Quality of Life Plan

Beginning in 2003, the Near Westside neighborhood has been developing and implementing a Quality of Life plan as part of the Great Indy Neighborhoods Initiative (GINI).

As a result of the GINI planning process, the Near Westside has focused on seven priority areas for the immediate and long-term vitality of the neighborhood: housing, public safety, beautification, economic development, education, health, and civic/youth engagement.   Agency and resident leaders want to restore older homes in the area, reduce crime so residents feel safer, and beautify the area with public art and community clean-up events. They want to encourage new businesses to locate in the area to revitalize their main corridors. They want to increase high school graduation rates. And they want to work through an expanded base of stakeholders to accomplish and sustain these goals. These leaders share a collective vision for renovated, affordable homes along clean, tree-lined streets with bustling shops and businesses along its busiest corridors. The Near Westside envisions itself as the ideal urban Indianapolis community where people choose to live and work because of its close proximity to downtown and to other state and national attractions along its borders.

The Near Westside has a solid foundation of existing community assets upon which to realize its vision. This area has always been rich in strong leadership and is home to a multitude of organizations. It boasts 19 parks and recreational areas, 41 churches of various denominations, 14 licensed child-care programs, six public schools and a private Catholic high school, two community centers, the Westside Health Center, a senior apartment complex, the Center for Working Families, several banks, a new library branch, the West District Police Department, the Westside Community Development Corporation, Goodwill Industries, many newly established restaurants and businesses, and a wide offering of social service programs. In addition, the Near Westside is surrounded by major state and national attractions, such as the White River State Park with its museums and the Indianapolis Zoo along its eastern edge. To the west are the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis International Airport. IUPUI, a major urban university with its nationally recognized medical complex, has multiple campus locations throughout the area. These community assets lay the foundation for a quality-of-life plan that lifts the Near Westside as “the up-and-coming place to live, work and be” in Indianapolis.