to parks and open space
  • Engage in transit-oriented development
  • Improve pedestrian and bicycle mobility
  • Honor local stakeholders’ hopes and aspirations for the future
  • Build upon the neighborhood’s many assets
  • Respect the nature features of the land the surrounding environment
  • Improve mobility within the neighborhood and throughout the region for residents
  • Promote public safety through enhanced resident and police communication and cooperation
  • Expand employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for local residents
  • Enhance the physical appearance and functioning of the neighborhood through inspired urban design and public art
  • Support greater citizen participation and voice in neighborhood problem-solving, planning, and design

Sample Public Safety Strategies

1 / Lighting facades other buildings in the neighborhood / Newark
2 / Establish new mini-precinct in neighborhood / Newark
3 / Increase pedestrian lighting / Newark
4 / Community ownership of crime solutions – creating “play streets”, install porch lights, block survey of needed safety improvements, Neighborhood Crime Watch / Newark
5 / Improved community relations with police – community public safety committee, block captains, after dark walk home escort system, using social media to share/receive public safety updates. / Newark
6 / Install additional surveillance cameras in strategic locations / Newark
7 / Implement public safety initiative funded with Byrne Grant / Springfield
8 / Engage police in youth activities centered around community center / Springfield
9 / Work on community building activities focused on crime prevention – neighborhood cleanup, crime watch, beautification projects, community celebrations / Springfield
10 / Support surveillance and reporting of public safety issues in crime hot spots – heightened patrols and provide safe channels to report concerns / Springfield
11 / Remedy physical problems associated with crime and disorder – address publicly-owned vacant lots (reuse or prevent dumping), proactive code enforcement with follow-up / Springfield
12 / Conduct annual survey to gauge resident perception of safety issues to be responsive to concerns / Springfield
13 / Formation of park security patrol modeled after Neighborhood Watch / Kingsport
15 / Identify areas where additional street lighting is needed and participate in capital planning/budget process to advocate for high priority / Kingsport
16 / PD and FD provide classes and workshops on safety awareness, including property security, how to identify and report suspicious activity and watching out for your neighbors / Kingsport
17 / Expand existing PD community programs and partnerships, including neighborhood watch, involvement of churches, cameras, and community outreach policing / Memphis
18 / Establish or expand existing community public safety programs – neighborhood watch, weekly citizen patrol walks, community traffic awareness events, CPTED / Honolulu
19 / Engage residents’ participation in community-wide beautification and public safety initiatives (install front porch lights, flower box/front yard contests, block-by-block dumpster days, create a tool-lending library, organize neighborhood crime watch / Opa-locka

Sample Capital Improvement/Infrastructure/Transportation Strategies

1 / Traffic calming on key thoroughfares – bumpouts, raised crosswalks, turning two-way into one-way streets, narrowing roads and adding bicycle lanes, / Newark
2 / Streetscape improvements to encourage walking – trees, benches, sidewalks, lighting / Newark
3 / Redesigned intersections for safer crossing / Newark
4 / Traffic signals provide longer crossing times for senior/disabled residents / Newark
5 / Deter thru traffic on side streets – speed bumps / Newark
6 / Safe routes to school for walkers and cyclists / Newark
7 / Improve access to major destinations – taxi/jitney service, seating, lighting, shelter, and real-time bus arrival information / Newark
8 / Provide transit accessible to elderly/disabled – increase awareness of special needs shuttle / Newark
9 / Redirect truck traffic to other access routes / Newark
10 / Storm drains cleaned out regularly – “Sewer Watch” / Newark
12 / Neighbors committed to protecting and preserving the environment – recycling, composting, rain barrels, energy efficient appliances, fluorescent bulbs / Newark
13 / Improve bus stop by providing shelters and posting information about bus routes and schedules / Springfield
14 / Prioritize and coordinate with DPW streets for repaving and sidewalks for repair / Springfield
15 / Develop and install wayfinding signage to amenities throughout the neighborhood / Springfield
16 / Mobility enhancement projects including intersection improvements at key spots / Columbia
17 / New and improved streets to increase connectivity and access / Columbia
18 / Pedestrian-bike mobility project prioritized as part of City-driven comprehensive pedestrian-bike plan / Columbia
19 / Transit enhancements as it pertains to new routes and schedules / Columbia
20 / Volunteers as Transportation Ambassadors to help people navigate the public transit system by organizing travel to/from places (grocery stores, health care, social services, community centers) / Kingsport
21 / City Ordinance requiring new businesses to provide bicycle parking spaces / Kingsport
22 / Main neighborhood thoroughfare put on a “road diet” reducing number of traffic lanes and installing designated bicycle lanes on both sides of the street / Kingsport
23 / Improve walkability by installing curb cuts on sidewalks, clearly identifying pedestrian crosswalks, traffic calming at heavily traveled intersections, and organizing walking groups of children to school / Kingsport
24 / Bus shelters design project with sponsors and collaboration with artists / Memphis

