RESEARCH AGENDA
In partnership with the Indiana Lieutenant Governor’s Office, the Indiana Housing Community Development Authority, the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, and the Indiana Department of Transportation, Sagamore Institute for Public Policy Research is building a body of knowledge about implementation, achievements, and challenges of the Indiana Stellar Communities Program (ISCP) approach to comprehensive community development in Indiana’s rural communities.  Towards this effort, the research is documenting:

The implementation of ISCP over time.  The research is examining: 

  • Ways in which the ISCP model is implemented in varying community context and funding rounds.
  • What challenges emerged and how they were addressed. 
  • The extent to which social capital affected each community and state organization’s capacities to build and sustain partnerships and leverage other forms of community capital and investments.

The local and regional reach of ISCP accomplishments. The research is investigating areas of impacts, particularly at the local and regional levels.  It attempts to describe the location of projects and investments within ISCP designated cities, how ISCP investments impact and co-relate with other major public and private investments that impact community revitalization and quality of life standards.  The goal of this inquiry is to understand and explore how these spatially targeted local investments correlate with neighborhood conditions and quality of life improvements, foster regional investments, and encourage sustainability and capacity building.

The implications of local and regional alliances and partnerships.  The research is analyzing the critical importance of strong relationships and alliances with individuals, agencies, and organizations that have influence over community outcomes.

Patterns of community change.  The research is tracking how different ISCP designated communities fared in the implementation phases, including identifying evidence of tangible and intangible improvements.  It examines and compares comprehensive community development strategies and outcomes of neighborhood investments and conditions among the ISCP designated cities sequenced over time.