Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols and City Councilor Jackie Dutton announced Monday the Neighborhood Conditions Index, which was launched as a pilot program in 2025, will continue permanently as the NCI Collaborative.
The program was developed by City Hall as a way of evaluating the well-being of neighborhoods by nine categories:
- Land use
- Housing and neighborhoods
- Parks and recreation
- Transportation
- Communities and civic engagement
- Environment and natural resources
- Economic development
- History, culture and creativity
- Public services
The program has only worked with three neighborhoods so far after 22 applied for the pilot program.
The results, according to the city, included new traffic signs and speed humps, neighborhood cleanup events and free spay-neuter clinics for pets.
Abandoned houses cropped up as a primary concern for residents during the pilot.
Nichols emphasized he wants to reduce blight in vulnerable communities without pricing existing residents out.
"The goal is not to gentrify neighborhoods,” Nichols said. “The goal is to make sure that folks who are in the neighborhood have good options to stay in their neighborhood."
A public meeting is scheduled for June 18 at Martin Regional Library to get feedback from residents about the next round of evaluations.
The city said applications for that next round are open until Aug. 14.
Residents can apply here.
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Editing by Michael Marcotte