 |
|
|
Executive Summary
"Building on the Past: A New Foundation for Community in North Kenwood-Oakland"
Research Intern: Cara Spicer & Gustavo Rivera
Community Partner:
Lake Park Crescent /Draper & Kramer
 Lake Park Crescent is located on the border of the community areas of Kenwood and Oakland. Their respective populations are 18,363 and 6,110. Both community areas are predominantly African American with small Hispanic populations (~1%). Kenwood's population is 15.9% White. The community owes much of its strength to social, cultural and institutional networks, many of which are firmly rooted in the area's 1950's heyday as a thriving African American community.
go to map of area land use >>
The Research Question(s):
During a period of transformation from CHA to mixed income housing at the site of LPC, the goal of our research was to identify and document the assets that have sustained the North Kenwood/Oakland community for the purpose of informing those currently engaged in the community planning process.
Methods:
Working as team and individual ethnographers, we conducted casual and semi-structured interviews to identify a number of networks and ways these networks intersect socially and temporally. In various settings (i.e., community meetings) we functioned as participant observers, and several periods of observation in the parks contributed to the variety of data collected. Census data, maps, and historical and legal documents were used to provide additional perspectives.
Key Findings:
Social Assets
 The neighborhood is home to many individuals interested in its improvement and dedicated enough to volunteer their free time to civic and political organizations.
- Local government, in the form of Alderman Toni Preckwinkle, is regularly available for dialogue about community concerns and effective in addressing issues raised.
Green Space
- Mandrake is the largest of its parks, with a number of recreational features and restroom facilities. King-Price Campus Park is a large grassy expanse with an amphitheater nestled into the turf. We found that this space is severely underused by the community. Hyacinth Park boasts a large grassy play area, several sets of swings, a sandbox and a water feature.
 Pedestrian bridges at 43rd Street and Oakwood Avenue provide access to Burnham Park on the lakefront. Efforts are underway to relocate the Paradise M.B. Church, which effectively blocks visual access to the 43rd Street Bridge.
- A signature of the neighborhood is the tree-lined parkway on historic Drexel Boulevard. There is significant ambivalence on the part of residents and those engaged in the planning process about the recreational use of the parkway.
Architecture
 The architectural legacy left by the neighborhood's first residents remains one of the most compelling physical aspects of the neighborhood. The stately three-story gray stone homes that prevail on many of the streets have been a rallying point for both long-term and more recent residents. Even in the midst of the neighborhood's decline, these distinctive homes proved irresistible to a number of creative urban pioneers. Long-term residents, already engaged in a passionate struggle to preserve the neighborhood's integrity, were bolstered by this influx of energetic and action oriented individuals. At the same time, changes in the larger world were making an impact on the destiny of North Kenwood-Oakland. We examine how the recent political, economic and cultural evolution of the neighborhood has been influenced by each of these "pulses of power."
Arts
 Individual artists pursuing their craft contribute to the beautification of the area.
- The Little Black Pearl Workshop, an arts-education organization, serves the North Kenwood-Oakland area.
History
- Historical markers identify the famous that have lived in the neighborhood including blues artist Muddy Waters and famed architect Louis Sullivan.
- A treasure trove of living history was revealed at Lake Michigan Apartments, an independent living facility for senior citizens. First hand accounts of pitching in the Negro Baseball League during the 1930s and 1940s and of performing with Muddy Waters brought the past into our very midst.
Findings in Action:
The life experiences of local residents should be incorporated into the activities planned for the neighborhood's younger generations. These could include coaching children's athletic teams, teaching music and scheduling story hours in the community centers. As a space already designed for presentation/performance, King-Price Campus Park would be an ideal place to bring the community together for such an event.
The Drexel Avenue Parkway is a luxurious stretch of public space that is undermined by ambiguity. Originally designed to accommodate leisure activities, safety issues and concerns about illegal activities have hampered the community's ability to come to a consensus on what activities are appropriate for the boulevard. One strategy would be to resurrect the recommendation of the Conservation Plan (1992) that the Parkway be maintained as passive open space incorporating facilities such as “places to relax, sculpture parks, or for activities like checkers, chess, reading or general relaxation.” A tetherball court or two would be a safe alternative to the milk crate basketball games that spring up on the boulevard. An administrative change returning the boulevards to the Parks Department would clarify its status and use management.
A comprehensive effort to clarify the dizzying array of agencies and the roles they play in the current evolution of the North Kenwood-Oakland neighborhood would help residents and those actively engaged in the decision making process understand the forces at work shaping their lives. Efforts could include graphic representations, brief presentations and publications to break it down to a more digestible format. Understanding can only improve participation and inform the decisions that lie ahead.
|
|
|
