Great Communities Collaborative: Adapting a New Model for Sustainable Place-Based Investment [AUDIO]

April 27, 2010, 12–1:30 pm

MPC Conference Center 140 S. Dearborn, Ste. 1400 Chicago, Ill.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, the Great Communities Collaborative’s ambitious goal is to ensure “half of the Bay Area’s new homes, between now and 2030, [are] located in walkable neighborhoods near transit.” To achieve this, regional nonprofit and philanthropic organizations work closely with government entities charged with housing and transportation planning and investment to target funding and technical capacity to local transit-oriented development.

Already in the Chicago region, leaders are convening to support the many initiatives that warrant this high level of cooperation and coordination among the public and private sectors. How can we ensure that the right partners are working together at the right time? How can we learn from the Great Communities Collaborative here in our region?

The MPC's Great Communities Roundtable discusses:
-Success stories from the Great Communities Collaborative in the San Francisco Bay Area.
-Various initiatives in Northeastern Illinois and Northwest Indiana this type of collaboration could support.
-Retooling federal programs to support similar efforts around the country.
-Local and regional philanthropic, nonprofits, and governmental agencies working to adapt this collaborative model in metropolitan Chicago.

Moderator: Mark Angelini, Practice Leader for the S.B. Friedman and Co., Resource Board Member for the Metropolitan Planning Council.

Keynote Presenter: Shelley Poticha, Director for the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities in the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development.

Panelists
Ngoan Le, Vice President of Programs for Chicago Community Trust.
Randy Blankenhorn, Executive Director for the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.
Leigh Morris, Chairman of the Board for the Regional Development Authority; Resource Board Member for the Metropolitan Planning Council.

Thanks to S.B. Friedman & Company for sponsoring this event.

Listen to a recording of the Roundable here: http://www.metroplanning.org/multimedia/audio/435

Release of New Report on Community Benefits and Development in the Bay Area

EBASE releases new report: "Building a Better Bay Area: Community Benefit Tools and Case Studies to Achieve Responsible Development"

Community Benefits and Development in the Bay Area

What:  Release of new Bay Area report on successful community benefit policies and projects entitled Building a Better Bay Area: Community Benefit Tools and Case Studies to Achieve Responsible Development.

When:  Wednesday, September 17, 2008
              12noon-2pm (refreshments provided)
 
Where:  Ginn House Large Conference Room
                Preservation Park
                660-13th Street, Oakland
                (Entrance on 13th Street and on Martin Luther King Jr. Way)
                3 Blocks from 12th Street City Center BART

The time is ripe for rethinking the conventional wisdom about economic development.  More and more, local elected officials are using a wide range of tools to bring affordable housing, good quality jobs, and neighborhood services to their communities.
 
With information from over 70 local jurisdictions, gathering close to 200 policies, and compiling 15 case studies, the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy's Building a Better Bay Area report finds an impressive array of community benefits integrated into development projects.  These development-related benefits are raising the standard of living for thousands of area residents and workers.
 
Part toolkit and part reference guide for local government officials and staff, the Building a Better Bay Area report describes how responsible development orients the benefits of new development toward the greatest needs of a community, and helps communities achieve higher standards and benefits from real estate and economic development projects.
 
On Wednesday, September 17th, 2008, the lunch-time release of Building a Better Bay Area will feature a presentation of the findings of the report, followed by responses from community organizations engaged in community benefit initiatives and local staff and elected officials who will speak to how these tools work in the public sector.

To RSVP, please contact Jennifer Lin: Jenny@workingeastbay.org or call 510-893-7106 x 321.

http://www.workingeastbay.org/article.php?id=620