From August of 2010 through April of 2014, Maximillian Mahalek conducted a Master’s Capstone project that looked at potential planning-related solutions to issues of crime and building safety in the Silver/Vawter area of southeast Urbana. Maximillian completed this project as a part of his studies towards a Master of Urban Planning, and it was closely related to his work as a Planning Intern and Community Development Associate with the City of Urbana.

As part of Maximillian's study, he conducted a survey of SUNA residents. Following are the results that he presented at the SUNA 2015 annual meeting:  Southeast Urbana Safety and Design Survey Results.

The Executive Summary of Silver Vawter Project.pdf is a summary of a larger report that Maximillian offered to both the City’s Community Development Services Department, as well as SUNA as a client group. (Please note that the findings presented here are those of the author, and not of the City of Urbana, IL. Furthermore, the opinions voiced by respondents to the project’s survey and interviews are solely the opinions of those respondents.)

Maximillan and Diane Marlin, SUNA's city council representative, discussed city issues and problems with neighbors at the corner of Silver and Vawter on August 6, 2015. The successful event encouraged dialogue and feedback about improving the neighborhood.