Sample Open Space/Recreation Strategies

1 / Improve pedestrian access to major parks / Newark
2 / Develop indoor and outdoor programming at Community Center responsive to residents’ needs / Springfield
3 / Develop bike riding programs to encourage children to use the bikeway – work with local bike advocacy to pilot learn-to-ride, bicycle repair/maintenance programs / Springfield
4 / Identify permanent locations for and create community gardens / Springfield
5 / New community facilities to complement existing community facilities / Columbia
6 / Enhance existing public neighborhood parks with walking trails, pavilions, picnic benches, and additional parking / Memphis
7 / Convert substandard and/or vacant land to parks for community use / Albany
8 / Create temporary “oases”/pop-up parks on vacant/underutilized parcels / Opa-locka

Sample Economic Development Strategies

1 / Improve access to capital for area small businesses and microenterprises – create neighborhood CDFI, TA from Small Business Center / Newark
2 / Work with existing business owners better serve community residents / Newark
3 / Marketing and branding campaign for the neighborhood / Newark
5 / City uses RFP process to identify developers for commercial Main Street / Springfield
6 / Market existing façade program and small business loan program to local businesses / Springfield
7 / Coordinate and support activities of local Business Association – City works with association to identify new business development opportunities and improvements / Springfield
8 / Consider expanding existing Business Improvement District to include local Main Street – support capital improvements, security, street cleaning, pedestrian/streetscape enhancements, marketing efforts / Springfield
9 / Support location of anchor institutions on Main Street / Springfield
10 / Pop-Up Retail initiative to enable businesses to occupy and operate in vacant commercial space for limited periods of time to activate vacant space and reduce barriers to entry to the market and test new markets in a low-risk environment / Memphis
11 / Provide programs and classes in the neighborhood to support small business growth and development such as Small Business Funding Month – Meet the Lender Business Loan Fair, and events sponsored by banks, legal firms, and other entities to help potential entrepreneurs understand how to run and grow a businesses / Austin
12 / Establish a Business Improvement District to target needs of businesses in the neighborhood / Opa-locka

Sample Quality of Life Strategies

1 / Increased code enforcement by City with follow up and information on how to address violations / Newark
2 / Rezoning key locations to mitigate land use conflicts / Newark
3 / Hold regular community events to build community spirit and pride – town hall meetings, neighborhood BBQs, family-oriented programs, community clean-ups, exercise hour / Newark
4 / Encourage sustained institutional involvement by churches / Newark
5 / Target City-owned infill and larger parcels for new residential development via RFPs / Springfield
6 / Prioritize use of HOME funds for homeownership in target neighborhood in the long-term / Springfield
7 / Fund homeowner rehab program for existing low-income owners / Springfield
8 / City to aggressively take court action against distressed buildings and demolish where necessary / Springfield
9 / Identification of catalyst redevelopment programs strategically located in underdeveloped and distressed areas and large enough to make significant differences in changing the economics of their surroundings / Columbia
10 / Neighborhood infill strategies – identification of priority areas for redevelopment incentives or direct property acquisition/new construction and public space and mobility improvements / Columbia
11 / Expand access to technology through library card drive to local library / Memphis
12 / Celebrate the cultural and ethnic heritage of the neighborhood to strengthen and enhance the neighborhood’s identify and attract new businesses and cultural institutions (marketing campaign, performing arts/entertainment venue, neighborhood cultural celebrations/festivals) / Austin
13 / “Raise the Roof” program where neighbors come together to assist with home repairs of other neighbors’ homes / Austin
14 / Encourage neighborhood cleanup and maintenance activities on a yearly basis as part of neighborhood “beautification campaign” / Albany
15 / Provide tools and resources necessary for property upkeep, rehabilitation and/or maintenance / Albany
16 / Host neighborhood pride and beautification activities – street clean-up days, install public trash cans, assist homeowners with applying for home repair loans, install signage and monuments at gateways, open up places for public art, workshops for property owners on maintaining properties / Honolulu
17 / Create public spaces that facilitate opportunities for public engagement – incorporate public art, develop a market pavilion / Opa-locka
18 / Develop and adopt a blight ordinance / Norwalk