Strong Neighborhoods Strong Neighborhoods InitiativeInitiative

Successful Community EngagementSuccessful Community EngagementMarch 29, 2007March 29, 2007

SNI is a partnership of the City, SNI is a partnership of the City, Redevelopment Agency, and Redevelopment Agency, and

the community to build the community to build clean, safe, and attractive clean, safe, and attractive

neighborhoods, with strong, neighborhoods, with strong, independent, and capable independent, and capable

neighborhood organizations neighborhood organizations and leadersand leaders

Strong Neighborhoods InitiativeStrong Neighborhoods Initiative

19 SNI Planning Areas19 SNI Planning Areas• BlackfordBlackford• Burbank/Del MonteBurbank/Del Monte• Delmas ParkDelmas Park• East Valley/680East Valley/680• Edenvale/Great Edenvale/Great

OaksOaks• Five Five

Wounds/BrookwooWounds/Brookwood Terraced Terrace

• Gateway EastGateway East• Greater GardnerGreater Gardner• Hoffman/Via MonteHoffman/Via Monte• KONAKONA

• Market/AlmadenMarket/Almaden• MayfairMayfair• Spartan/KeyesSpartan/Keyes• 1313thth Street Street• Tully/SenterTully/Senter• UniversityUniversity• WashingtonWashington• West EvergreenWest Evergreen• WinchesterWinchester

• Improve neighborhood conditions Improve neighborhood conditions and livabilityand livability

• Enhance community safetyEnhance community safety• Coordinate and improve Coordinate and improve

community servicescommunity services• Strengthen neighborhood Strengthen neighborhood

associations and resident associations and resident involvementinvolvement

• Ensure that changes are long-term Ensure that changes are long-term and sustainableand sustainable

What are the SNI Goals?What are the SNI Goals?

• Neighborhood Advisory Neighborhood Advisory Committees (NACs)Committees (NACs)

• Community ResidentsCommunity Residents• Community-Based Community-Based

Organizations (CBOs)Organizations (CBOs)• City & Redevelopment City & Redevelopment

Agency StaffAgency Staff• ConsultantsConsultants

SNI Partners in PlanningSNI Partners in Planning

Planning Planning • Develop Develop

Neighborhood Neighborhood Improvement Improvement PlansPlans

• Prioritize “Top-Prioritize “Top-Ten” Action Ten” Action AgendasAgendas

Past

ImplementationImplementation • Neighborhood Neighborhood

Improvements are Improvements are Carried OutCarried Out

• Existing Plan Existing Plan Implementations Almost Implementations Almost CompleteComplete

AmendmentsAmendments• Update SNI PlansUpdate SNI Plans• Prioritize New Prioritize New

“Top-Ten” Action “Top-Ten” Action AgendasAgendas

• Create/Adopt Other Create/Adopt Other New SNI AreasNew SNI Areas

SNI Planning StagesSNI Planning Stages

Present Future

““Top Ten” Priority ActionsTop Ten” Priority Actions

• Priorities and ProjectsPriorities and Projects• Action Action

Steps/FeasibilitySteps/Feasibility• Cost/Funding SourcesCost/Funding Sources• TimelineTimeline• ResponsibilityResponsibility

Priorities for Plan AmendmentsPriorities for Plan Amendments

• Assets and ResourcesAssets and Resources• Enhanced Streets and TransitEnhanced Streets and Transit• Clean and Safe StreetsClean and Safe Streets• Attractive NeighborhoodsAttractive Neighborhoods• Land Use and DevelopmentLand Use and Development• InfrastructureInfrastructure• Parks and Community ServicesParks and Community Services

• Implementation of all 19 SNI Implementation of all 19 SNI Neighborhood Improvement Neighborhood Improvement Plans is almost completePlans is almost complete

• Plans are being updated with Plans are being updated with new “Top-Ten” community-new “Top-Ten” community-driven priority action listsdriven priority action lists

