Fresno California Choice Neighborhood Initiative

Fresno Housing Authority received a Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant in 2020 to develop a revitalization plan for the West Fresno California Avenue Neighborhood (CAN). The plan focused on three key areas: People, Housing, and Neighborhood. Lord Aeck Sargent (LAS) was engaged as part of the Planning Coordinator team, with a focus on developing the Neighborhood and Housing Plan for CAN.

Over the two-year planning process, LAS worked closely with Fresno Housing Authority residents and the broader community to identify issues and opportunities and to shape a transformation plan for CAN. This process included a range of planning exercises and community engagement activities such as resident meetings, capacity-building workshops, design charrettes, community activations, surveys, and both virtual and in-person interviews.

The West Fresno CAN! Plan reflects the community’s shared concerns about the past and present of Southwest Fresno, as well as its aspirations for the future. It also builds on the strengths, capacity, and resources of anchor partners who had already begun advancing the collective vision outlined in the plan. It is supposed to serve as a roadmap for future investment and guide neighborhood growth and development.

The Housing Plan aimed to double the number of housing units by replacing obsolete housing with new mixed-income communities that integrate a wide variety of housing types and provide supportive services. The Neighborhood Plan prioritized improvements to key corridors and activating vacant land with community gathering spaces and mixed-use developments. While the plan provides detailed strategies, identified partners, and build-first phasing with clear timeframes for implementation, it also acknowledges that CAN’s transformation will occur over time and will require sustained, long-term partnerships.