Book Description

Recent trends in East Peoria, Illinois have seen new commercial developments replacing former industrial and manufacturing properties as well as naturalized floodplains. New development pressures have consumed properties located more inland, creeping toward the historic town center. Meanwhile, a former manufacturing site adjacent to the historic downtown has been developed into a large-lot shopping center and declared East Peoria’s ‘new downtown,’ sucking many businesses out of the historic downtown, which, as a result, has been left compromised in the midst of the new developments. Following construction of major highway infrastructure in the 1950s, housing availability in and near downtown has continued to shrink, quality has plummeted, and the increased attention given to roadway infrastructure has eroded pedestrian connections near the city center. The lack of housing in the city center has contributed to increased numbers of personal vehicles on the roads, causing congestion, wider streets, larger parking lots, and fewer pedestrians and cyclists. Unfortunately, the recent increase in large-lot development has been compromising Farm Creek as well. Frequent flash flooding in the past led to damming, channelizing, and leveeing of the creek, causing the unwanted side-effects of increased sedimentation and water loads to the Illinois River, loss of floodplain habitats, and an eyesore that characterizes East Peoria as a whole. Despite this, Farm Creek is an under-utilized, under-recognized, and almost unknown asset in East Peoria. With its proximity to the historic and new downtowns, recent commercial developments, Illinois Riverfront, parks, schools, and neighborhoods, Farm Creek sits in a prime location to become an important artery that connects the community. Not only does the creek represent the geological and cultural history of East Peoria, but it has the potential to become a starting point that initiates sustainable development in the city’s future. Through green infrastructure and ecological urbanist principles, this project aims to restore Farm Creek to a naturalized floodplain as much as possible, and to preserve and rehabilitate the historic downtown while introducing a dense, walkable, well-connected, mixed-use development that includes housing, open space, and recreation in order to address issues with sprawl, congestion, inequality, and poor public transportation infrastructure.