Neighborhood planning for mixed-use spaces

The City of Rock Island wanted to develop two neighborhood plans. The Arsenal Gateway and Central neighborhoods are both mixed-use areas in Rock Island, each with their own set of challenges wrapped around deteriorating infrastructure, aging housing stock and abandoned industrial sites. The planning process involved consulting with a neighborhood plan advisory committee in order to combine the two original plans into one. The combination served to make the most of the City’s limited budgetary resources and limited stakeholder time and energy.

The adopted plan

The adopted plan will inspire and guide development in the Arsenal Gateway neighborhood by facilitating further investment, including both public and private improvements. The plan features some visionary changes, including realignment and narrowing of Fourth St. to improve vehicle and pedestrian safety, neighborhood appearance and access to key destinations. Most importantly, it features a series of specific strategies to attract and direct private investment and to guide public investment in the coming years.