In the summer of 2022, 9 people were shot in a late night incident on Main Street in Cincinnati's historic Over-the-Rhine (OTR) neighborhood. Due to Main Street's high profile as a place for both residents and visitors, this incident brought into sharp focus the challenges Cincinnati has been facing with gun violence.
Immediately following the incident, the Cincinnati Police Department enacted rapid and highly disruptive measures to control crowds and prevent further violence on Main Street. It quickly became clear that our local government, residents, visitors, business owners, and developers had vastly different ideas of what could support a safer Main Street. Acknowledging and honoring the social and economic differences between these groups became incredibly important to both the City Manager and Mayor as our team took on this project.
Role: Project Co-Lead and Lead Engagement Facilitator
Project Highlights:
- Less than a year after the launch of this program, City Council made a nearly $500,000 commitment to repopulate Main Street storefronts with local entrepreneurs.
- This summer, Main Street is seeing a drop in violent crime in the area.
