Indianapolis Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==History== {{Main|History of Indianapolis}} {{For timeline}} ===Founding=== [[File:Greater Indianapolis ;the history, the industries, the institutions, and the people of a city of homes (1910) (14803447463).jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|An 1820 depiction of Indianapolis]] [[File:Restored plat of Indianapolis.png|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Alexander Ralston]]'s "Plat of the Town of Indianapolis" (1821)]] In 1816, the year Indiana gained statehood, the [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]] donated four sections of federal land to establish a permanent seat of state government.<ref>{{cite book|author=A. C. Howard|title=A. C. Howard's Directory for the City of Indianapolis: Containing a Correct List of Citizens' Names, Their Residence, and Place of Business, with a Historical Sketch of Indianapolis from its Earliest History to the Present Day|publisher=A. C. Howard|year=1857|location=Indianapolis|page=3}} See also {{cite book|author=Hester Ann Hale|title=Indianapolis, the First Century|publisher=Marion County Historical Society|year=1987|location=Indianapolis|page=9}}</ref> Two years later, under the [[Treaty of St. Mary's]] (1818), the [[Lenape|Delaware]] relinquished title to their tribal lands in central Indiana, agreeing to leave the area by 1821.<ref name="Ency">{{cite book|last=Bodenhamer|first=David|author2=Robert Graham Barrows|author3=David Gordon Vanderstel|title=The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis|publisher=Indiana University Press|year=1994|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bg13QcMSsq8C|isbn=0-253-31222-1}} p. 1042</ref> This tract of land, which was called the [[New Purchase (1818)|New Purchase]], included the site selected for the new state capital in 1820.<ref>Brown, p. 1; ''Centennial History of Indianapolis'', p. 26; and Howard, p. 2.</ref> The indigenous people of the land prior to [[Indian removals in Indiana|systematic removal]] are the [[Miami Nation of Indiana]] ([[Miami Nation of Oklahoma]]) and Indianapolis makes up part of Cession 99; the primary treaty between the indigenous population and the United States was the [[Treaty of St. Mary's (1818)]].<ref name=Madison123>{{cite book | author=James H. Madison| title =Hoosiers: A New History of Indiana| publisher =Indiana University Press and the Indiana Historical Society Press | year =2014 | location =Bloomington and Indianapolis | page =123 | isbn =978-0-253-01308-8}}</ref> The availability of new federal lands for purchase in central Indiana attracted settlers, many of them descendants of families from northwestern Europe. Although many of these first European and American settlers were [[Protestants]], a large proportion of the early [[Irish people|Irish]] and [[Germans|German]] immigrants were [[Catholics]]. Few [[African American]]s lived in central Indiana before 1840.<ref>Baer, p. 10 and 58.</ref> The first [[European American]]s to permanently settle in the area that became Indianapolis were either the McCormick or Pogue families. The McCormicks are generally considered to be the first permanent settlers; however, some historians believe [[George Pogue]] and family may have arrived first, on March 2, 1819, and settled in a log cabin along the creek that was later called [[Pogue's Run]]. Other historians have argued as early as 1822 that [[John Wesley McCormick]] and his family and employees became the area's first European American settlers, settling near the [[White River (Indiana)|White River]] in February 1820.<ref>Brown, p. 2; ''Centennial History of Indianapolis'', p. 6; and Hale, p. 8.</ref> On January 11, 1820, the [[Indiana General Assembly]] authorized a committee to select a site in central Indiana for the new state capital.<ref>Hale, p. 9.</ref> The state legislature approved the site, adopting the name Indianapolis on January 6, 1821.<ref name="founding"/> In April, [[Alexander Ralston]] and [[Elias Pym Fordham]] were appointed to survey and design a town plan for the new settlement.<ref>Hyman, p. 10, and {{cite journal|author=William A. Browne Jr.|title=The Ralston Plan: Naming the Streets of Indianapolis|journal=Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History|volume=25|issue=3|pages=8–9|publisher=Indiana Historical Society|location=Indianapolis|date=Summer 2013}} Accessed March 25, 2016.</ref> Indianapolis became a seat of county government on December 31, 1821, when [[Marion County, Indiana|Marion County]], was established. A combined county and town government continued until 1832 when Indianapolis was incorporated as a town. Indianapolis became an incorporated city effective March 30, 1847. [[Samuel Henderson (Indianapolis mayor)|Samuel Henderson]], the city's first mayor, led the new city government, which included a seven-member city council. In 1853, voters approved a new city charter that provided for an elected mayor and a fourteen-member city council. The city charter continued to be revised as Indianapolis expanded.