| July
2006 |
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From Bogota to Chicago, Parkways Wins Public Over How Will It Look In Three Years? |
A Latino Approach to Building Support Unlike launching an expressway project, laying groundwork for an
event like Sunday Parkways requires winning the support and confidence
of all communities affected. In the case of our pilot proposal for
a 7-mile route through Logan Square and Humboldt Park, this meant
seeking legitimacy through neighborhood channels. It would have been easy to work solely with the city and have the route descend upon a neighborhood unannounced. But then, a large portion of the community might not know about Sunday Parkways until they happen upon it. That’s the sort of logistical and marketing misstep that could deprive any event of a future. Many in the neighborhoods along this proposed route are from Puerto Rico and Mexico, so Spanish is the primary language. Promotion has to connect with them. Through person-to-person contact, we ensure that more people are reached. Word-of-mouth promotion also is critical. In addition, gaining the support of well-respected community leaders can legitimize Sunday Parkways in a way that an outside organizer cannot. Sunday Parkways looks to change the street dynamic for a brief period of time on Sunday afternoons. At the same time, the real estate market regards these neighborhoods as “in transition.” So residents are wary of new things that carry the potential to accelerate gentrification. These concerns, as well as the fact that some areas are underserved, make for strong skepticism. This is especially true when new projects are proposed by organizations that are not rooted in the community. To ease these tensions, we work closely with partners from the neighborhood to ensure the needs of all of the community are met. Recently, I was part of a small Chicago delegation that visited Guadalajara, Mexico to observe Via Recreactiva, which is the most recent version of a Sunday Parkways-style program. It was an enlightening trip. We spoke with organizers from the city's park district, as well as the community-based organization, Ciudad Publica (Public Cities), an organization of groups that was responsible for bringing Via Recreactiva to Guadalajara. From my conversations with our hosts, I learned the importance of making Sunday Parkways a public event and giving ownership to the people. While we were in Guadalajara the city was having political elections. Because people in the community feel like the Via Recreactiva belongs to them, it will continue to exist even if there is a change in political office. After returning to Chicago I couldn’t feel more strongly about the importance of organizing and building support in the community. CBF, along with our community partners, can help to foster a sense of ownership for Sunday Parkways which is needed to ensure its sustainability in Chicago. Pete Rangel is a community liaison for the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation
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