Planning, Advocacy, and Implementation in Underserved Wilmington Neighborhoods

The Southbridge Neighborhood Action Plan aims to ensure that a historic, Black, urban Wilmington community thrives alongside a nearby waterfront favored by public and private investment. The Route 9 Corridor Master Plan identified land-use and transportation-revitalization strategies for nearby Black suburban communities that long have been underserved and plagued by incompatible land uses and unsafe roads.

Hear from planners and civic leaders how revitalization efforts were guided by broad, community-infused planning processes that overcame pandemic-related gathering restrictions, limited digital access, and issues with census data. Learn how each plan transitioned from planning to implementation, empowered civic leaders to guide implementation, and achieved early wins. Successes include formation of community-development corporations; community-benefit agreements; advocacy for economic-recovery funding; comprehensive plan adjustments; road-safety projects; and walking and bicycling upgrades. Presenters describe how success is tracked.

Find out how these plans gathered diverse coalitions of residents, governments, nonprofits, and area businesses to support planning and implementation. Presenters emphasize the importance of empowering community members to protect and preserve Black and underserved neighborhoods and how planners can facilitate equitable redevelopment that benefits communities, builds wealth, and encourages participation.

Attendees walk approximately one mile on sidewalks and trails.