<ref>Brown, pp. 8, 46 and 49; ''Centennial History of Indianapolis'', p. 30; Esarey, v. 3, pp. 42–43 and 201–2; and {{cite book|editor1-last=Bodenhamer|editor1-first=David J.|editor2-last=Barrows|editor2-first=Robert G.|title=The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis|publisher=Indiana University Press|year=1994|location=Bloomington and Indianapolis|pages=1479–80|isbn=0-253-31222-1}}</ref> Effective January 1, 1825, the seat of state government moved to Indianapolis from [[Corydon, Indiana]]. In addition to state government offices, a [[United States district court|U.S. district court]] was established at Indianapolis in 1825.<ref>Bodenhamer and Barrows, eds., p. 967; Hale, p. 13; Howard, p. 26; and {{cite book|author=W. R. Holloway|title=Indianapolis: A Historical and Statistical Sketch of the Railroad City, A Chronicle of its Social, Municipal, Commercial and Manufacturing Progress with Full Statistical Tables|url=https://archive.org/details/indianapolishist00inholl|publisher=Indianapolis Journal|year=1870|location=Indianapolis}}</ref> Growth occurred with the opening of the [[National Road]] through the town in 1827, the first major federally funded highway in the United States.<ref name=Hyman34-Baer11>Baer, p. 11, and Hyman, p. 34.</ref> A small segment of the ultimately failed [[Indiana Central Canal]] was opened in 1839.<ref name="Canal">{{cite encyclopedia|editor1-last=Bodenhamer|editor1-first=David|editor2-last=Barrows|editor2-first=Robert|title=The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis|year=1994|publisher=Indiana University Press|location=Bloomington & Indianapolis|pages=395–396}}</ref> The first railroad to serve Indianapolis, the [[Jeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad]], began operation in 1847, and subsequent railroad connections fostered growth.<ref name="Britannica"/> [[Indianapolis Union Station]] was the first of its kind in the world when it opened in 1853.<ref name="Union Station">{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/indianapolis/unionstation.htm|title=Indianapolis Union Railroad Station|work=Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary|publisher=National Park Service|location=Washington, D.C.|access-date=August 11, 2015}}</ref> ===Civil War and Gilded Age=== {{Main|Indianapolis in the American Civil War}} [[File:Prisoners at Camp Morton, c. 1863.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] [[Prisoners of war|POWs]] at [[Camp Morton]] in 1864]] During the [[American Civil War]], Indianapolis was mostly loyal to the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] cause. [[Governor of Indiana|Governor]] [[Oliver P. Morton]], a major supporter of [[President of the United States|President]] [[Abraham Lincoln]], quickly made Indianapolis a rallying place for [[Union Army|Union army]] troops. On February 11, 1861, [[President-elect of the United States|President-elect]] Lincoln arrived in the city, en route to [[Washington, D.C.]] for his [[First inauguration of Abraham Lincoln|presidential inauguration]], marking the first visit from a president-elect in the city's history.<ref>Holliday, p. 24; Dunn, ''Greater Indianapolis'', v. I, p. 217; and Leary, pp. 94–98.</ref> On April 16, 1861, the first orders were issued to form Indiana's first regiments and establish Indianapolis as a headquarters for the state's volunteer soldiers.<ref>{{cite journal|author=John D. Barnhart|title=The Impact of the Civil War on Indiana|journal=Indiana Magazine of History|volume=57|issue=3|page=186|publisher=Indiana University|location=Bloomington|date=September 1961|url= http://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/imh/article/view/8814/11342|access-date=October 15, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal| author=Joseph A. Parsons Jr. |title=Indiana and the Call for Volunteers, April, 1861|journal=Indiana Magazine of History|volume=54|issue=1|pages=5–7|publisher=Indiana University|location=Bloomington|date=March 1958|url=http://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/imh/article/view/8576/10865|access-date=October 20, 2015}}</ref> Within a week, more than 12,000 recruits signed up to fight for the Union.<ref>{{cite book|title=Indiana in the Civil War Era, 1850–1880|author=Emma Lou Thornbrough|series=History of Indiana|volume=III|page=124|isbn=0-87195-050-2|publisher=Indiana Historical Society|year=1995|location=Indianapolis}}</ref> Indianapolis became a major logistics hub during the war, establishing the city as a crucial military base.<ref>Leary, p. 99.</ref><ref name=Bod443>Bodenhamer and Barrows, eds., p. 443.</ref> Between 1860 and 1870, the city's population more than doubled.<ref name="Britannica"/> An estimated 4,000 men from Indianapolis served in 39 regiments, and an estimated 700 died during the war.<ref>Leary, pp. 99, 113–14, and Bodenhamer and Barrows, eds., pp. 441, 443.