The strategy area is between Lewis Avenue and Riverside Drive from 51st to 71st Streets. 

A neighborhood improvement strategy focuses on a specific area to improve it. It is action-oriented with an emphasis on short-term projects to implement, community engagement, and research. Like other official plans, it is reviewed by the Tulsa City Council and Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission (TMAPC).

A neighborhood improvement strategy shares some things in common with a master plan and small area plan: it is action-oriented, addresses many of the same topics like housing and land use, and informs long-term development of an area that coincides with wider-City initiatives. It differs from a small area and master plan in a few key ways: a neighborhood improvement strategy is not as comprehensive; it focuses on short-term implementable projects and goals to improve neighborhood conditions sooner; and it will identify funding to be used within the immediate future.

The goal of this strategy is to create a vision and action-oriented redevelopment strategy to help guide the area’s growth.

The process is being led by the Department of City Experience in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office, Tulsa City Council, and Riverwood community leaders.

The Riverwood Neighborhood Improvement Strategy was initiated by engaged citizens like you!

The Riverwood Collaborative, a grassroots group of residents and organizations in the area, and the South Tulsa Community House reached out to the Tulsa Planning Office with interest in participating in the state Main Street Program. Oklahoma Main Street then conducted a site visit and determined that the area was not ready for main street designation. To keep the momentum from the Riverwood Collaborative, the Tulsa Planning Office then began to develop this strategy in partnership with Riverwood community leaders.

The team is designing a robust resident and stakeholder engagement strategy with multiple feedback loops to ensure authentic and effective engagement. This will include hands-on community engagement, stakeholder interviews, and open houses throughout the process. You can get involved by attending one of our events or completing the surveys on this webpage.

The City of Tulsa and Tulsa City Council allocated $50,000 to be used for the initial community engagement and short-term implementation.

Identified short- and long-term projects will be funded in a variety of ways. The Strategic Partnerships and Development Working Group’s focus is on identifying funding, preparing for future sales tax packages, establishing key partnerships for implementation and funding, and earmarking grants for implementation of these projects.

There are many studies, strategies, and programs that inform this current process. They are listed below.

Byrne Grant (2014-2016): A program funded by the Department of Justice to find a community resource officer for the Tulsa Police Department to work in conjunction with members of the community to build social cohesion at the individual level and improve collaboration with the local criminal justice system.

IQC Report (2022): This report was created in conjunction with the University of Oklahoma to help develop a robust evaluation of the area’s demographics and needs that created a foundation for the development of the Riverwood Neighborhood Improvement Strategy.

Riverwood Small Area Plan (1997; 2008): This was a neighborhood small area plan created in 1997 and updated in 2008 that identified specific neighborhood planning recommendations that would help revitalize the area. This resulted in the creation and building of the Riverwood neighborhood sign across from Johnson Park.

Crime-Based Crime Reduction Mid-Year Implementation Plan (2019): The City of Tulsa’s main goals is to reduce violent and property crimes, increase community engagement, increase the availability of social services for neighborhood residents, and enhance neighborhood safety. Together, these goals reflect a broad and holistic approach toward building a greater quality of life for not only 61st and Peoria neighborhood residents, but for all Tulsans.

The management team was selected based on their roles within vital planning and city departments. Members from the Riverwood community were selected based off a 2022 report conducted by IQC in partnership with the Riverwood Collaborative and the South Tulsa Community House.

The process was led by the management team consisting of Tulsa Planning Office staff, elected leadership, and community stakeholders who evaluated working group parameters. Each working group has a specific topic and focus. When considering members for working groups, the management team determined what knowledge and experience (both learned and lived) are needed to create meaningful, implementable strategies and projects. Respondents were rated based on several factors including the proposed project approach and methodology, respondents’ experience in similar projects, contexts, and communities, and an understanding of project objectives, project issues, and the proposed scope of work.

Working group topics align with the main chapters of the Tulsa Comprehensive Plan to ensure successful adoption and implementation of the strategy. This also ensures that the final strategy adopted works in tandem with wider city projects, strategies, and plans.

The working groups create an implementation strategy that addresses the needs, opportunities, and challenges related to their working group topic. They will identify short- and long-term implementation projects, conduct research and community engagement, and complete assigned deliverables (or work).

The management team guides the entire process and ensures that working groups are supported, remain on task, and complete their work. The management team will combine all the working groups’ strategies into one final strategy. The final strategy will be reviewed and officially adopted by Tulsa City Council and Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission (TMAPC).