• The first Plan Amendment The first Plan Amendment completed December 2006completed December 2006

• All subsequent Plan Amendments All subsequent Plan Amendments will be complete by summer will be complete by summer 20082008

• Possible creation of 3 new SNI Possible creation of 3 new SNI areasareas

Planning for Stronger Planning for Stronger NeighborhoodsNeighborhoods

1. Listen to and work with NAC 1. Listen to and work with NAC members/community residentsmembers/community residents

2. Define strong community vision2. Define strong community vision3. Build on community assets and 3. Build on community assets and

strengthsstrengths4. Respond to community priorities 4. Respond to community priorities

and needsand needs5. Maintain ongoing commitments5. Maintain ongoing commitments6. Collaborate and use existing 6. Collaborate and use existing

resourcesresources

Lessons Learned for Strong Lessons Learned for Strong Collaborative PlanningCollaborative Planning

1. Listen to and work with NAC 1. Listen to and work with NAC members/community residentsmembers/community residents- Be respectful- Be respectful- Be honest- Be honest- Be responsive and present- Be responsive and present- Be flexible/adaptive- Be flexible/adaptive- Build relationships/trust- Build relationships/trust- Obtain frequent feedback- Obtain frequent feedback

Lessons Learned for Strong Lessons Learned for Strong Collaborative PlanningCollaborative Planning

Lessons Learned for Strong Lessons Learned for Strong Collaborative PlanningCollaborative Planning

2. Define strong community 2. Define strong community visionvision- To build/foster leadership- To build/foster leadership- Provide inspiration for the- Provide inspiration for the future and stay on coursefuture and stay on course- Allow for clear prioritization- Allow for clear prioritization of improvements and planof improvements and plan actions itemsactions items

3. Build on community 3. Build on community assets and strengthsassets and strengths- Promote Neighborhoods- Promote Neighborhoods as fundamental as fundamental buildingbuilding blocksblocks- Don’t reinvent what - Don’t reinvent what worksworks and is well-respectedand is well-respected- Collaborate with CBOs, - Collaborate with CBOs, schools, local nonprofitsschools, local nonprofits

Lessons Learned for Strong Lessons Learned for Strong Collaborative PlanningCollaborative Planning

Lessons Learned for Strong Lessons Learned for Strong Collaborative PlanningCollaborative Planning

4. Respond to community priorities 4. Respond to community priorities and needsand needs- Connect priorities to resources- Connect priorities to resources- Provide effective delivery of- Provide effective delivery of services and accountabilityservices and accountability- Provide meaningful and visible- Provide meaningful and visible changechange- Keep plan flexible to enough to- Keep plan flexible to enough to capture new opportunitiescapture new opportunities

Lessons Learned for Strong Lessons Learned for Strong Collaborative PlanningCollaborative Planning

5. Maintain ongoing commitments5. Maintain ongoing commitments- Decide on responsible party- Decide on responsible party for each goal/actionfor each goal/action- Plan for implementation and- Plan for implementation and maintenancemaintenance- Be financially realistic- Be financially realistic- Create long-term sustainable- Create long-term sustainable plansplans

Lessons Learned for Strong Lessons Learned for Strong Collaborative PlanningCollaborative Planning

6. Collaborate and use existing 6. Collaborate and use existing resourcesresources- Leverage local partnerships- Leverage local partnerships- Involve local businesses- Involve local businesses- Tap into resident talents- Tap into resident talents- Engage community decision- Engage community decision makers, nonprofit groups,makers, nonprofit groups, and institutionsand institutions- Use available tools, BMPs- Use available tools, BMPs- Integrate lessons learned- Integrate lessons learned into practiceinto practice

Thank You!Thank You!

More information atMore information atwww.strongneighborhoods.orgwww.strongneighborhoods.org

Juan F. Borrelli, AICPJuan F. Borrelli, AICP(408) 535-7709(408) 535-7709

juan.borrelli@sanjoseca.govjuan.borrelli@sanjoseca.gov