</ref> On May 20, 1863, Union soldiers attempted to disrupt a statewide Democratic convention at Indianapolis, forcing an adjournment of the proceedings, sarcastically referred to as the [[Battle of Pogue's Run]].<ref>Thornbrough, p. 202; Bodenhamer and Barrows, eds., p. 1121; and {{cite book|author=Kenneth M. Stampp|title=Indiana Politics During the Civil War|publisher=Indiana Historical Bureau|series=Indiana Historical Collections|volume=31|year=1949|location=Indianapolis|pages=199–201|oclc=952264}}</ref> Fear turned to panic in July 1863, during [[Morgan's Raid]] into southern Indiana, but Confederate forces turned east toward [[Ohio]], never reaching Indianapolis.<ref>Barnhart, pp. 212–13, and {{cite book|title=Indianapolis and the Civil War|author=John Holliday|publisher=E. J. Hecker|year=1911|pages=58–59}}</ref> On April 30, 1865, Lincoln's funeral train made a stop at Indianapolis, where an estimated crowd of more than 100,000 people passed the assassinated president's [[bier]] at the [[Indiana Statehouse]].<ref name=Bod443/><ref name=Dunn237>Dunn, v. I, p. 237.</ref> Following the Civil War—and in the wake of the [[Second Industrial Revolution]]—Indianapolis experienced tremendous growth and prosperity. In 1880, Indianapolis was the world's third-largest pork packing city, after [[Chicago]] and [[Cincinnati]], and the second-largest railroad center in the U.S. by 1888.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|editor1-last=Bodenhamer|editor1-first=David|editor2-last=Barrows|editor2-first=Robert|title=The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis|year=1994|publisher=Indiana University Press|location=Bloomington & Indianapolis|page=1483}}</ref><ref name="Built Environment">{{cite encyclopedia|editor1-last=Bodenhamer|editor1-first=David|editor2-last=Barrows|editor2-first=Robert|title=The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis|year=1994|publisher=Indiana University Press|location=Bloomington & Indianapolis|page=23}}</ref> By 1890, the city's population surpassed 100,000.<ref name="Britannica"/> Some of the city's most notable businesses were founded during this period of growth and innovation, including [[L. S. Ayres]] (1872), [[Eli Lilly and Company]] (1876), [[Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company]] (1910), and [[Allison Transmission]] (1915). ===20th century=== [[File:Indianapolis Motor Speedway - Otis Lithograph Co. border edit.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|A 1909 advertisement for the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]]]] {{Wide image|IN Indianapolis 1914a.jpg|1000px|alt=Panoramic view of Downtown Indianapolis in 1914|[[Downtown Indianapolis]] in 1914. At left, the [[Indiana Statehouse]]. At center-left are the Claypool Hotel (foreground) and [[Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (Indianapolis)|Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument]] (background). The intersection of Illinois St. and the [[Washington Street (Indianapolis)|National Road]] is centered near the bottom of the image. The [[Indianapolis News Building]] and [[Hotel Washington (Indianapolis, Indiana)|Hotel Washington]] are to the left of Washington Street while the [[Barnes and Thornburg Building|Merchants National Bank Building]] is visible to the right. At center-right, the [[Wholesale District, Indianapolis|Wholesale District]]. At far-right, the [[Omni Severin Hotel|Hotel Severin]] and [[Indianapolis Union Station]] clock tower.}} Some of the city's most prominent architectural features and best-known historical events date from the turn of the 20th century. The [[Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (Indianapolis)|Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument]], dedicated on May 15, 1902, would later become the city's unofficial symbol.<ref>{{cite journal|author=James Philip Fadely|title=The Veteran and the Memorial: George J. Gangsdale and the Soldiers and Sailors Monument|journal=Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History|volume=18|issue=1|pages=33–35|publisher=Indiana Historical Society|location=Indianapolis|date=Winter 2006}} Accessed March 26, 2016.</ref> [[Ray Harroun]] won the inaugural running of the [[Indianapolis 500]], held May 30, [[1911 Indianapolis 500|1911]], at [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]]. Indianapolis was one of the hardest hit cities in the [[Great Flood of 1913]], resulting in five known deaths<ref name=IndyProfile>{{cite web|title=Community Profiles: Indianapolis, Indiana|work=The Great Flood of 1913, 100 Years Later|publisher=Silver Jackets|year=2013|url=http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/1913Flood/communities/indianapolis.shtml|access-date=July 29, 2013|archive-date=November 13, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113154058/http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/1913Flood/communities/indianapolis.