Belvidere: Life's Better Riverside
COMMUNITY EVENTS & VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES
With all of the exciting things happening in Belvidere with our Neighborhood Preservation Program, of course you want to roll up your sleeves & get involved!  Keep an eye on this page for upcoming events that we need help with.
COMMUNITY MURAL PROJECT: SHARE YOUR VISION
HOW DID THE TEAM DECIDE ON WHAT WAS TO BE DONE AND HOW IT WAS TO BE DONE?
The NPP team was dedicated to ensuring that community input was at the forefront of decision-making when it came to improving the district. To achieve this, we conducted an extensive online survey in 2021, which was filled out by over 300 community members. This survey asked for their thoughts on the current state of the district and their vision for its future. By gathering this valuable feedback, we were able to identify key areas of focus and prioritize community needs.
One of the most important aspects of this survey was the opportunity it provided for community members to share their vision for building facades. This input was critical in guiding our team's design decisions and ensuring that the district's physical appearance aligned with the desires of those who live and work there. Thanks to the community's feedback, we were able to create a design vision down to the most minute details, ultimately resulting in a district that truly reflects the wants and needs of its residents.
COMMUNITY FOCUS GROUPS
The NPP team held a series of community focus groups in order to gather further input on the desires and needs of the district's residents. These focus groups provided an opportunity for participants to have their voices heard and cast their vote on what items and spaces they felt were most important to them. We held separate sessions for different groups, such as students, renters, residents over 2 years, residents under 2 years, and investors, business owners, and landlords, to ensure that everyone had a chance to participate and share their unique perspectives.
I WISH THIS WAS. . .
Community engagement during this planning process is paramount. We want to hear from you, we want you to dream big, & without limits.
We have placed signs like this on some buildings of interest within our district area. Walk the district & locate them. Tell us what you envision for that particular building. Keep it positive & clean.
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We will be collecting these before our final focus group with property owners, investors and business owners & will be sharing your thoughts directly with them. It's the first step in helping bring diverse businesses to the area.