DESIGNING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR WELLNESS
Recommendations to support an improved quality of life
This report focuses on an area bordered by Knoxville Avenue, Prospect Road, McClure Avenue and War Memorial Drive in Peoria. Data collected from neighborhood residents and through other forms of research provided insight on housing quality, housing affordability, social capital, green space and the quality of the neighborhood overall. Using this information the author of the report, Rachel Wilson, created a profile that provided insight on how the neighborhood residents’ mental and physical health were impacted by their surrounding environment and made recommendations for revitalization strategies.
CAPSTONE PROJECT OVERVIEW
Section one takes the data collected from Census Tract 24 (where most of the research area sits) and uses it to paint a picture of socioeconomic conditions within the neighborhood while also comparing them with overall conditions in Peoria.
Section two summarizes the interview responses from eight participants (four residents and four business owners) residing in the neighborhood. The responses garnered from this group highlight major themes including: Positive Aspects of the Neighborhood, Opportunities for improvement, Opinions about the city of Peoria, and Interviewee Visions for the Future.
Section three highlights responses from three separate surveys that were given to different residents, including middle-school aged youths and local business owners or managers of public institutions. In this section, one can see some major themes that emerge from the surveys and interviews.
Section four lays out the themes that emerged during the research done, and provides recommendations for each particular issue.
Section five describes the reaction to this report and its results from the public, specifically a through a presentation that was given to the Von Steuben Middle School Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO).