Research Resources

Evanston

• Community Organizations Directory - list of hundreds of Evanston Community Organizations which might have expertise or programs relevant to developing proposals.

• Evanston Cares Network - Directory of local free and local resources programs for food, housing, goods, transit, health, money, care, education, work, legal advice.

ARPA

• Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds: Overview of the Final Rule -contains both rules for assessing ARPA eligibility as well as scores of example projects.

1. Housing

• Housing and homelessness update - local data, issues & projects on housing

• Consolidated plan - City of Evanston’s detailed plan for housing

• Affordable housing white paper - overview of the housing landscape in Evanston within the broader region, as well as examples of best practices for creating more affordable housing options at various income levels

2. Transportation & Infrastructure

• Capital Improvement Plan (pdf) - lists City of Evanston’s capital improvement projects and costs

• City of Evanston Street Light Master Plan 

• City of Evanston Bike Plan Update 

• City of Evanston Transportation & Mobility – for community to learn about local transportation resources, projects and policies/initiatives

3. Environment, Food & Sustainability

• Climate Action & Resilience Plan (CARP) - To achieve that vision, the Climate Action and Resilience Plan sets a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, while reaching ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets along the way. Other goals include securing 100 percent renewable energy for all Evanston properties by 2030, achieving zero waste by 2050, shifting to low- or nonpolluting transportation methods, enhancing Evanston stormwater systems, and, for the first time, ensuring that all residents, including our most vulnerable, are prepared for the impacts of a changing climate.

• 1.5C cities: The what, why and how of urban climate leadership - “Getting started” Report from C40 Cities has links to scores of reports on implementing high-priority environmental projects on energy efficiency, clean energy, transport, waste, food consumption, & construction.

4. Healthcare, Public Health & Family Safety

• Evanston Project for the Local Assessment of Needs (EPLAN) - The EPLAN process sought input from residents, community leaders, medical and public health officials to identify health priorities in Evanston and determine the best interventions to improve the health and well-being of Evanston residents.

Example projects

• Supporting Victims of Domestic Violence ($100K) - project from Grand Rapids Participatory Budgeting Process

5. Education, Arts, Culture & Recreation

Example projects

• Community Reading Initiative ($50K) - project from Grand Rapids Participatory Budgeting Process

• Democracy Skills Program ($80K) - project from Grand Rapids Participatory Budgeting Process

6. Economic Development

• Economic Development update - report on Evanston Economic Development including budget and projects

• Evanston Thrives Recommendations - economic development consult plan

7. Community building, Public Safety, Justice, & Governance

• Gun Violence prevention (2022). Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health - Gun violence is a public health crisis that continues to devastate individuals, families, and communities. ASPPH made a renewed commitment to work to end it by establishing a Task Force and creating a framework to guide academic public health institutions to inform their actions related to gun violence prevention.