Designing the city

Christian Century, June 20, 2001 by Norman B. Bendroth

"This initiative excites me," says ICCF executive director Jonathan Bradford. "This is the stuff Christian community development should be about--cooperation, renewal, partnership. It's a `shalom-building' effort. Things are not the way they're supposed to be, and we want to have a part in making them the way God wants them to be."

Most significant for many participants in the design initiative was the way this process brought neighbors together. It spurred talk of a neighborhood watch, a farmer's market and a communitywide garage sale. People were excited about the possibility of a renewed business district with a restaurant, floral shop, grocery store and dry cleaner.

"What amazed me," said one participant, "was the change in people's attitudes between the September meetings and the final meeting. They moved from being people who were hostile, resentful, fearful and skeptical to an enthusiastic group coming up with lots of ideas of their own. Everyone clapped at the end of the last session. All of a sudden people understood that they had a voice and that it would be part of the design."