SafeGrowth: A Year in Review

In June of 2022 three neighborhood groups, Avondale Development Corporation (ADC), Price Hill Will (PHW), and Seven Hills Neighborhood Houses, came together to learn the SafeGrowth philosophy of working from the bottom up to address the root of crime in their areas. One of the first responsibilities I worked on from my start at LISC was to help coordinate the SafeGrowth courses. Little did I know, the first thing I got in to at LISC would be something I am still passionate about over a year later.

So, what is SafeGrowth, exactly? In 2007, the SafeGrowth Plan was launched by Gregory Saville at the Canadian Institute of Planners annual convention, coming out of decades of research and consulting work in crime prevention through environmental designs (CPTED). The philosophy of SafeGrowth is that, “healthy and functioning small neighborhoods provide the most sane, healthy, and safest way to build cities in the 21st Century.” The theory is based on the idea that utilizing the energy and momentum of neighborhood groups can handle crime at a small scale. The Plan uses the premise of CPTED to work directly with neighborhood change-makers to implement training programs and strengthen networks between city services and neighborhood groups. A healthy neighborhood, above all, provides social cohesion for the residents, allowing them to feel like they belong. But what gives people a “sense of belonging”? Safe places to gather with friends and neighbors, activated spaces with plenty of things to do, easily walkable shopping and dining, and residents from diverse backgrounds, ages, and cultures. When people feel like they belong or have a stake in something, they are more empowered to keep it safe, clean, and vibrant. “Neighborhoods become great because people there care for one another and participate in community life.”

Back to Cincinnati. For three days the neighborhood teams learned all about SafeGrowth and worked together to create plans for their specific corners of Cincinnati for their communities’ needs. At the end of the three-day intensive training, the teams were sent home to prepare the plans they created for their neighborhood (read the original plans here). Each team was tasked with finding a space that had been labeled problematic and crafting a real-world solution to creating a safe, activated space. After two months of deliberation, the teams met once again to present their projects, not only to the other teams but to invited guests and potential community partners. This is where the real work began. 

Now here we are, one year after the program began. Where do things stand? Many times, projects like these fall to the wayside; the excitement wears off; there aren’t enough bodies to do the work; the funding isn’t there. Not in Cincinnati! Our teams are still going strong, with forward movement in all the identified project areas. With the help of a $2000 grant and connections made during their presentations, the groups were able to start on their projects right away. In addition, the teams continued to meet monthly to share updates, successes, challenges, and resources.

We caught up with members of the teams from the Avondale Development Corporation and Price Hill Will to find out what they thought about the SafeGrowth process, their challenges and successes, and what they have learned so far. Speaking with us, we have Patrick Cartier, Director of Operations & Community Engagement at Avondale Development Corporation, Sergeant Jeff Meister from the Cincinnati Police Department – working with ADC, Mollie O’Neil, Director of Community Partnerships in Conservation from the Cincinnati Zoo – working with ADC, and Samantha Conover, Community Engagement Director at Price Hill Will.

How did you get involved with SafeGrowth?
For the majority of our respondents, their introduction was being asked to take part in the process by LISC. Patrick came to the program after a change of staff within ADC, Samantha was part of it from the beginning and so was Sgt. Meister who was asked to take part via the Police Department. However, Mollie, from the Cincinnati Zoo, was invited to attend the final presentations of the SafeGrowth teams last summer.

…when the Avondale team presented the vision for Irving Playground, we knew we wanted to be a part of seeing it come to life. We are committed to creating and maintaining spaces that are beneficial to people and wildlife alike, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to support the SafeGrowth approach with our horticultural expertise. – Molly O’Neil, Cincinnati Zoo


Avondale: Irving Park

One year later, what is your biggest take away from the process?

Samantha: My biggest takeaway from the SafeGrowth training and implementation process is the value of creating meaningful partnerships with the stakeholders of a space and the servicing Police Department.

Patrick: We’ve made major transformations at Irving Park.  The location was a hub for crime and drug activity.  We activated the space with renovations to playground equipment, planned community events, upgraded landscaping thanks to our partners at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Sgt. Meister: My biggest take away from the SafeGrowth process over the past year was learning a new way to problem solve using external resources.  Generally, within the Police Department we usually rely, and problem solve issues ourselves, whether that is through arrests, extra patrols, or CPTED.

Mollie: How important it is to talk to people. We were mindful of navigating what we thought should go into the space and what nearby residents—the main users of the playground—wanted there. By having conversations with neighbors, especially residents of the White Oaks Townhomes, we gained a better understanding of other safety and beautification elements that we had not originally planned on. Moving forward, we will be working to incorporate these elements to make sure that Irving Playground is a space that community members feel comfortable and excited to use.

What surprised you about going through the course and working on your project?

I was surprised by the interest within the partners that the SafeGrowth team reached out to and asked for involvement.  Once introduced and a plan was made, the partners took off with it and made it happen. - Sgt. Jeff Meister, Cincinnati Police Department


West End: Former Tot Lot on Linn St.

How do you feel your project will positively impact your neighborhood?

Samantha: Our site is situated near the main entrance of East Price Hill’s Warsaw Avenue neighborhood business district. Positive change in and around this space will make our business district safe, equitable, and welcoming for all.

Patrick: The Irving Park project is a model for community-police relations and the benefit of local partnerships.

Sgt. Meister: Our project has and will continue to positively impact the neighborhood by creating a better safe place for the residents to enjoy.  A tremendous amount of work by the team, partners, and police resources went into the project to kickstart the upgraded playground for the residents to enjoy and take ownership in.

Mollie: There are so many wonderful things that happen when you increase nature in urban landscapes: trees provide cooling shade, blooming flowers and changing leaves add pops of color, more wildlife starts to visit, and opportunities are created for people to connect to the natural environment around them. 


Price Hill: CRC Adjacent Lot, Hawthorne Ave

What has been the biggest challenge and how have you overcome it?

Samantha: Our biggest challenge has been our desire to see large-scale change happen quickly and radically. We are continuing to learn patience, trust, and understanding as we continue to work on our SafeGrowth project.

Patrick: Internal staff turnover and transferring of responsibilities caused delays in our project towards the end of 2022.  We were able to bring in fresh staff and reconnect with partners to keep the project moving forward.  The Cincinnati Zoo staff help maintain momentum and leadership for the Irving Park project.

Sgt. Meister: The biggest challenge involved was originally getting involvement from residents and community members.  The team had to go out on foot, meeting with residents, asking for their input, taking surveys, and getting involvement.  Once this occurred everything fell into place.

Mollie: There are a lot of partners involved, which is a great problem to have! It’s encouraging to see so many people from different fields and organizations come together to create positive change. Navigating everyone’s schedules, not to mention somewhat unpredictable planting timeframes, can be tricky. But patience and communication are important parts of making amazing things happen, and each partner has contributed so much to the wonderful things happening in that space.

There we have it. One year in and the teams are still going strong, continuing to build partnerships and keep the momentum going. Though there was a "learning curve for all", as Sgt. Meister expressed, Safegrowth was successful and helped with police relations with the community and "shows that police do care and do not just show up to work in a neighborhood and then leave at the end of the day". Overall, there is a sense of gratitude and accomplishment, and as Mollie stated, "[The Zoo is] grateful for the opportunity to work with such amazing people and organizations" and LISC is grateful to be a part of this program that brings new life to some of the areas of Cincinnati that need it most. Click below for one year updates from each team.