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=Bell15>{{cite journal|author=Trudy E. Bell|title=Forgotten Waters: Indiana's Great Easter Flood of 1913|journal=Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History|volume=18|issue=2|page=15|publisher=Indiana Historical Society|location=Indianapolis|date=Spring 2006}}</ref><ref>Unconfirmed deaths numbered as many as twenty-five. See Bodenhamer and Barrows, p. 582.</ref> and the displacement of 7,000 families.<ref name=BB58182>{{cite book|editor1-last=Bodenhamer|editor1-first=David J.|editor2-last=Barrows|editor2-first=Robert G.|title=The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis|publisher=Indiana University Press|year=1994|location=Bloomington and Indianapolis|pages=581–582|isbn=0-253-31222-1}}</ref> Once home to 60 automakers, Indianapolis rivaled [[Detroit]] as a center of automobile manufacturing.<ref name="automaker"/> The city was an early focus of [[labor organization]].<ref name="Britannica"/> The [[Indianapolis streetcar strike of 1913]] and subsequent police mutiny and riots led to the creation of the state's earliest labor-protection laws, including a [[minimum wage]], regular work weeks, and improved working conditions.<ref name=d1230>{{cite book|author=Dunn, Jacob Piatt|title=Indiana and Indianans|volume=III|year=1919|publisher=American Historical Society|location=Chicago & New York|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OXUmzX6kE-4C|page=1230|author-link=Jacob Piatt Dunn}}</ref> The [[International Typographical Union]] and [[United Mine Workers of America]] were among several influential labor unions based in the city.<ref name="Britannica"/> As a stop on the [[Underground Railroad]], Indianapolis had one of the largest black populations in the [[Union (American Civil War)|Northern States]], until the [[Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration]].<ref name="mumford.albany.edu">{{cite web|url=http://mumford.albany.edu/census/2003newspdf/jsonlineSeries/011403MURPHInjsonline.pdf|title=Indianapolis|access-date=November 8, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060926182527/http://mumford.albany.edu/census/2003newspdf/jsonlineSeries/011403MURPHInjsonline.pdf|archive-date=September 26, 2006}}</ref> Led by [[D. C. Stephenson]], the [[Indiana Klan]] became the most powerful political and social organization in Indianapolis from 1921 through 1928, controlling the City Council and the Board of School Commissioners, among others. At its height, more than 40% of native-born white males in Indianapolis claimed membership in the Klan. While campaigning in the city in 1968, [[Robert F. Kennedy]] delivered one of the most lauded [[Robert F. Kennedy's speech on the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.|speeches]] in 20th century American history, following the assassination of civil rights leader [[Martin Luther King Jr.]]<ref>{{cite news|author=Morning Edition|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89365887|title=Robert Kennedy: Delivering News of King's Death |publisher=NPR|access-date=July 1, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Higgins|first=Will|date=April 2, 2015|title=April 4, 1968: How RFK saved Indianapolis|url=http://www.indystar.com/story/life/2015/04/02/april-rfk-saved-indianapolis/70817218/|newspaper=The Indianapolis Star|access-date=March 26, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Top 100 American Speeches of the 20th Century|url=http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/007256296x/77464/top100_only.html|access-date=August 1, 2016}}</ref> As in most U.S. cities during the [[Civil Rights Movement]], the city experienced strained race relations. A 1971 federal court decision forcing [[Indianapolis Public Schools]] to implement [[desegregation busing]] proved controversial.<ref>{{cite news|first=Shaina|last=Cavazos|date=August 17, 2016|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/08/indianapolis-school-districts/496145/|title=Racial Bias and the Crumbling of a City|work=The Atlantic|access-date=September 22, 2016}}</ref> During the mayoral administration of [[Richard Lugar]] (1968–1976), the city and county governments consolidated. Known as [[Unigov]] (a [[portmanteau]] of "unified" and "government"), the [[city-county consolidation]] removed bureaucratic redundancies, captured increasingly [[suburbanization|suburbanizing]] tax revenue, and created a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[political machine]] that dominated local politics until the early 2000s.