How Three Cities Measured the Success of a Neighborhood Revitalization

Revitalizing a down-at-the-heel neighborhood is one of the big challenges of urban planning. First there’s the problem of selecting the right project in the right area, finding the dollars to fund it, and seeing it through to completion. Then there’s the challenge of measuring success.

Placer.ai has examined three projects in three separate cities that adopted different strategies to achieve their goals and used data to evaluate the success of each strategy.

The first project studied was Chandler Park in Detroit. Launched in 2015 by the non-profit organization Chandler Park Conservancy, the $45 million project aimed to transform the 200-acre park into an urban conservation campus. It would offer the community educational, recreational and conservation amenities. Two have already been completed: a skate park and an environmental education plaza.

Analyzing visitor data, Placer.ai noted that the number of visitors to the park grew by 71.5% between 2019 and 2023. Weekend visits rose to around 21% in 2022, compared to about 17% four years previously. This result “demonstrates the transformative power of community-driven initiatives and the unique opportunities they can create for local communities,” the company commented.

Wynwood, Miami benefited from a different approach. It was triggered by local artists who created an outdoor art installation, Wynwood Walls, that later attracted a developer to the neighborhood that had fallen on hard times. The result was a revival that turned the area into a major restaurant and retail attraction. Analyzing foot-traffic data, Placer.ai found that, after Covid, Wynwood recovered better than the rest of Miami. April 2023 retail visits to Wynwood were at 98% of April 2019 levels, compared to just 87% for the rest of the city. 

Wynwood’s success shows “the potential of art-driven, community-oriented spaces to attract visitors and drive neighborhood development,” Placer.ai stated.

A significant infusion of federal funds is helping renovate San Pedro Creek on the western edge of downtown San Antonio. A derelict area until 2016, a $300 million development project to be implemented in four phases is now under way. The goal is to revitalize the downtown area by restoring the creek’s ecosystem and creating spaces for the arts. Foot traffic data shows that the first phase, opened in October 2022, is receiving a higher number of visits and beginning to become an everyday destination, Placer.ai noted.

“By leveraging data-driven insights, cities can make informed decisions, drive economic growth, and enhance the overall well-being of their communities,” it stated.