In spring 2002, fourth-year students offered plans for Howard Park, a neighborhood set on the east bank of the St. Joseph River on the edge of South Bend’s downtown business district. Currently older homes co-exist with a handful of small, light-industrial businesses. The neighborhood, however, is in a state of transition leaving long-time residents questioning whether they should invest in their properties. Under the direction of Professor Norman Crowe, students presented plans to redevelop the neighborhood at a community meeting at Zion United Church of Christ, a historic church in the middle of the neighborhood. Students proposed transforming a boulevard into a pedestrian walkway and proposed mixed-use urban quarters containing single-family homes, condominiums, apartments, shops and office space.
