Start with the neighborhood.
InerG Impact, a social-impact nonprofit in Anderson, Indiana, was developing a community space. Understanding residents’ experiences would help ground decisions about what belonged there.
The inquiry looked beyond features for a building. It explored what neighbors valued, the needs they saw, and the ideas they wanted to make possible.
Make it easy to join the conversation.
A community listening block party brought the work into the neighborhood. Interactive activities gave residents different ways to contribute their knowledge and perspectives.
Over 90 residents contributed more than 800 individual data points. CXD and the InerG team analyzed the responses together.
Give the team something to decide with.
The work surfaced five themes: a strong shared community identity, entrepreneurial ambition, youth development, accessible social services, and inclusive recreational space.
A visualized insights report supported funding conversations and design decisions. A highlight video provided a way for the community to see its contributions reflected back.
What the space became.
InerG opened the doors in December 2023. In its first year of operations, InerG reports the space hosted over 160 events and engaged more than 2,300 community members.
It runs as a coworking hub, an event venue, a learning center, and a gathering place.
Source: InerG Impact, 2023–2024 Annual Impact Report.
What this work illustrates
People can help shape a placebefore they walk through its doors.
The listening created evidence the team could use and a way for residents to participate in what came next.