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Outreach Weekend Report

February 1-2, 2002

Summary:

by Janni Sorensen

The first outreach weekend this semester was dedicated to data collection for the development of a comprehensive plan for the South End Neighborhood.

To initiate a Comprehensive Planning process in the South End Neighborhood, students and local residents conducted a residential door-to-door survey. The primary objective was to build a broad perspective of the resident's viewpoints and activate South End resident's participation in improvements for their neighborhood. 60 households were surveyed. The survey consisted of eighty-eight questions ranging from general opinions to specific information about economic- and area conditions. Some of the results are summarized below:

• 40% of the residents surveyed report being "satisfied" with their present housing. Yet, when asked about the overall housing conditions in South End, almost half (49%) of residents stated that they would rate it as "less than good."
• A majority of 55% residents are homeowners. While a majority also believes that they have a good housing stock there was a general preference for more investment in the housing stock with 96% of residents reporting that they would like to see new homes built in the area.
• Among the available public services, garbage removal and bus service ranked highest in quality. While building demolition and animal control ranked the lowest, suggesting a need to clear or rehabilitate dilapidated homes and detain stray dogs.
• In the social services category, job training, recreation/parks, youth development, and drug and alcohol programs were rated as needing most the improvement.
• Almost half the goods and services, about 49% consumed by South End residents is acquired in surrounding Illinois towns. While 30% is acquired in East Saint Louis, as little as 14% in South End itself. 7% is also obtained from St. Louis Metro Area

A Neighborhood Condition Survey was also completed this weekend. The study area consists of about 2200 parcels. Some of the data collected is summarized in the following section:

• There is a variety of land uses in the South End, but the two dominant land uses are single family residential and vacant. They are respectively 43.9% and 47.4%. There is a much smaller percentage for the largest land use, which multi family residential at 2.3%.
• Of the total building stock in South End, 52.2% is in good condition and 29.0% is in fair condition. This means that about 20% of the housing stock is in poorer condition. There are 42 dilapidated and 18 destroyed houses.
• The vacant land here is the most problematic area. Approximately 32% of all property in South End is unmoved or in worse condition, but it is clearly the vacant land that is pulling this number up.
• We found that there is trash on close to half the properties in South End. On 5.0% of the property the trash is extensive. The biggest problems with trash of course come from the vacant lands.

More photos from the weekend.

Document author(s) :
Last modified: 13 February 2002, Deanna Koenigs