Hi From My Neighborhood

January 2022

Hello! This is a note I originally wrote for my city councilors at the end of November, but I think it’s worth sharing more widely. It’ll make sense once you read it:

Here's an article with the overview of plans. Here's what it's like to live here:

I hadn't heard anything about plans to redevelop this area until an article from Pigeon 605 popped up on my radar. How had I missed this conversation? I sent an email to a city planner and asked a few questions about the research that city planners had done. It consisted of a survey, an open house and draft review. Sounds like enough, right? 

But then, I asked what percentage of estimated residents in this area returned feedback to the city.

The response? "Feedback was limited. Maybe 1%."

In the Pigeon 605 article linked above, he's quoted saying: “There’s a lot of single-family zoning in this area, higher homeowner occupancy rates than we would have expected. We were thinking there would be resistance for redevelopment, and in fact … there was actually support for larger redevelopment areas. So that was a surprising finding.”

A main method of contact for this and future projects is a postcard with a QR code to gather feedback.

City Development is bringing their proposed Minnesota Ave redevelopment plan to you during a City Council meeting in December. I ask that you not approve this draft, and push for a more robust resident survey process. The people who live here are worth hearing from. They understand repair and maintenance and incremental improvement. 

You're only hearing from one voice today, mine. That's because a vast majority of the neighborhood hasn't been reached by the city's process. I'm not here to say what I think this neighborhood should be, but to share what it is now and why it matters to listen to it. 

Thanks so much for spending some time with me and my neighborhood today. 

I'm happy to chat more if you have thoughts or questions!

[Ed. note: Some did have follow up thoughts! I sent over some ideas for improving public input, they checked in with city planners, and we had some good exchanges.]

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Then What?

In the email follow ups, the city planners were up for meeting. They explained a little about their process, and how hard it is to get people to give public input. It is a thankless task sometimes. But also part of the job.

“These things usually go better when there’s a neighborhood association involved, but your area doesn’t have one yet.” They told me. “We’ll help you get a meeting set up and mail out invites.” They also pushed back the timeline for bringing the plan to City Council.

Great! Time to plan a public input meeting for a bunch of neighbors I care about but have never met! Cue overwhelm. At first, the plan was to hold a meeting by the end of December. And then I realized I absolutely could not handle that.

Planning a public input meeting feels like planning a birthday party that no one’s coming to. I pushed the timeline to mid-January. I went home for Christmas. I pretended the project wasn’t real. I met someone cute and got very distracted. I complained about city processes to friends. I tried to find meeting space.

My meeting location didn’t work out. The city planner reserved a room at the library. It felt like we were going to hold the same exact meeting that planners only get 4 people to show up to.

At least the invites would be good. “Yeah, you can design them, and we’ll print them!”

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Try and Be Inviting

How do you get civic involvement from non-nerds? My list includes:

• Showing up where residents are already comfortable (meeting in spaces within the neighborhood, multiple dates and times)

• Inclusivity (low bar of engagement, things like jotting on a post-it or drawing pictures instead of requiring a big speak-into-the-mic situation)

• Reciprocity: Valuing people's time. Framing the collection of data through a reciprocal lens can look like offering hot chocolate or soup, pulling together a neighborhood block party, or even financially compensating respondents. When folks feel valued, they're more likely to engage. 

• Being clear about the future impact of this feedback.

I couldn’t do all of this, but I could explain as clearly as possible.
At first, I was overwhelmed (again). Then I realized the only way forward was to do what I already know how to do.

So I made a zine to hand out.
What’s more delightful than receiving a teeny, thoughtful book?

The whole thing fits on an 8.5” x11" page and folds into the most satisfying little book. See it in action here.

Oh wait. New intel. The city cannot print things they haven’t designed. (Which checks out, but maybe tell me earlier than the week we ship?)

So now we’re holding the meeting in the same old place, sending the same old invites?

I printed a batch myself. I spent a Saturday assembling and then door-to door distributing. I got a fuller picture of the place as I walked. It was nice to have a reason to meet neighbors.

By the end, I was tired but glowing. It wasn’t as scary as I’d imagined! In fact, it really wasn’t scary at all! I called my mom to tell her:
“Tenley of two years ago wouldn’t have been able to do this!”
"Tenley of two months ago didn’t think she could do this! But you did!”

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Nice To Meet You

I had a great meeting turnout. 19 neighbors showed up (beat that, city!) and there was a whole lot of explaining from planners (thank you, city!) and feedback from residents. Everyone came away feeling more in control of the process. Our neighborhood’s not getting demolished, and big changes hinge on whether or not residents sell their property to developers.

And I met more neighbors! People who care about this place came together!
I have a list of contacts.
I’ll be writing another civics email—we’re starting a neighborhood association.
But first? I think I’m going to take a breather.

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Thanks for reading this month!

If you are a resident of Sioux Falls, and also would like to live in a city that surveys its residents well, send a few sentences to our city councilors! It’s their job to represent us! You can find their email addresses by clicking in to each councilor’s info page here. (You’ll also learn fun things! Councilor Soehl likes to restore old vehicles! Councilor Neitzert likes biking and concerts!)

If you are a resident of a different city, take a look at your local government structure. Who’s making the decisions? How do these decisions affect your life? How do you contact the decision makers? It’s good stuff to know!

❤️, Ten