uninhabited

If you are interested here is the full Time Out interview. This will give you insight of our ideas and possible solutions to the massive amounts of abandoned spaces in our community.

1. What are YOUR personal experiences with living near vacant lots/abandoned houses? What negative things did you see come from it? (for example, can you tell a story about seeing people doing drugs there, etc)

abandoned homes and lots are a part of life on chicago’s south and west side. As a child my friends and i use these lots as playgrounds and shortcut pathways. many times we would return home with pieces of glass lodged in our hand and knees. not much has changed with today’s generation. every day we look out onto the vacant lot across the street from our home. this classic chicago lot has all the feature of the lots from my youth, the warn walkway, drug paraphernalia and other urban debris scattered through the overgrown grass. The lot has been an accomplice to police chases as offenders run though the lot, across the alley, and through the vacant lot on the next block.

These lots are a sign of neglect from the people who own these lots, live near the lots, and the city’s neglect of these communities. no one wants to live near a vacant lot or an abandoned home, not only does it reduce property value it, it’s a hazard to your home and your safety. There are some neighbors that sometime cut the grass but it takes a community effort, a community’s investment.

2.   As someone living in and who grew up in the south side, why does the issue especially affect this neighborhood?

I feel that the vacant lots and homes on chicago’s south side is a catch 22. i analyzed neighborhoods on the north and northwest side that were revitalized and i realize that these neighborhoods have economic development and is the reason why people flock to them to live, spend their money and work. These communities have become destinations for all the right reasons. Our communities have become destinations to avoid and neglect and because we lack the economic infrastructure and property owners are not being held accountable.   there are hardly any business outside of Hyde Park and Kenwood that offer high quality goods and services. Because of this there are hardly any innovative businesses willing to invest in our communities. Most of the stores in our community has bullet proof glass that separates the consumer from the business owner so the dollars spent in these business do nothing to further develop the community. The opportunity to work in our own community is very slim. All of these factors do not attract homebuyers and quality business and economic development resulting in a vast amount of vacant storefronts, homes, and lots.

3.   What’s your ideal outcome? (the vacant lots get turned into parks, or affordable housing, or...?)

I am hoping that diverse quality business and services seek our neighborhood to invest. I would love to see our residents benefit from a renewed interest. Vacant lots turing into parks and affordable housing are just the surface solutions. Reinvesting in the people would be the most ideal outcome. Turing a vacant lot into a garden is one thing but programing accompanying these gardens that teaching or reminding residents how to prepare the food from the garden and nutrition basics would be a long term solution. Affordable housing would be beneficial, however programing that focuses on economical stability would be need to accompany these community investments. Vacant spaces in our community is not just an economical or social issue, it is effects the human sprit.

4.   What do you think needs to happen to get those actual changes made?’

Chicago is a machine. I feel that we need leaders that can not only represent our communities but really understand the cruxes of the the issues in our communities and can develop sustainable solutions that can transform a generation. The bottom line is not to throw money at the problem but to “teach the man to fish”#. The community needs economical development and needs to become a destination and a sustainable community for the residents that are currently living here and new residents.

Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Chinese Proverb Read more! Read more: http://www.blogdoctor.me/2007/02/expandable-post-summaries.html#ixzz1E60rFJ8X