Acknowledgement to
John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
In February 1996, The John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation awarded Illinois Institute of Technology a grant in amount of $45,000 in support of a staff position to facilitate increased community development activities in Bronzeville. This grant award was in response to a proposal that was generated to "Retain IIT in the Community" and use its resources to foster community revitalization. Specifically, the Special Projects Coordinator was a newly created position to connect and enhance IIT's leadership with the Bronzeville Community and further involve IIT in the community development projects. The primary responsibilities of IIT were to develop and maintain a database of physical development projects and human capacity building programs in the target area ( 22nd to 51st streets, State street to Cottage Grove ). Further this information has been made available to area development entities, the City of Chicago, and members of the SouthSide Partnership.
In February 1997, IIT was the recepient of a second year grant from MacArthur Foundation, in the amount of $75,000 . The primary goals of that funding were to:
- Retain Special Projects Coordinator
- Conduct "community orientation" sessions regarding data implications of area development activities
- Establish two Interprofessional Projects
- Establish Center for Technology and Community Development
In March 1998, the MacArthur Foundation awarded the IIT a grant of $150,000 payable over a two year period to help make IIT's data, technology and academic resources available to Grand Boulevard residents, business and insitutions. To date, approximately 32 additional major projects have been identified for the physical development database and 17 additions for the human capacity building data base. This GIS Community Database helps fulfil the objectives of the grant.
Disclaimer Note: Information contained in this physical and human capacity project databases effective as of Aug 1st, 1999. These figures will be periodically updated. Also the listings of agencies and programs contained in the human capacity database does not constitute an endorsement of those programs.
Physical Development Projects
The Physical Development database tracks development projects in the target area 22nd to 51st streets, State Street to Cottage Grove. This information is available to area development entities and members of the Bronzeville Collaborative.
Explanatory Note: When you click on any of the databases below, the link will take you to a different location, where the information about each of the respective databases is stored in GIS form. You will see a map of Bronzeville with stars indicating the locations of each entry in the database. To view data for each location, first click the identity button marked 'i' on the tool bar. Then click on any star for the information you wish to review. This will show all the details from the database for that particular star, you have selected.
Physical Development Projects Database
Human Capacity Projects
The Human Capacity database
tracks and determines the extent, type and location of services provided in Grand
Boulevard.
Explanatory Note: When you click on any of the databases below, the link will take you to a different location, where the information about each of the respective databases is stored in GIS form. You will see a map of Bronzeville with stars indicating the locations of each entry in the database. To view data for each location, first click the identity button marked 'i' on the tool bar. Then click on any star for the information you wish to review. This will show all the details from the database for that particular star, you have selected.
Employment & Training Programs
Community ToolBox: University of Kansas
The Community Tool Box is a "one stop shop" of free materials for community practitioners. It contains numerous chapters of practical information for those interested in building healthy communities. It is designed for everyone in that it cuts across various issues including: advocacy, health promotion, adolescent development, child welfare, rural health, and urban neighborhood development. This vast knowledge base, which is easy to navigate, is an excellent tool for facilitating the development of local capacity for community improvement.
The Work Group on Health Promotion and Community Development at the University of Kansas developed the Community Tool Box. The KU Work Group is currently working with several community initiatives across the country. In Chicago, the Illinois Institute of Technology and other community-based organizations are collaborating with the KU Work Group in building local capacity for documenting the process of community change in the historic Bronzeville neighborhood on the Mid-South Side.
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
More than just a mapping software, GIS (Geographic Information Systems) are datbase management tools which allow you to analyze data visually. A GIS can be valuable addition to your research and analysis - they make visible relationships, patterns, and trends that might not be apparent in written or tabular form.
For the purposes of this project, ArcView GIS was used to visually represent locations of development projects happening in the Mid-South Area. Database informations about development projects were geocoded onto Chicago area street map. The map was then overlaid with many other kinds of data: aerial photographs, demographic information, location of churches, community centers, hospitals, etc. ArcView's Internet Map Server Software was then used to produce an interactive map, available on the Internet. Users may access this internet site to retrieve information about specific development projects and gain a better understanding of the area. GIS assistance was provided by Alison Atkins, Director of Galvin Library's GIS lab.
GIS may have many applications in a wide variety of fields and disciplines. Some possible uses of these resources include:
- Environmental Engineering: Determining the volume of contaminated sediment at a site.
- Transportation Planning: Plotting the most efficient traffic routes for a delivery company.
- Marketing: Target mailouts to zipcodes with particular demographics.
- Public Health: Comparing incidences of cancer to locations of hazardous materials.
Alison Atkins, Director of Galvin Library GIS Lab:
Alison Atkins works at IIT Galvin Library as the Assistant Director for Special Projects and the Director of GIS Laboratory and Resource Center. As a Lab Director, Ms. Atkins regularly teaches GIS and GPS classes and workshops, works with University staff, faculty, and students on GIS-related projects, and collaborates with local-area librarians and professionals to encourage GIS education. Ms. Atkins has a Masters Degree in Information Science from the University of Michigan. She has worked at the Galvin Library since 1997.
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