Working Groups #4: Implementation Strategy
- Gabriela Abril Reyes
- Jul 17
- 3 min read
Held virtually from July 15th to17th, 2025, these Working Group sessions brought together residents, ambassadors, and stakeholders to refine strategies and key projects for neighborhood improvements and transformation in The International District. This was our last set of Working Group meetings before we submit the Transformation Plan.
The Neighborhood Working Group focused on projects to strengthen local street connectors, improve safety, walkability, and activate open spaces and key sites in the International District through environmental and arts stewardship. Participants learned about the latest updates on the Phil Chacon Park and International District Library Park improvements, and spaces available at the Mesa Verde Community Center Park. This session sparked conversations on potential partnerships and resources to offer educational programming at open spaces that could activate community stewardship, among them are Revitalize San Pedro, which also participated in the session. The planning team also shared the call for artists for one of the Early Action Activities that includes murals at the three housing sites, which led to additional conversations regarding the organization of annual events that feature local businesses and organizations that could activate economic development in the International District.
The People Working Group centered on projects to advance health, education, and employment. Participants discussed cross-sector partnerships, community wellness initiatives, and resources to support residents' needs. Among the potential projects are connecting residents to high-quality educational resources, for instance, the ABQ reads program that boosts literacy achievement among the young population, English classes offered by the Albuquerque Adult Learning Center, and vocational training for all ages offered by different organizations. Another major focus topic was mental health, for which participants shared ideas such as offering community recovery resources in libraries and public spaces, and suggested repurposing ground-floor spaces as meeting rooms or amenities where health-related initiatives and meetings could be facilitated. Some employment resources for residents desired include offering counseling for career pathways to job training opportunities, outreach for participation in the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program, and employment projects that involve women's entrepreneurship programs.
The third session was centered on the Housing element, where participants discussed opportunities to expand resources and support systems to provide stable housing solutions for the unhoused population, such as advocating for safer outdoor spaces and the development of additional supportive and transitional housing sites. Key potential partners mentioned are East Central Ministries and High Desert Housing. Conversations around increasing support and resources for permanent affordable housing in the International District brought ideas such as providing more local incentives for housing developers to respond to, while recognizing the needs of the community and partners simultaneously. Participants learned about ongoing initiatives such as the upcoming New Mexico Housing Summit, hosted by the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority (MFA), which also provides resources and materials for those interested in becoming homeowners. Other supporting partners such as the City of Albuquerque Office for Equity and Inclusion, and the affordable housing committee meetings that are held on the third Thursday of every other month, where housing representatives and organizations come together to discuss initiatives and policies.
All sessions emphasized inclusive collaboration to identify missing resources or partners to ensure the success of upcoming implementation efforts. Records can be accessed in the following links:
Tuesday, July 15, 2025, 1:00-2:30 pm
Wednesday, July 16, 2025, 3:30-5:00 pm
Thursday, July 17, 2025, 1:00-2:30 pm
