Stories of Philanthropic Leadership in Advancing Regional and ...

is using transit-oriented development and locationefficient mortgages to create another focal pointfor the community that will ensure pedestrianfriendlyaccess to the neighborhood and to theChicago region. 34Children at play at the Beth-Anne Life Center child care center in Chicago’sWest Garfield Park neighborhood. (Source: Bethel New Life).The funding community understands the arduoustask Bethel New Life has undertaken in changing theface of a deteriorating neighborhood. Grant supportover the years has allowed Bethel to make measurableimpacts on the community. The Field Foundation’sPennick feels that West Garfield has benefited fromincremental changes with neighborhood pockets ofstability, banks, businesses, and new signs of life. Andas LISC’s Mooney sums up, “Bethel is iconic—impact is tangible in the neighborhood.”In 2000, Bethel examined the regional dynamics andmade a strategic shift to embrace smart growthprinciples. “Smart growth in an urban communitycontext includes a focused-area housing developmentwith traffic calming, parks, and defensible spaces;transit-oriented development that features commercialdevelopment with housing in walking distance oftransit; brownfield development through anenvironmental triage process that identifies the mostdevelopable sites; and new job creation. Energyefficiency, air quality, and greenspaces are included aspart of all efforts.” 35Bethel employed simple criteria to evaluate proposedsolutions: Is it mission appropriate? Is there financialpromise? And is it wanted by the community? Fromthere, Bethel launched into comprehensive housingstrategies for sustainable living requiring smartgrowth principles like participatory planning, focuson area development (rather than a single building),energy efficiency for all buildings, incorporation ofgreenspace through parks and play areas, brownfieldredevelopment, and traffic-calming techniques. 36ResultsFor individual foundations, Bethel’s projects andevolution into employing smarter growth has earnedit high marks and a spotlight on the national stageas a role model for comprehensive CDCs. Throughlong-term partnerships, Bethel can guaranteeenergy-efficienthomes that do notexceed $200 peryear in heatingbills. Together, thefunders, partners,and staff at Bethelcan halt the effectsof gentrification,apply smartergrowth principlesin transit andbrownfieldredevelopments,and work to achieveneighborhoodequity. Accordingto Bethel’s Nelson,“The issue is ofequitable growth;Bethel launched intocomprehensive housingstrategies for sustainableliving requiring smartgrowth principles likeparticipatory planning, focuson area development (ratherthan a single building),energy efficiency for allbuildings, incorporation ofgreenspace through parksand play areas, brownfieldredevelopment, and trafficcalmingtechniques.we have to be at the table (when development isdecided) in order to get our equitable share.” 37The Bethel Commercial Center is the newest starin Bethel’s move into transit-oriented developmentand a flagship effort of Bethel’s 25-year successpattern with community-informed, smart growthinnovations. A larger advocacy effort to saveChicago Transit Authority’s Green Line, which wascritical to Bethel’s West Garfield Park community,opened Bethel’s eyes to the “asset” of a transit stop.Bethel’s Commercial Center is a 22,000-square-34“Information, Models and Trends for Community Developers-April2002,” available atwww.lisc.org/resources/2002/06/neighborhoods_810.shtml?Planning+&+Land+Use (June 12, 2002).35Mary Nelson, “We Build the Road as We Travel,” available atwww.nhi.org/online/issues/110/nelson.html (March/April 2000).36Campaign for Sensible Growth, “Latest Innovations for AchievingAffordable Housing: Case Studies from Chicago,” available atwww.growingsensibly.org/news/articleDetail.asp?objectID=1280(March 5, 2003).37IbidLIVABLE NEIGHBORHOODS/STRONG REGIONSPart III: Section 2: Making All Neighborhoods Stable, Healthy, and Livable as Building Blocks for a Strong Region 76