
Just Southeast of downtown Indianapolis is a community that serves as home to a highly diverse group of 2,300 residents.
Just Southeast of downtown Indianapolis is a community that serves as home to a highly diverse group of 2,300 residents. This neighborhood has a rich history as a place of invention and craft, this neighborhood seeks to create a walkable community with an identifiable center, while offering a mix of public spaces and facilities, with quality education options and small business opportunities, all within a unique mix of market-rate housing which is affordable for working-class families and seniors.
Prior to the Great Places 2020 initiative, Twin Aire was characterized by a decreasing population, low median household incomes, and high rates of residents without a high school diploma. In 2015, Twin Aire was a majority-white neighborhood, as white residents comprised 52 percent of the population. However, in the four-year period between 2015 and 2018, new residents moved to the area. As of 2018, 39 percent of Twin Aire’s residents were white, 39 percent were Black, and 20 percent were Latinx.
As part of the city-wide Great Places 2020 initiative, Twin Aire completed a strategic planning process that identifies goals and strategies in four areas: Livability, Opportunity, Vitality and Education.
Livability Goals
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Increase connectivity throughout the area by expanding trails, improving pedestrian infrastructure, and creating opportunities to access a variety of transportation options
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Expand access to art, nature, and recreational opportunities for all residents
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Improve public health and safety
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Create a community center
Opportunity Goals
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Establish a dense, mixed-use center of activity that attracts local businesses and enhances economic development initiatives
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Increase employment opportunities for local residents and create an economic development initiative that leverages the strengths of the neighborhood to attract local businesses and higher paying employers
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Create resources for entrepreneurship and minimize barriers to entry for small businesses
Vitality Goals
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Ensure that the area will remain affordable for residents of all income levels by developing programs to assist current residents to remain in their neighborhood
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Improve the quality of the existing housing stock and create a diverse range of new housing options
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Become a model “aging-in-place” community
Education Goals
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Increase access to high-quality early learning and youth programming
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Expand opportunities for post-secondary education and workforce development
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Capitalize on the unique cultural context of the area and provide English language programming for non-English speakers
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Work with TANC, SEND and/or Southeast Community Services (SECS) to create new cultural programming to celebrate the heritage of the people in the neighborhood
PROGRESS:
Sixty strategies were identified to achieve the LOVE goals in Twin Aire, and progress on these strategies was recorded by the neighborhood coordinator. After two years, 83 percent of the strategies to achieve LOVE goals in Twin Aire were either recorded as completed or in progress, while 15 percent had no action, and 2 percent had failed. Failure was due to the unforeseen closure of the City's electric car-sharing program.
Livability
Health and/or recreational facilities improved: 2
Projects within 1 block of projected transit corridors: 0
Greenspace improvements: 6
Connectivity improvements: 2
Cultural/creative placemaking events: 9
People impacted by food initiatives: 300
Public safety and community partnerships: 3
Opportunity:
Brownfields tested or remediated: 5
New jobs created: 72
Small businesses assisted: 19
Commercial square footage improved: 25,803
Vitality:
Housing units new or improved for rent: 11
Housing units new or improved for sale: 57
Education:
Educational programs and facilities assisted: 0
SUCCESS STORIES:
PHOTOS:
CONTACT:
Interested in getting involved in the efforts of this Great Place? Contact Emily Djabi.