Over the past 18 months, the Ravenswood Community Council, League of Awesome Possibilities, and Neighborland joined forces to help residents shape the development of the Ravenswood neighborhood in Chicago. The City of Chicago has been rebuilding Lawrence Avenue — a street that cuts Ravenswood in half. Residents knew that the new street infrastructure would bring in new businesses, but had many questions about it. Would it add local businesses or chains? What about rent? Would they gain infrastructure but loose character?

Through a series of community events and online discussion led by the Ravenswood Community Council (RCC) and Melanie Kahl from the League of Awesome Possibilities (LOAP), residents expressed a collective desire for more small businesses and community spaces that reflected the character of Ravenswood.

Opportunity

Lawrence Avenue extends across Chicago at the 4800 block from Lake Michigan, passing through a variety of communities — including Ravenswood, the largest neighborhood. The Chicago Department of Transportation released the Lawrence Avenue Streetscape Concepts plan in Summer 2011 to announce major infrastructure changes. This main street in Chicago, usually known for its traffic, will have fewer traffic lanes, wider sidewalks, greener spaces along the street, and safer bike lanes.

Ravenswood residents recognized that this redevelopment as an opportunity for their neighborhood to no longer be divided north and south by heavy traffic, but instead unified with a lively, local street at its center. Ravenswood’s Metra station was also rebuilt during the same time period. As the busiest station on the UP/North Line, thousands of people walk down Lawrence Avenue daily. While this space could be a place for local businesses to thrive, most storefronts were vacant because the setting and space did not foster a pedestrian-friendly culture. Residents wanted a space for people to slow down, spend more time together, and enjoy their community.

As Melanie explains, “the project’s goal was to gauge what neighbors wanted and cultivate conversation about how small businesses might be successful — especially because small businesses pave the way for local investment.”

“We wanted to anticipate development, not react to it.”

Approach

For six weeks in July and August 2013, the League and RCC transformed an empty storefront into a lively community space.

“The physical installation was central to building momentum. The bright colors caused people who usually pass by to pause and think — and to me, that was the most important part. Ideas were always great, but if the stickers made you pay attention and imagine? That was just as important to developing a new tone on the block.” — Melanie Kahl

Colorful designs and intriguing questions covered the windows drew people in from the street. With an inviting and lively atmosphere, Neighborland materials in English and Spanish asked people what they wanted to see in their neighborhood.

Residents discussed the possibilities openly, and volunteers fostered conversation and added the ideas onto Neighborland. This planted the seeds for the upcoming Possibility Potluck. Over 100 residents shared ideas, connected with neighbors, and brainstormed actionable changes for their community. Placemaking efforts included beautification, storefront transformation, and on-the-ground brainstorming between residents and local entrepreneurs culminating in a full-day event. The team of local entrepreneurs who helped make this happen included Jenny Beorkrem of Ork Posters, Marco Chavarry of Alapash, and Ross Outten of Dolce Casa Cafe (also the RCC President). For a weekend, this was the lively place to be in Ravenswood — with the energy focused on the future possibility of the community.

In addition to the community council and local chamber of commerce, 47th Ward Alderman Ameya Pawar has been a strong voice in cultivating this business-friendly environment. The Ward office continues to support smaller-scale development on Lawrence Avenue with their #ANewLawrence efforts.

Offline + Online

Neighborland provided the event with a design toolkit that Melanie customized, including feedback cards, stickers, and posters.

Ideas generated at the event were then imported onto Neighborland for residents to vote on their favorite ideas. With the project website, the conversation continued to take shape and evolve. Individuals gave one another feedback, and residents took action. After the event, the RCC and the League of Awesome Possibilities were able to see how participants continued to develop the ideas.

Throughout the entire project, Melanie was in close contact with the Neighborland team. In testing the site’s use in July before the possibility potluck, she asked Neighborland about additional features and functionality. The team worked with her to give her the tools for a successful event.

“Working with a team who “gets” placemaking was crucial. Community projects are exciting, but require lots of energy. To have Dan and the Neighborland team there to encourage and problem solve with us was a tremendous gift. Sometimes they helped us tackle the tactical— customizing URLs, providing mobile texting options, or giving us a toolkit. But they were also there for strategic conversations.” — Melanie

Neighborland continues to follow up with Melanie, the League of Awesome Possibilities, and the Ravenswood Community Council, giving them the support to continue shaping their community.

Making It Happen

It was clear that the community wanted “some low-key, high class nightlife, such as a wine bar in Ravenswood”, with over 40 neighbors “me too” -ing the idea. Local entrepreneur and Ravenswood resident Darren McGraw recognized this opportunity and community enthusiasm. He is scheduled to open Ampersand, a wine bar offering a variety of small plates and nosh options, in nearby Damen in Spring 2015. The space will have outdoor seating extending onto the newly expanded sidewalk with hours that satisfy the commuter and co-worker alike — bringing the community together.

The corridor is still gaining momentum. Two additional stores have moved into the strip activated in 2013. Savvy Seconds and 1sts was originally located in another part of the neighborhood, but relocated (and expanded) to Lawrence Avenue. A male grooming studio, Wax Man Spa, also went under contract to open.

“Having the association of Neighborland connected our project to the national movement across cities for local placemaking.” — Melanie Kahl