The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is conducting its third annual Knight Cities Challenge, a national call for ideas to make the 26 communities in which Knight invests become more vibrant places to live and work. One of them is the city of Gary, where the Knight brothers owned and published the Post-Tribune.
The Cities Challenge asked applicants to answer the question: What’s your best idea to make cities more successful? The Foundation sought a wide range of ideas to make cities more successful, from technology and other solutions that better connect local government with the public and increase voter engagement, to creating public spaces – parks, trails, pools, and even treehouses – that connect people from diverse backgrounds and contribute to economic growth. Many of the projects also address pressing community challenges, proposing ideas to break down racial divides, repair blighted neighborhoods, and address social and economic inequities.
Submissions came from many nonprofit and government organizations, as well as design experts, urban planning organizations and individuals focused on making their cities more successful. Each of the ideas focuses on one or more of three drivers of city success:
● Talent: Ideas that help cities attract and keep talented people;
● Opportunity: Ideas that expand economic prospects and break down divides;
● Engagement: Ideas that spur connection and civic involvement.
Three finalists for the city of Gary emerged from the dozens of applicants from across the country:
Gary Ruins Garden Project by city of Gary, Indiana (submitted by Jack Eskin): Making downtown more vibrant by transforming a historic, abandoned Gothic church in downtown Gary -- the former City Methodist Church -- into a ruins garden and event space.
Ballpark Plaza Idea (submitted by Brenda Scott-Henry on behalf of Kenneth A. Parr): Bringing life to a vacant lot across from Gary’s baseball park by turning it into an outdoor entertainment center and farmers market.
In Love in Gary, Indiana, by SmithGroupJJR (submitted by Dana Crawford): Expanding economic opportunity in Gary, and changing the city’s narrative, by establishing the city as a creative and cost-effective urban wedding destination. The proposed location is located at 500 Broadway on the east side of the street with a mural of the Jackson 5 overlooking the lot.
Crawford works as an interior design for Chicago-based SmithGroupJJR, an architecture, engineering and landscaping company. She told the Post-Tribune that the firm would be able to take the concept from design to implementation.
"The average Chicago wedding is about $50,000 — and that is out of the price range for many people who would like that experience. Gary provides an urban backdrop and this would attract and support local business by bringing guests to Gary to patronize local restaurants, car share services and things of that nature." Crawford also envisions the site for other events -- such as an ice skating rink in the winter, with hot chocolate served from the bar area.
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation will announce the 2017 Cities Challenge community grant winners in a few months.