<ref name="politics">{{cite news |last=Bradner |first=Eric |date=August 29, 2010 |title=Indiana Democrats, African-Americans saw diminishing returns in 'Unigov' |url=http://www.indianaeconomicdigest.net/main.asp?SectionID=31&subsectionID=303&articleID=55914 |work=Evansville Courier & Press |access-date=March 26, 2016 |archive-date=April 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408151900/http://www.indianaeconomicdigest.net/main.asp?SectionID=31&subsectionID=303&articleID=55914 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |editor1-last=Bodenhamer |editor1-first=David |editor2-last=Barrows |editor2-first=Robert |title=The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis |year=1994 |publisher=Indiana University Press |location=Bloomington & Indianapolis |page=1356}}</ref> Effective January 1, 1970, Unigov expanded the city's land area by more than {{convert|300|sqmi|km2}} and increased its population by some 250,000 people.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Not stated--> |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/312244277 |url-access=subscription |title=Unigov's 1st Test Is Due |date=May 25, 1971 |work=The Indianapolis News |access-date=July 3, 2023 |page=41 |via=Newspapers.com |quote=It meant the city's jurisdiction grew overnight from one that covered 82 square miles and just over 500,000 residents to one with 400 square miles and more than 750,000 people.}}</ref> It was the first major city-county consolidation to occur in the U.S. without a [[referendum]] since the creation of the [[City of Greater New York]] in 1898.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Creation of Unigov |encyclopedia=Digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis |orig-date=1994 |year=2021 |last1=Blomquist |first1=William A. |last2=Vanderstel |first2=David G. |publisher=Indianapolis Public Library |url=https://indyencyclopedia.org/unigov-creation-of-1967-1971/ |access-date=July 2, 2023}}</ref> Lugar is credited with initiating downtown revitalization, overseeing the building of [[Market Square Arena]], [[Indianapolis City Market]] renovations, and formation of [[Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Richard G. Lugar |encyclopedia=Digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis |date=April 2021 |last=Frantz |first=Edward O. |publisher=Indianapolis Public Library |url=https://indyencyclopedia.org/richard-g-lugar/ |access-date=July 2, 2023}}</ref> Amid the changes in government and growth, the city pursued an aggressive economic development strategy to raise the city's stature as a [[sports tourism]] destination, known as the Indianapolis Project.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |editor1-last=Bodenhamer |editor1-first=David |editor2-last=Barrows |editor2-first=Robert |title=The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis |year=1994 |publisher=Indiana University Press |location=Bloomington & Indianapolis |pages=803–804}}</ref> During the administration of the city's longest-serving mayor, [[William Hudnut]] (1976–1992), millions of dollars were invested into sports venues and public relations campaigns. The strategy was successful in landing the [[U.S. Olympic Festival]] in 1982, securing the [[Baltimore Colts relocation to Indianapolis|relocation of the Baltimore Colts]] in 1984, and hosting the [[1987 Pan American Games]].<ref name="Naptown"/> Beginning in 1992, the mayoral administration of [[Stephen Goldsmith]] introduced a number of [[austerity]] measures to address budget shortfalls through [[privatization]] and greater reliance on [[public–private partnership]]s. Major downtown revitalization projects continued through the 1990s, including the openings of [[Circle Centre Mall]], [[Victory Field]], and [[Gainbridge Fieldhouse]], as well as ongoing redevelopment of the [[Indiana Central Canal]] and [[White River State Park]] areas.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Stephen L. Goldsmith Administration |encyclopedia=Digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis |orig-date=1994 |year=2021 |last1=Blomquist |first1=William A. |last2=Stitt |first2=Scott |publisher=Indianapolis Public Library |url=https://indyencyclopedia.org/administration-of-stephen-l-goldsmith/ |access-date=July 2, 2023}}</ref> ===21st century=== [[Bart Peterson]] took office in 2000, the first Democrat elected to the post since [[John J. Barton]]'s [[1963 Indianapolis mayoral election|1963 election]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Schneider |first=Mary Beth |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/107860017 |url-access=subscription |title=Peterson leads a party revival |date=November 3, 1999 |work=The Indianapolis Star |access-date=July 2, 2023 |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com |quote=For the first time since 1963, and for the first time since Uni-Gov was created in 1969, the voters of Marion County elected a Democrat — Bart Peterson — to be mayor.}}</ref> The Peterson administration focused on [[education reform]] and promoting the arts. In 2001, the mayor's office became the first in the U.S. to authorize [[Charter schools in the United States|charter schools]]. [[Indianapolis Cultural Districts]] were designated in 2003, followed by the groundbreaking of the [[Indianapolis Cultural Trail]] in 2007. Further consolidation of city and county units of government resulted in the establishment of the [[Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department]] in 2007. Later that year, [[Greg Ballard]] succeeded Peterson in a political upset.