Place of Pride
Front Door Pride is a comprehensive neighborhood revitalization program in Evansville. It includes plans for new housing
construction, along with rehabbing owned and rental property in Evansville's older neighborhoods. In developing the program,
planners needed to identify the urban areas most in need of revitalization, and at greatest risk of rapid decline.
To create boundaries for the project area, information from local and regional sources was layered into a project map using
GIS. The analysis took into account factors like:
- Age of housing stock
- Housing condition
- Tax delinquencies & exemptions
- Vacant housing units
- Residents' age & income levels
- Zoning vs. land use
Once the data was mapped and statistical information derived, it quickly became apparent which area of the City had the
greatest need. The maps also helped define an Art District area within Front Door Pride.
Without mapping, it would have been very difficult for policymakers to understand the basis of recommendations from staff.
The City of Evansville was ready to improve housing conditions, add single family housing units, cleanup distressed properties
and make overall improvements to the neighborhoods.
Results
As a result of GIS research to define the Front Door Pride area and collect substantial data, the City was able to leverage a $1
million housing grant from the State of Indiana. The City also budgeted over $1 million of property tax funds and Federal
funds for the program. Additional funds were made available from the private sector in the form of attractive financing
packages for residents.
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