THRIVE Newsletter Spring 2014

LIVABLE MEMPHIS Spring 2014 Promoting Healthy Growth in the Memphis Region

T H R I V E T H R I V E is the newsletter of Livable Memphis, a program of the Community

Development Council of Greater Memphis. Representing over 125 neighborhoods from

across the greater Memphis region, Livable Memphis supports the development and

redevelopment of healthy, vibrant, and economically sustainable communities. We do this

by educating community members, promoting public policies that mitigate urban sprawl

and direct investment to existing neighborhoods; and advocating for public and active

transportation options that are safe, user-friendly, and accessible to all residents.

HOW WE GOT STARTED: In 2005, a diverse group of community developers, environmentalists, transportation activists, financial institutions, and philanthropic foundations convened to explore a community wide response to the effects of sprawl. They shared the common goal of supporting equitable and efficient growth in Shelby County and the greater Memphis region. Livable Memphis was created as an initiative of the Community Development Council of Greater Memphis. Its goals include: building a broad base of support, researching patterns of growth expenditures, providing education on issues that affect community vitality, and offering a grassroots input into policy decisions.

1548 Poplar Avenue Memphis TN 38104 www.livablememphis.org (901) 725-8370

As of January 14, 2014, the City of Memphis renewed their

commitment to enforce sidewalk maintenance. Did you know that

maintaining sidewalks is the responsibility of private property owners, as

stated by Memphis City Ordinance? The City of Memphis will begin to

address the hundreds of backlog sidewalk requests in order to notify

property owners of their responsibility to make necessary improvements.

Walkable communities are safe and promote healthy lifestyles,

prosperity, and sustainability. Every year, there are 300-400 pedestrian

injuries resulting in 10-20 deaths in Memphis. Many of these injuries

involve children and would be preventable if sidewalks were well

maintained and provided a safe alternative to walking in the roadway.

In 2012, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s ‘F as in Fat’

report estimated Tennessee will have a 63.4% obesity rate by 2030

making it one of the most obese states in the country. Our projected

obesity rates will add $3.6 billion in medical costs per year. Walking is

the easiest and most efficient way for people to get their daily exercise

and reduce obesity rates, but it is a difficult task without safe sidewalks.

A large portion of the population also relies on sidewalks as their

primary mode of transportation, including children, the elderly, people

with disabilities, transit users, and those with low incomes. It is important

that we provide safe sidewalks for people to use throughout their daily routines. Improved sidewalks will help

increase safety, promote exercise, and give pedestrians access to all parts of the city. (continued on page 6)

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Memphis Sidewalks Finally Getting Fixed By: Aubrey DeVine, LM Intern

Problematic broken sidewalks and

intersections without curb ramps


1548 Poplar Avenue Memphis, TN 38104 www.livablememphis.org (901) 725-8370

Our Values:

Balanced Development. Growth should be planned and

managed in a way that balances both

private and public interests. Future

growth must address the entire

community’s need for economic

development and healthy, diverse

neighborhoods.

Shared Benefits & Costs. All Shelby County residents must

share in the economic benefits of

growth, as well as its costs. Public

expenditures (tax dollars) should be

spread equitably among both new

and existing neighborhoods.

Access & Choice. All residents deserve equal access to

jobs, schools, shopping,

transportation, and neighborhood

facilities. Citizens also must have

choices in housing type and

location, as well as multiple

transportation options.

Community Input &

Collaboration. All residents should

have a voice in how the community

is developed. Venues for effective

citizen input should be well-

publicized, timely, and accessible.

Environmental Protection. Open space, natural habitats, and

landscapes must be protected and

preserved for the benefits of citizens

and the greater community.

Dear Thrive readers:

The cover story this month is about Livable Memphis’

involvement in the new city of Memphis sidewalk program which

was put into effect in January of this year. The city is now enforcing

the repair of property sidewalks, and we are privileged to be playing

an important role in both the planning and community engagement

parts of this effort.

Improved sidewalks can benefit the community in the areas

of health, transportation, and prosperity, among others. Livable

Memphis fully supports the city in this endeavor, and has created a

Walkability Toolkit for the public to access for knowledge in the

repair process. Even more relevant to the mission of our

organization is the ability of these investments to ignite

neighborhood revitalization or accelerate existing redevelopment

efforts. Improved sidewalks allow people to easily and safely access

all parts of the city.

The spring 2014 Newsletter also includes the introduction of

Livable Memphis’ new Creative Placemaker, Ellen Roberds, our

new Program Director, John Paul Shaffer, a review on the movie

premiere of A Fierce Green Fire in February, and a personal

account of last fall’s South MEMFix: Mississippi/Walker by our

intern Courtney Mcneal. Please also check out the upcoming

Livable Memphis events on page 4.

Our policy and advocacy successes are adding up as well.

On the Complete Streets front, we’re moving into phase two in

partnership with the city and other stakeholders: the development of

a Design Guide that will ensure the newly adopted local policy is

successfully implemented. After two years of work, we are pleased

to report that our updated local ordinance setting the traffic fines and

fees related to bicycle and pedestrian safety has been passed.

