Community Engagement / Crime & Safety Task Force - Week 1 May 14

Vision and Values Discussion:

Public Safety – creating a safer community, that brings people out, that creates a safer community, that…

Engaging local businesses to create events and activities that make it safer.

Stewardship/maintenance – leading by example- demonstrate that we care

Locally Owned Businesses

• No franchises
• Events and activities that celebrate our businesses and bring people together
• Business Vitality

Time – lighting at night, night experience

Public spaces designed to draw people in

Saturday Community Planning Forum

It was a COLD dark spring day in Minneapolis--which probably helped with turnout--no one wanted to spend time outside--so we had about 60 people attend. Many came early to review the results of the Walks on the Avenue from the week before (check out http://www.flickr.com/photos/FranklinAvenue to see the pictures the groups took on the walk).

We kicked off the morning with a short talk by Jay Walljasper, the author of The Great Neighborhood Book. Jay gave a great short talk stressing that it is the neighborhood residents who know best what is needed in the neighborhood. He provided some great grass-roots action ideas from the book (warning that some are probably illegal in Minneapolis). One idea was using furniture to make the street a maze so cars have to slow down.

We broke into four groups to sort through all the information from the walks. We took a break for some great food from the Clicquot Club, the groups agreed to create four task forces:

• Visual Identity/Landscaping
• Movement
• community Involvement/Crime and Safety
• Local Business Vitality/Gateways.

More on how to participate in the task forces in the next post.

Walk on the Avenue Thursday and Satruday

Come to a “Walk on the Avenue” April 17th or 19th.

Small groups will identify (and photograph) things they like about the Avenue and things the don't like about the Avenue.

Everyone who works, lives or owns property in Seward is invited.

Walk #1: Thursday, April 17, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Meet at Pizza Lucé: 2200 Franklin Ave.
( food from Pizza Lucé provided)



View Larger Map

Walk #2: Saturday, April 19, 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Meet at Second Moon: 2225 Franklin Ave.
(coffee and treats from Second Moon Café provided)

And don't forget the Community-wide workshop that will be held on April 26th at Matthews Park Community Center (2318 29th Avenue South) from 10:30 a.m. to Noon. The workshop will review the results of the walks as well as identify those areas and topics that will
be the focus of work in the weeks ahead.

Community-wide Workshop, April 26, 10:30-Noon
Matthews Center, 2318 29th Ave.. S.