https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A99FqQC9w9Q ADUs or Accessory Dwelling Units have been legalized on paper in Bloomington, Illinois since 2022. However, many conflicting clauses in the zoning code and use table effectively disallows them from being built. Julia Sutherland has been a resident of central Bloomington for more than a decade and has decided to turn her garage artist'sContinue reading "Julia’s Backyard Quest for Accessible Housing"
Musings from a Midwest Road Trip: Public Markets
My fiancée and I went on an amazing road trip at the end of the summer, and now I am just finding time (by avoiding other pressing matters) to write about my experiences in some new urban environments. During my August trip, I visited Saint Louis, Kansas City, Topeka, Omaha, Minneapolis, and Milwaukee. I hopeContinue reading "Musings from a Midwest Road Trip: Public Markets"
The Importance of Proactive Historic Preservation
I had the pleasure of reading The University of Notre Dame School of Architecture Dean's Charrette of Downtown Gary. Compared to our recently completed amateur Front N Center Design Charrette, this is the gold standard and professional quality. Notre Dame has gained a national and international reputation of being an excellent purveyor of traditional architectureContinue reading "The Importance of Proactive Historic Preservation"
New Initiatives: Get Involved!
The Executive Committee recently passed two resolutions at our July 2025 meeting to continue our efforts at community revitalization. If you're interested in joining these efforts, contact an Executive Committee member. BR2025.8 (Establish Public Art & Safety Committee) Creates a new committee to highlight ways to improve public spaces by working with city officials, businesses and/orContinue reading "New Initiatives: Get Involved!"
Front N Center Charrette Process
This past Wednesday, July 9th, a group of sixteen volunteers worked to vision what could replace the buildings on the former Front N Center lots. Last year, the public was notified about the demolition of these long vacant buildings downtown due to long-term owner neglect. We wrote about our response here. Strong Towns Blono cameContinue reading "Front N Center Charrette Process"
TEDx Talk: Thinking Small: Community-Oriented Responses to Urban Issues
I had the opportunity to share about about our movement and our ideals at a TEDx event earlier this year. Here is that video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8CA45PiYQo
Housing Flexibility Through Boarding
This post will be slightly different from what we have previously posted on this blog feed. However, I think it is important to discuss the personal side of the housing crunch here in Bloomington-Normal. Life can change quickly and housing situations can go from secure to precarious in a matter of days. Embracing a time-testedContinue reading "Housing Flexibility Through Boarding"
Sidewalk Mural Completion & Updates
Our group has done over 153 volunteer hours to complete the sidewalk murals between the Bloomington Public Library and the Museum Square in Downtown. With the completion of our Sidewalk murals campaign, I want to remind you all of our membership empowerment program. This campaign was a member’s (Katherine McCarthy) idea, and we gave herContinue reading "Sidewalk Mural Completion & Updates"
Meet Your Candidates for Executive Committee!
All members of the Bloomington Revivalists are eligible to vote for candidates for the Executive Committee. The EC is responsible for the behind-the-scenes action. Ballots will be by ranked choice, and the top vote-getters will receive two-year terms while the rest will fill the one-year unexpired terms of departing members. The Annual Meeting will beContinue reading "Meet Your Candidates for Executive Committee!"
Downtown for “Everyone” Means Everyone
This history of exclusion in American cities is vast. The way we build our cities can be used against certain populations. One way we see this today is in the physical accessibility of historic buildings. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires a minimum level of accessibility for all publicly accessible buildings, was signedContinue reading "Downtown for “Everyone” Means Everyone"