The neighborhoods of the City of Canton are vitally important because they affect the long-term success of Canton’s central business district. The downtown Canton Special Improvement District has supported the efforts of a nationally-recognized consultant, David Boehlke, to develop neighborhood work lans so that ongoing redevelopment can take place.
HELPFUL LINKS:
- Community Building Partnership & Healthy Neighborhood Program
- City of Canton | Neighborhood Information
- Canton Neighborhood Information & Associations
Canton “Healthy Neighborhood” Project
National Neighborhood Strategist David Boehlke returned to Canton to present his “Canton Neighborhood Project,” a series of 15 neighborhood renewal work plans developed for the Community Building Partnership of Stark County on behalf of the City of Canton.
The Community Building Partnership (CBP) is Stark County’s community development intermediary, dedicated to the renewal of the City’s neighborhoods. As part of its role as community advisor, the CBP along with the Stark Community Foundation and the Canton Development Partnership, sponsored a 2-year community discussion on how best to renew Canton’s neighborhoods and the downtown area.
Boehlke provided advice and encouragement to the Canton community on how best to stabilize the area. That work led to the City of Canton requesting the CBP and Boehlke to collaborate on a series of action-oriented neighborhood plans to help guide our community’s efforts. Over 75 community and neighborhood leaders heard Boehlke describe how his “Healthy Neighborhood” approach could be implemented in specific ways in our specific neighborhoods.
The Healthy Neighborhood approach prioritizes working from existing assets and strategically looks for ways to improve neighborhood image, real estate values and physical conditions by increasing resident participation. As part of Boehlke’s work, he authored “The Canton Neighborhood Workbook,” a manual of his approach tailored for all of Canton’s neighborhoods.
Boehlke suggested to community funders and city officials that there is a direct parallel between today’s opportunities to commit to neighborhood renewal through these Neighborhood Work plans and the way that past community leaders committed to the City’s downtown Master Plan. Boehlke stated that the commitment and collaboration that is bearing fruits in Canton’s center city is needed at the neighborhood planning level, too. He pointed to the targeted renewal efforts in the lower tier of Summit Neighborhood Canton as a prime example of how the neighborhood and downtown communities need to work together.
The overall health of our neighborhoods is an important element in the continued revitalization of our downtown. The “Healthy Neighborhood” approach will engage residents and create a long lasting, positive improvement for our neighborhoods and our center city. Visit CommunityBuildingPartnership.org for more details.