Coupled with greater enforcement – including training for police

officers – the long term goal is streets that are safe for all of our

citizens, not just those who drive.

Emily Trenholm CD Council Executive Director

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On Sunday February 23, Livable Memphis and community partners hosted the premiere of A

Fierce Green Fire, a powerful film highlighting five of the largest environmental movements in history.

Livable Memphis, The Sierra Club, and Brooks Museum of Art collaborated to bring the film along with

special guest and director, Mark Kitchell, to Memphis. The movie combines news footage, interviews,

materials from the archives, and the knowledge of top scientists, activists, and representatives in order to

provide historical perspectives and ideas for future progress.

A Fierce Green Fire begins in the 1960s with the rise of the Sierra Club’s fights to stop the

construction of dams in the Grand Canyon. Their efforts to save Dinosaur Monument were successful only by

sacrificing Glen Canyon. However, president of the Sierra Club, David Brower, and his followers continued to

gain attention and support until Congress was forced to give into the

pressure, canceling and later prohibiting dam construction in the

Grand Canyon. The Sierra Club had one great victory against dam

construction as the first Earth Day shifted the focus of conservation

efforts toward pollution problems.

The movie next focuses on Love Canal, a community in

Niagara Falls, New York. The neighborhood buried 20,000 tons of

toxic chemicals that were slowly leaking into surrounding water

sources and soil. In the mid 1970s the neighbors within Love Canal

began noticing the high rates of disease and birth defects (56% of

babies) and started to push for permanent relocation. After years of

residents’ conducting studies, staging protests, and even holding

EPA officials hostage, President Jimmy Carter finally agreed to

temporary and permanent relocation of the neighborhood. Around

this time, the concept of Environmental Justice was born, as it

became apparent nationwide that African Americans and other

minorities were suffering a much larger burden of pollution.

The third section of the movie, entitled ‘Alternatives’

questions how society functions. It focuses on the new technology of

alternative energy sources and the Greenpeace fight against whaling

and sealing. There are powerful scenes of Paul Watson, Greenpeace

leader, and his team physically placing themselves between harpoons and a pack of whales and throwing away

the clubs of sealers. It is a fight which Greenpeace made great strides, but continues to fight to this day.

Next, in the ‘80s, environmental efforts shifted to saving the Amazon. The rubbertappers, a

native tribe in the Amazons and their leader Chico Mendes peacefully fought against forest clearing and road

construction on their land. The tribe won a pivotal battle over Cachoeira plantation, but Mendes was

assassinated soon after. However, his death brought new life and motivation in the fight for the Amazon.

Elsewhere in the world, communities also struggled for the right to healthy land, clean water, and forests.

During this period, global discussions about sustainability led to the rise of that concept within the

environmental movement’s focus on climate change.

The last section of the film highlights the struggles of the Kyoto Protocol and the massive

natural disasters of the twenty-first century. Disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, continue to remind us of the

global climate crisis we have created for ourselves. There are currently more than two million organizations

working on social justice and environmentalism in the world. Society must rethink the importance of our

natural surroundings before we destroy the environment which keeps us alive.

Review of A Fierce Green Fire By Aubrey DeVine, LM intern


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South MEMFix: Mississippi /Walker by Courtney Mcneal, LM Intern

In the month of October, Livable Memphis and the Mayor’s Innovation Delivery Team worked with

LeMoyne-Owen CDC, Knowledge Quest, South Memphis Alliance, and the Soulsville Neighborhood to host

South MEMFix: Mississippi/Walker. This event temporarily transformed a corner of the South Memphis

neighborhood, engaging the community to show South Memphians and residents from all over the city how

this amazing space can serve as a catalyst for economic growth and neighborhood revitalization. The

residents’ involvement in showcasing change in their neighborhood was essential in making permanent

improvements for pedestrians and revitalizing storefronts at the intersection.

With soulful live music, mouth-watering eats from local food trucks, freshly painted vacant

storefronts for retail pop-up shops, and enlightening live historic acts, attendees were able to support local

businesses, gain knowledge of prominent South Memphis figures, and see the possibility of an improved

neighborhood all while having a grand old time! What also made this one-day neighborhood transformation

more exciting is that it catered to all ages. What is more heartwarming than the sight of eager youth taking

part in this remarkable event, or the beautiful smiles on the faces of adults who grew up in South Memphis

seeing a new glimpse of the neighborhood from their childhood? This was simply priceless!

In addition to South MEMFix, the city has hosted MEMFix events in the University District at

Highland and Walker, and in the Crosstown neighborhood. For 2014, Livable Memphis and the Community

Development Council will be taking the reins on a new MEMFix event and we have heard a lot of

suggestions about possible locations. It’s not too late to tell us what you think, but time is ticking! Who will

be the lucky neighborhood chosen for the next MEMFix event? Just hold on, it will be worth the wait!

Introducing our new Creative Placemaker

In February, Livable Memphis hired a new Creative Placemaker,

Ellen Roberds. The job is a one-year grant-funded position meant to help

revitalize neighborhoods in Memphis through small tactical interventions.

