September 12, 2015 – Be My Neighbor Day
“Neighbors always help you out. That’s what a good neighbor’s all about” – Daniel Tiger
This free family event was held at Canan Commons and focused on the importance of being a good neighbor. Children were invited to use a “neighborhood map” to visit all of the booths where our community’s great neighbors “live.”
The organizations at each booth offered activities that touched on the importance of being a good neighbor or giving back to your community.
April 27, 2015 – ALL-IN Block Party at the Delaware County Fair Grounds (Heartland Hall)
The Delaware County Wellness Group hosted the first Muncie – Delaware County ALL-IN Block Party at the Delaware County Fairgrounds’ Heartland Hall. The goal of the block party was to inspire community knowledge and pride. Indiana Humanities awarded The Delaware County Wellness Group a small grant to put on this event, which was described as “A Community wide event where folks complete a series of fun and thought-provoking challenges that build local pride.” Participants circulated to booths run by different community organizations and at each booth they completed an activity. The event provided participants 10 challenges that allowed them to Explore, Discover, Read, Remember, Participate, Connect and Dream about the place where we live, learn, work, and play!
The Muncie Action Plan Task Force 2’s booth asked participants to share a favorite memory of Muncie, a piece of advice, or a family recipe. To view the REMEMBER postcards made during the event, please click here.
All-IN Block Party flier (pdf)
Muncie GIS Resources Map for Neighborhoods
Kyle Johnson, Director of the Delaware County GIS Department presented at the March 2015 Neighborhood President’s Council meeting. In response to audience interest, Kyle created an online map of Muncie that includes the ability to view the following data:
- Properties in Multiple Tax Sales (unsold tax delinquent properties)
- Muncie Street and Park Trees
- Crime Density (all Crimes 2009-2014)
- Hardest Hit Funds Demolitions Properties (round 1 & 2)
- Parcels (links to Beacon for info)
- Fire Hydrants
- Bicycle Friendly Roads
- Bike Lanes
- Art & Culture Trail
- Greenways & Trails
- Muncie Historic Districts
- Parcels with Homestead Exemptions (owner occupied)
- Neighborhood Boundaries
- UBHA properties (all properties brought before the Unsafe Building hearing Authority since 2012)
- Muncie Sidewalks
- Zoning
In order to view the above listed layers, please click on “Content” in the left hand side of the browser. You will be able to turn layers on and off by checking the individual boxes.
Grant Funding Opportunities
Two upcoming opportunities for grant funding for tax-exempt neighborhood organizations include:
- Indiana Humanities All-IN Block Party funding. This unique program is a creative and fun way to bring together a wide swath of Hoosiers to inspire new ideas, get involved and make Indiana even better. Indiana Humanities is excited to offer program support, available by application, to organizations who want to make a Block Party happen in their community. More information can be found at the Indiana Humanitieswebsite.
- 2015 CDBG & HOME funding through the City of Muncie’s Community Development Department.
Importance of Neighborhoods
– Collier’s Article – Why Neighborhoods Still Matter (February 2012)
– Here is an infographic (pdf) of why neighborhoods are important
– AARP created an online index of livability that rates communities across the nation for the services and amenities that impact our lives. Take a look to see how Muncie was rated.
– Place matters, especially for children. The New York Times published an interactive map that compares the potential for a child’s future success depending on where they live. This information is part of a larger studyundertaken by the Equality of Opportunity Project on how we can improve economic opportunities for low-income children. The most recent phase of this project looks at how neighborhoods affect upward mobility.
– The American Planning Association published an Urban Naturalist Guide based on “Genius of Common Sense,” by Glenna Lang and Marjorie Wunsch, which describes Jane Jacobs’s life and her insightful ideas about communities. The guide provides instructions on how to observe the community characteristics that make neighborhoods “vibrant, safe, and interesting places to live and visit.”