Lewis And Clark Swot Analysis

Strengths

The north end of the Lewis and Clark neighborhood has multitude strengths which it can promote. These include affordable housing, proximity to schools, street design and proximity to parks. All of these elements are attractive to residents, especially those trying to find a safe place to start their American Dream.

The most positive is the accessibly of affordable housing in the area. The properties in the area include low income rental complexes, fourplexes, manufactured homes, condos and single family homes. It also follows the part of the cannons of urbanism by creating “a broad range of housing types, sizes and price levels for a population of diverse ages, cultures and incomes can provide for self-sufficiency and social

The area can be improved by creating basic and affordable safety measures. The map identifies areas where cross walks and yields signs would create safer blocks in the neighborhood. This would also make the neighborhood less auto-centric and promote the walkability of the neighborhood.

The weaknesses addressed the situation created by the separation of the neighborhoods and the lack of green spaces in some of these sections. This provides a great opportunity to provide green spaces in these sections, particularly in the low income and manufactured home parks. These spaces could be used for growing spaces and create a “significant portion of produce” for residence who have less of ability to provide fresh produce. It could also bring neighbors together, build social capital and promote empowerment of residents. (Yuen,

If bike lanes are expanded down W. Alameda Road, there are two grocery stores and numerous businesses. This adds to the human-scale of the neighborhood, taking exiting residential and business areas and bridging them. Many of the principals of new urbanism can be applied to the neighborhood with this simple addition.

The lack of vegetation is a tremendous opportunity for these businesses to connect with the residential areas of the neighborhood. Fred Meyer, for example, could offer a discounted price to residents on trees, bushes and shrubs. While Richard Florida doesn’t believe neighborhoods need to develop the same cohesion it traditionally has, I still feel business should develop relationships with residents to obtain their business if they want to survive in a “creative class” world.

The opportunities to help strengthen the neighborhood are available and most are economical and would not require great resources or capital. The affordability of this neighborhood can provide the “American Dream” for many and should be incorporated by local neighborhood leaders when looking at opportunities in the area.