I’m curious about reader preferences on this blog. Here’s a mini survey. Please rate your preferences 1-5 for each topic, and go in to as much detail as you would like.
Which topics would you like to see covered in greater detail?
Alternative Transportation (i.e. mass transit, bicycles, walkability)
Green Initiatives (i.e. recycling, green buildings, renewable power)
Photo Blogs
Observational Pieces
Local Food/Businesses
Infill Development
Next, a general question:
Are there any other topics that you would like to see discussed that have not been offered on Urban Indy?
Thanks everyone for reading this blog for past year and a half.
Kevin,
Here is my ranking:
Alternative Transportation – 5
Green Initiatives – 3
Photo Blogs – 4
Observational Pieces – 3
Local Food/Business – 5
Infill Development – 2
I would love to hear more about “walkability” initiatives and programs to increase sidewalk coverage in Indy suburbs (it drives me crazy that I can’t safely walk half a mile to my grocery store due to the lack of sidewalks!). I know suburbs aren’t your focus, but I would still love to hear about it! 🙂
I’m also interested in your photo blogs ~ sometimes all I want is to easily peruse a post of pictures, rather than digest a narrative post.
I love learning about little-known food establishments in Indy, so keep posting about those places!
Thanks for writing such an informative blog!
In order of interest:
Infill Development
Alternative Transportation
Local Food/Businesses
Green Initiatives
Photo Blogs
Observational Pieces
Alternative Transportation – 5
Green Initiatives – 5 (but only when they are used to creatively solve a problem, not just thrown in for publicity)
Photo Blogs – 3
Observational Pieces – ? Depends on the writeup
Local Food – 1 Kind of seems outside of the scope of your previous writings
Local Businesses – 4 (especially focusing on businesses that have located in a walkable, mass transit accessible, or other area that supports sustainable initiatives)
Infill Development – 4
Other Topics – Mixed use or village development, neighborhood resources, historic photos vs. current conditions, neighborhood crime rates
I think you’ve been doing a great job so far, keep up the good work.
“Buy local” is an important component of greening cities and I would include it broadly in “Green Initiatives” because it’s something an individual can do without any advocacy, policy, or significant investment.
Alternative transportation and infill development are also components of greening cities.
I like your serendipitous discoveries of corners of the city and the built environment and historic structures (most recently, really “corners”).
I basically like what you do, like much of what you say, and check the blog frequently. I like the fact that you are NOT “laser focused” on something narrow, but then I’ve got my PhD from the “learning by wandering around” school.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the comments everyone. I really like Graeme’s suggestion of Historic Photos vs. Present Conditions, which I touched on a bit on the 34th and Illinois post. I may do more of that in the future.
I particularly like your photo tours of things I didn’t know were out there.
We also really like the historic photos vs. current conditions and your photo blogs.
Kevin:
Google Reader led me to your blog and I am excited by what I see here–especially pleased to find your photos of the Bates Hendricks house and Marti LaMar’s horse, causing me to wonder if you are someone I’ve already met!
From New Jersey Street (BH house) on the West to Keystone Avenue on the East side of the Southeast Neighborhood Development territory, we have a volunteer corp seriously working toward the transformation and the greening of our neighborhood.
We expect to take another step forward on Monday, Oct. 27, 2008 when the Mayor’s Night Out comes to Garfield Park Art Center and then on November 5 when IMPD Southeast HQ hosts the first meeting of our Food Co-op’s Steering Committee.
Marti LaMar, known for her “Horse” is spearheading a drive to plant thousands of daylily bulbs along Pleasant Run Parkway between St. Paul and Harlan Streets just South of Prospect. This same area has been designated as the SEND Model Block Project for 2009. We began working on this project over a year ago with the formation of I’CAN, Indianapolis’ Churchman Avenue Neighbors, which lies between St. Paul and Harlan.
I am one of the Southeast Organizers who have set up community information blogs at http://southeastindy.blogspot.com/ and at http://southeastworks.ning.com/
Our community is the new home of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful and they have already made a huge difference in awareness in our community.
My ranking:
Observational Pieces
Green Initiatives
Local Food/Business
Photo Blogs
Infill Development