Featured Articles
Lewiston Wins $30 Million Choice Neighborhood Grant!
We received the FANTASTIC news today that U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded a $30 million Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant to fund the Growing Our Tree Streets Choice Neighborhood Transformation Plan in Downtown Lewiston. We couldn’t be more excited for the Tree Streets community, the City of Lewiston, Healthy Neighborhoods and all the project partners. Congrats to everyone involved!!
Read ArticleRichardson Launches New Office of Innovation & Placemaking Initiatives
We are excited to see the City of Richardson making strides toward implementing their vision for reinvestment and redevelopment of key areas of the city including the Collins-Arapaho district that was the focus of our 2018 TOD and Innovation District Study. The city has announced the creation of the Office of Innovation & Placemaking Initiatives, which will manage six priority reinvestment and redevelopment areas. The new office will also oversee operations and programming for the Richardson Innovation Quarter Headquarters (IQ HQ) which is slated to open in 2022.
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RESTART, RESET, RETOOL, REFILL: Considerations for downtowns, commercial corridors, and main streets
We are at the end of the beginning. There are going to be closures, vacancies, and job losses across communities. How long and how deep will be a function of how well the next three-to-six months are managed, how that impacts consumer confidence, and whether planners and development officials are ready to respond in meaningful ways. Moreover, the pandemic magnified and amplified glaring, pre-existing disparities in our civic and economic structure. How communities address vacancy, maintain a sense of vibrancy and ensure equitable action is at the heart of today’s challenges. As designers and economists who have worked in urban revitalization for the past 20 years, we propose a framework for downtowns and main streets to consider - RESTART, RESET, RETOOL, REFILL
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EcoInnovation District Plan Wins Excellence in Sustainability Award
Pittsburgh's EcoInnovation District Plan was awarded the Excellence in Sustainability in a Community Plan Award by the APA's Sustainable Communities Division. The EcoInnovation District in Pittsburgh is the first of its kind. It is a groundbreaking initiative that combines the goals of both EcoDistricts (focused on creating environmentally and socially sustainable communities) and Innovation Districts (designed to help promote economic growth and create business and employment opportunities).
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The power of collaboration: working together for a more vibrant Macon
Thousands of residents engaged in the planning process ✅ Place-based economic development ✅ 80% of strategies implemented ✅ Check out this write up by Knight Foundation about the impact of our work and others in Macon, Georgia, in the past few years. We are so excited to continue our work in Macon, Georgia, with the Macon Action Plan Refresh: the latest update to the Macon Action Plan!
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Philadelphia seeks to heal old Eastwick wound with a "village in the city"
"The study released on Monday envisions Eastwick as a 'village in the city' that balances development and economic growth around a Main Street, while preserving open space for flood mitigation," writes PlanPhilly/WHYY. We are so glad to be on the team of consultants on this project. Check out this article about our work in Philly's Eastwick neighborhood!
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Interface Principal Scott Page talks Economic Development with Aaron Renn and Kevin Hively
What is economic development? Kevin Hively, Scott Page, and Aaron Renn discuss this and much more, including why cities need to look beyond just tech, the importance of growing your own companies, the three people ever community has to have, the future of the "three F's" (food, fashion, furniture), the need for the right space at the right price, the role of tourism and more.
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