University of Illinois Extension, Fulton-Mason-Peoria-Tazewell Unit staff worked to facilitate University of Illinois Urbana Champaign School of Architecture’s engagement with City of Peoria and community leaders during two separate semester-long courses. During the Spring 2017 semester, graduate...

Assessing Downtown Canton report represents a collaborative effort between Canton Main...

When first-year Master of Urban Planning student Marcia Klopf began her search for a master's capstone project, she was looking for a project which would combine her interests in historic preservation and urban design. Through Kathie Brown, a University of Illinois Extension Educator for Community...

In July, City of Peoria was selected as a finalist in the Play Everywhere Challenge, a $1 million national competition that will award outside-the-box ideas to make play easy, available, and fun for kids and families in cities across the U.S. The Challenge is hosted by KaBOOM!, a national non-...

During the annual Discover Manufacturing Expo, over 800 students from 29 area schools are introduced to manufacturing career pathways. This is the second year University of Illinois Extension has engaged with the Greater Peoria EDC's Strategic Manufacturing Group in linking area manufacturers with...

Creating a local Historic Commercial district is the focus of a UIUC Department of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone project. Marcia Klop, Graduate Student in Department of Urban and Regional Planning at UIUC is working with University of Illinois Extension, City of Washington Economic Developer...

Strengthening Local Food Systems Although conversations are held nationally, many solutions are sought locally. Large urban centers garner most of the media attention in this sector, but small and mid-size cities play an important role in the United States' local food systems. Local residents,...

Local Food Resource Guide The food we eat has profound impacts on public health, environmental quality, economic development, and land use. Increasingly, activists, analysts, public health practitioners, farmers, consumer advocates, and policy makers agree that finding new...

Prepared by Nancy Smebak, University of Illinois Extension Research Assistant, April 2015 This project documents and describes the food system in Peoria County and the surrounding region through participatory and analytic mapping and key informant interviews and videos....

Taking stock of the community's resources to support entrepreneurship growth and development is a critical element to creating a proactive environment for business development. Local Economic Development Organizations can take proactive approach to assisting existing and prospective business owners...