THE SOWEBO NOW PROJECT SOUTHWEST PARTNERSHIP UNITES SEVEN NEIGHBORHOODS TO CREATE A LONG-TERM PLAN FOR THE AREA. THE SOWEBO NOW PROJECT BUILDS ON THOSE EFFORTS BY SPARKING MOMENTUM FOR SHORT-TERM INITIATIVES.
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$10,000 6 MONTHS FROM PNC BANK
TO CREATE A “HACKATHON” IN SOUTHWEST BALTIMORE
INTO A DESIGN AND PLANNING PROCESS How can what’s happening on the ground connect back to the big vision?
A CHALLENGE
TO CONNECT NEIGHBORS ACROSS SOCIO-ECONOMIC BOUNDARIES
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GOAL #1 BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN COMMUNITY & WITH OUTSIDE SUPPORTERS
GOAL #2 BUILD SUPPORT FOR NEW & EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVES
GOAL #3 BUILD MOMENTUM & LEADERSHIP BY FUELING SHORT TERM WINS
AS PART OF THE PLANNING PROCESS, IT WAS CRITICAL TO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT TO NEIGHBORS THAT HADN’T FOUND A WAY TO PARTICIPATE. FOCUSING ON SIMPLE, IMMEDIATE, SHORT-TERM PROJECTS GAVE CONNECTIVITY TO THE BIGGER CONVERSATION AND HELPED BUILD BRIDGES ACROSS HISTORIC DIVIDES. THE SOWEBO NOW PROJECT | 3
JUNE 12, 2014 | 6PM- 9PM
JUNE 14, 2014 | 11AM- 5PM
DAY ONE LEARN & THINK
DAY ONE MAKE & DO
Purpose: • Deepen understanding • Identify hurdles and opportunities • Develop project ideas for Make & Do • Form teams
Purpose: • Build concrete outputs for neighborhood initiatives • Develop websites, logos, stories, art, gardens, action plans, coalitions, etc. • Plan a project that could continue to be built & refined over next 3 months
BUILDING SOCIAL CAPITAL
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BRIDGING THE DIVIDE
We designed a two day analog hackathon, inviting neighborhood residents and citywide innovators from the social impact community to come together to bring project ideas to reality.
BET TER BLOCKS How to beautify & improve one block of Franklin Square
How to develop a block-captain program in Hollins Market
How to build community momentum for mapping vacant properties
O P E N S PA C E S How to support an open-air acrobatics park
How to start a school garden at James McHenry Elementary
How to start a Mobile Recreation Trailer for Southwest
YOUTH AND SCHOOLS How to create job and GED resources for parents at James McHenry Elementary School
How to build mentorship & resources for girls
How to pilot and support a community workforce initiative
BUILDING BUSINESS How to support the Urban Business Center
How to start a pop-up used sporting goods store & bike repair shop
How to mobilize community groups to provide basic upkeep for vacant buildings on Baltimore St
HIGHLIGHTING ASSETS How to map history and integrate to Baltimore Heritage app THE SOWEBO NOW PROJECT | 5
How to document and display positive change and community assets in Southwest
How to support the Mencken House
Gensler, in collaboration with Community Design Lab sourced fifteen neighborhood projects from five issues areas.
DAY ONE LEARN & THINK 3 Hours 17 Facilitators 15 Projects 100 Attendees
JOSH SMITH | COMMUNITY WORKFORCE INITIATIVE
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As part of the planning process, it was critical to use this opportunity to connect to neighbors that hadn’t found a way to participate.
DAY TWO MAKE & DO 8 Hours 15 Facilitators 15 Projects 60 Attendees
NEIGHBORHOOD STORIES WEBSITE
BEVERLY + HER PAPER ROCKET
PAPER ROCKET MAKING
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CHARM CITY CIRCUS | STREET PARADE
Focusing on simple, immediate, shortterm projects gave connectivity to the bigger conversation and helped build bridges across historic divides.
JAMES MCHENRY PRE-K PLAYGROUND Gives Pre-K and Kindergarten students from James McHenry Elementary/Middle a playground of their own. The project will provide playground equipment for younger children in an enclosed area. The playground will also be available for children in the neighboring communities.
COMMUNITY WORKFORCE INITIATIVE Provides members of the Southwest Baltimore community, many who are from a lower socioeconomic sphere, an opportunity to develop skills which could lead to further employement.
ONE BLOCK NOW Brings together diverse people of the community to beautify a block of West Baltimore St. Each building will be “adopted” by an organization, business, church or neighbor who will create a plan to beautify their building. One weekend, all will come together to carry out their beautification plan.
CHARM CITY CIRCUS Engages and empowers adults and children living in Southwest Baltimore by bringing them together to create a circus performance. The circus will help neighbors work together and accomplish things they never thought they could do.
COCKTAILS AND CURMUDGEONS Planning for Cocktails & Curmudgeons event on September 12th, which raises awareness of HL Mencken. THE SOWEBO NOW PROJECT | 8
FIVE MICRO GRANTS ($500) AWARDED WERE TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN THREE MONTHS.
100+ PEOPLE CONNECTING
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP SKILLS
DIVERSE RESIDENTS FROM 7 NEIGHBORHOODS AND CITYWIDE
DEVELOPED BY PROJECT TEAMS AND LEADS FRANKLIN SQUARE JUMPED INTO THE PROCESS ENGAGING A FORMERLY UNCONNECTED NEIGHBORHOOD INTO PLANNING PROCESS
COMMUNITY GARDEN FIELD TRIPS SHARING BEST PRACTICES ACROSS CITY NEIGHBORHOODS
USED SPORTS GOODS + MOBILE REC TRAILER PARTNERING PARALLEL INITIATIVES ACROSS THE COMMUNITY
SUCCESSFUL PIVOT COMMUNITY GARDEN BECOMES A PRE-K PLAYGROUND
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STACEY SMITH + THE URBAN BUSINESS CENTER. EXPAND EXPOSURE OF RESOURCES TO A BROADER DEMOGRAPHIC (CITY TO SW)
EVENT OUTCOMES One Block Now began a beautification program and continues to rally the neighborhood. Cocktails and Curmudgeons held their H.L Mencken event and got great publicity. Community Workforce Initiave is bringing together neighborhood kids to work supporting various projects in Southwest. In addition to these stories, many more could be shared of friends made, memories created and futures connected.