Melinda Messineo (Ball State University) in partnership with the Riverside/Normal City Neighborhood Association will work with a group of BSU Sociology capstone students during spring 2015 to create and administer a Neighborhood Survey. These capstone students will work with the association to survey the neighborhood in an effort to:
- Help residents describe the benefits of living in the neighborhood (to assist with branding and campaigns)
- Identify goals that the neighborhood has for the next 3 years
- Identify the perceived boundaries of the neighborhood areas to help with getting people together
- Identify untapped participants and resources.
The neighborhood association hopes to learn how to successfully leverage the strengths of the neighborhood and increase shared identity among diverse pockets of the neighborhood. The students will kick-off their efforts at the January 28th meeting of the Riverside/Normal City neighborhood association to begin designing this project.
January 28, 2015 – To help design the survey, the students conducted a brainstorming conversation with active members on Wednesday night. Resident’s were asked to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the neighborhood. Also, discussed at the meeting were opportunities for the neighborhood in the next three years and whether there are any risks or “threats” that we need to be considered.
April 21, 2015 – The students presented the final results of the Riverside/Normal City survey at the monthly Neighborhood Presidents Council meeting. The final report includes the survey results as well as the student’s interpretation of the resident responses.
