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Riverwood Residents Asked for Feedback as City Launches Community Engagement Phase of Neighborhood Improvement Strategy

3/1/2024
This article was archived on 5/6/2024
The City of Tulsa is asking people who live in the Riverwood area for their input on how to improve the neighborhood as the Riverwood Neighborhood Improvement Strategy enters its community engagement phase.
 
The Riverwood neighborhood stretches from 51st to 71st Streets, from Lewis Ave. to Riverside Dr. The Riverwood Neighborhood Improvement Strategy is led by City of Tulsa personnel, Riverwood community leaders, Council Chair and District 2 City Councilor Jeannie Cue, District 9 City Councilor Jayme Fowler, PartnerTulsa, the Indian Nations Council of Governments (INCOG), and Riverwood neighborhood and tenant associations.
 
“The Riverwood Neighborhood Improvement Strategy is a prime example of how we can work together with our community to create a better, more connected, and vibrant city. We want to hear from residents about what matters to them and how we can work together to address the challenges they face,” Mayor G.T. Bynum said. “By participating in the online survey and attending the open house events, you can help us build a better Tulsa – one that is inclusive, equitable, and sustainable.”
 
Community members can share their thoughts by filling out a short online survey, which should take no more than five minutes. Survey participants will receive a free Tulsa Transit bus pass courtesy of Tulsa Transit and be entered into a drawing to win grocery gift cards. The winners will be announced on May 6.
 
To take the survey, which is open from now through May 5, visit www.cityoftulsa.org/riverwood.    
 
Residents can also attend one of three open house events, which will be held on Saturdays in March, April, and May from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. across Riverwood. These events will give residents an opportunity to provide feedback on issues such as transportation, housing, education, and safety while enjoying free food, resources, and family activities.
 
Upcoming open houses include:
 
 
The strategy and community engagement efforts were made possible because of a funding allocation of $50,000 by District 2 City Councilor Jeannie Cue for the initial implementation of the strategy.  
 
“It was important for us to provide not only a space for residents to give their input, but also to ask questions, share big ideas, talk to their City Councilors, and learn how they can get involved in their community,” Cue said.  
 
The City of Tulsa aims to establish a Riverwood Advisory Council in the long-term, which will be made up of community leaders, partners, and local business and property owners. The Tulsa City Council will continue to implement the strategy's initiatives and recommendations, advocate for funding, and work to develop the capacity of local leadership.
 
“It is thanks to local leadership today in Riverwood that we have this strategy and team assembled to get us started,” District 9 City Councilor Jayme Fowler said. “Folks like the South Tulsa Community House, Riverwood Collaborative, and Metro Christian Academy, to name just a few, show us what’s possible with community advocacy and leadership.”  
 
Between 2021 and 2022, the South Tulsa Community House, Riverwood Collaborative, and the Tulsa Planning Office worked together with the University of Oklahoma’s Institute for Quality Communities (IQC). Each year, IQC chooses a project that requires planning, placemaking, and design assistance where students and faculty can apply their skills in a real-world scenario. The collaboration resulted in the creation of a City of Tulsa task force aimed at improving the quality of life in the neighborhood.
 
“Well before the Department of City Experience (DCE) was officially formed, we were engaging in the type of community-led work that has come to define our department,” Rodrigo Rojas, Managing Director for DCE’s Community Development Division, said. “The Riverwood Neighborhood Improvement Strategy will be intentional in listening to the voices in the area and collaborating with community leaders on long-term implementation efforts.”
 
To learn more about the strategy, open house events, community survey, and/or advisory council, visit www.cityoftulsa.org/riverwood. 
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