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Bart Peterson Administration |encyclopedia=Digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis |date=March 2021 |last=Frantz |first=Edward O. |publisher=Indianapolis Public Library |url=https://indyencyclopedia.org/bart-peterson-administration/ |access-date=July 2, 2023}}</ref> The Ballard administration oversaw the lease of the city's parking meters and the sale of the city's water and wastewater utilities with proceeds financing street repairs. Ballard pursued several environmental sustainability efforts, including establishing an office of sustainability, installing {{convert|200|mi|km}} of bike lanes and trails, and spearheading a controversial deal to start an electric [[carsharing]] program.<ref>{{cite news |last=Colombo |first=Hayleigh |date=December 23, 2015 |url=https://www.ibj.com/articles/56391-a-legacy-shaped-by-deals |title=Ballard: A legacy shaped by deals |work=Indianapolis Business Journal |access-date=July 2, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Gregory Ballard Administration |encyclopedia=Digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis |date=April 2021 |last=Frantz |first=Edward O. |publisher=Indianapolis Public Library |url=https://indyencyclopedia.org/gregory-ballard-administration/ |access-date=July 2, 2023}}</ref> Two of the city's largest capital projects, the [[Indianapolis International Airport]]'s new terminal and [[Lucas Oil Stadium]], were completed in 2008.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Indianapolis International Airport |encyclopedia=Digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis |date=July 2021 |last1=Marlette |first1=Jerry |last2=Opsahl |first2=Sam |last3=Van Allen |first3=Elizabeth J. |publisher=Indianapolis Public Library |url=https://indyencyclopedia.org/indianapolis-international-airport/ |access-date=July 2, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Lucas Oil Stadium |encyclopedia=Digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis |date=July 2021 |last=Blair |first=Lyndsey D. |publisher=Indianapolis Public Library |url=https://indyencyclopedia.org/lucas-oil-stadium/ |access-date=July 2, 2023}}</ref> In 2012, construction began on a $2 billion tunnel system designed to reduce sewage overflows into the city's waterways.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=DigIndy |encyclopedia=Digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis |date=July 2021 |last1=Fischer |first1=Jessica Erin |last2=Van Allen |first2=Elizabeth J. |publisher=Indianapolis Public Library |url=https://indyencyclopedia.org/digindy/ |access-date=July 2, 2023}}</ref> Since 2016, the administration of [[Joe Hogsett]] has focused on addressing a rise in gun violence and the city's racial disparities. In recent years, significant capital and operational investments have been made in public safety, criminal justice, and public transit. The city also established rental assistance and [[food security]] programs. In 2020, the [[George Floyd protests in Indiana]] prompted a series of local [[Police reform in the United States|police reforms]] and renewed efforts to bolster social services for mental health treatment and homelessness.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Joseph H. Hogsett Administration |encyclopedia=Digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis |date=April 2021 |last=Lyons Davis |first=Katherine |publisher=Indianapolis Public Library |url=https://indyencyclopedia.org/joseph-h-hogsett-administration/ |access-date=July 2, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department |encyclopedia=Digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis |orig-date=1994 |year=2021 |last1=Doherty |first1=William |last2=Fischer |first2=Jessica Erin |publisher=Indianapolis Public Library |url=https://indyencyclopedia.org/indianapolis-metropolitan-police-department-impd/ |access-date=July 2, 2023}}</ref> In 2021, [[Indianapolis FedEx shooting|a mass shooting]] occurred at a [[FedEx]] facility on the city's southwest side, killing nine including the gunman and injuring seven others.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/16/us/indianapolis-shooting-fedex-facility/index.html |title=Police ID gunman who killed 8 people at an Indianapolis FedEx facility as 19-year-old former employee |publisher=CNN |last=Spells |first=Alta |date=April 17, 2021 |access-date=October 22, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://apnews.com/article/shootings-crime-indianapolis-indiana-e92ad3117c56357b3b2c71a2903e68a8 |title=FBI says it interviewed FedEx mass shooter last year |publisher=Associated Press |date=April 16, 2021 |access-date=October 22, 2023}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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