Creative Placemaking uses art, culture, and creativity to transform a

deteriorating neighborhood into a lively area. In the past, Creative

Placemaking has been very successful in Memphis neighborhoods, such as

Broad Avenue and Crosstown. In her role, Ellen will focus on implementing

two initiatives in Memphis: executing crowdfunding strategies with the ioby

project and leading a team in a MemFix project on a to-be-determined

community.

Ioby is a nonprofit organization which helps community leaders fund raise and execute small projects

to improve their neighborhood. Ellen will help create a network of participants who use ioby by connecting

with the community and providing technical assistance through peer mentoring meetings. With the MEMFix

project she will use tactical urbanism, defined as “a collection of public space and planning tactics focused on

improving the livability of towns and cities” (CNU New England), to assist with the growth of a community.

Some examples of tactical urbanism projects are cleaning and repainting an area, adding artwork, creating

temporary bike lanes or pedestrian areas, or building benches for the public to rest on their daily routines.

Ellen will help plan and implement all of these ideas during her one year position here at Livable Memphis.

If you have a project idea for ioby, feel free to contact Ellen Roberds at [email protected]

and she can help make it happen!


Tax Dead Properties in Memphis By Aubrey DeVine, LM Intern

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Urban blight, the result of the abandonment and deterioration of property, is a long-term problem in

our city of Memphis, TN. It causes a decrease in property values, an increase in crime, and detracts from

industrial growth. There are many reasons for urban blight, but abandonment and mounting tax debt are

probably the most common causes. When owners cannot pay the taxes on a property, it is often abandoned and

the tax debt accumulates to be greater than the value of the property itself. This situation is commonly know as

being “upside-down” or “under water.” As a result, numerous Memphis properties sit decaying in

overwhelming debt. The city has long fought against blight, and last March the Wharton administration’s

proposal for a vacant property registry was passed by the City Council. This proposal now requires mortgage

lenders to register abandoned single-family homes drowning in property taxes. Although this is a good step to

rehabilitation, there are still many abandoned property owners that have not identified themselves.

With ownership comes responsibility, and in 2010, 43,500 residential properties in Memphis did not

meet the anti-blight housing code according to the University of Memphis Center for Community Building

and Neighborhood Action. Unused and

neglected property is a waste of space

and money and creates a disorderly

image for a neighborhood. It is a difficult

situation to remedy, but Steve Barlow,

Memphis attorney, and other players

have made blighted commercial and

residential properties a regular

appearance in the Shelby County

Environmental Court through stricter

enforcement of anti-blight regulations.

Additionally, Barlow’s office is now

proposing to offer credits for the tax debt

to offset new investments to revitalize

abandoned properties where the tax

burden outweighs the value.

We are excited to welcome John Paul Shaffer as the new Program Director for

Livable Memphis! John Paul comes to us by way of the Memphis Metropolitan Planning

Organization, where he worked as a transportation planner focused on active transportation,

transit, and public outreach. He will be jumping right into Livable Memphis’ planning and

advocacy work focused on Complete Streets, transportation access and safety, and

neighborhood revitalization. John Paul is a native Memphian and a graduate of the Masters

Program in City and Regional Planning at the University of Memphis, where he focused on

neighborhood planning and food security. You can reach him at [email protected].



Welcome Our New Livable Memphis Program Director

(continued from page 1)

In order to help the City of Memphis, Livable Memphis has created a Walkability Toolkit for the

public to use as a resource for sidewalk assessment and repair information. The goal of the toolkit is to help the

city enforce sidewalk maintenance by informing citizens of their responsibilities and providing information to

complete the repair. The toolkit includes:

A sidewalk survey to give community members

detailed guidelines for sidewalk standards in the city

A list of bonded sidewalk repair contractors and

contact information

A friendly template letter to inform neighbors of

a damaged sidewalk in front of their property.

Contact information for the City of Memphis

Sidewalk Department

If you or your neighbor’s sidewalk needs

repair, please contact Livable Memphis for the

Walkability Toolkit. We are happy to come make a

more thorough presentation at your neighborhood

association or community group.

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Contact Us: 1548 Poplar Avenue Memphis TN 38104 Phone: (901) 725-8370 Online: www.livablememphis.org Email: [email protected]

Community Development Council &

Livable Memphis Membership Indicate Areas of Interest

blight eradication

expanded transportation options

increased facilities for walking

and biking

neighborhood economic vitality

safe, affordable, and quality

housing

safe and sound lending practices

sustainable and efficient

development patterns

other _____________________

Individual Memberships

$15. Grassroots/Student Member

$35. Individual Member

$65. Family Member

$100. Supporting Member

$500 and up. Sustaining Member

$50. Community Associations or Nonprofits with

budgets less than $25,000.

$250 to $499. Other Nonprofits and Small

Businesses.

Name

Organization or Neighborhood

Address

City, State, Zip

Phone Email

Create safe, walkable sidewalks in your community

THRIVE Newsletter Spring 2014

Documents

memphis sidewalks

city of memphis

greater memphis region

newsletter of livable

memphis city ordinance

safe sidewalks

poplar avenue memphis

improved sidewalks