Adam Bornstein’s Post

One of Strong Towns’ core principles is that land must not be squandered, because it’s the base resource from which community prosperity is built and sustained. Here is what this can look like in practice: Not wasting land on unprofitable parking lots or free parking. Not taking on big projects when you’re not certain they’ll be profitable enough to justify their land and infrastructure use. Allowing incremental development so people can get the most use out of their land. Tracking your city’s value per acre and investing in the most productive areas.

I'm excited to share that we, volunteer tree tenders, planted 1,100 trees across #Philadelphia this weekend! Our goal is to increase the city’s canopy to 30% by planting thousands of trees 🌳 across the next decade. The city budget allocated $2M toward the plan in 2023. "Millions more are expected from the federal #InflationReductionAct. The 128-page plan, which took several years to put together, would cost $25M annually with a key goal of protecting existing #trees and planting new ones, especially in #impoverishedcommunities that can experience temperatures 22 degrees higher than in other neighborhoods because of a lack of #shade. Officials say there is #federal, #state, & #local money available, as well as a new Philly Tree Fund to pay for it. Under a new #city law, developers who remove trees on lots greater than 5,000 sq ft must either replace all trees or pay a fee that goes into the fund. Officials say the plan would reverse a distressing trend: The city’s canopy shrunk by 6% between 2008 & 2018 — the equivalent of 1,000 football fields. Officials also recognize that branches and roots can bump up against #utilities. So the plan calls for staff to work with #utility companies. It suggests burying #powerlines on wide streets and commercial corridors to allow tall trees to prosper." Link: https://lnkd.in/e3tevzC8 City of Philadelphia Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) Morris Arboretum & Gardens of the University of Pennsylvania Penn State University Fairmount Park Conservancy University of Pennsylvania The Philadelphia Inquirer #earthday #gardeningforgood #costoflivingcrisis #realestate #housing #emissions #enviromentaljustice #economicdevelopment #waterindustry #watermanagement #strategicforesight #scenarioplanning #megatrends #macro #foodsecurity #politicalrisk #economics #economicdevelopment #electricvehicles #taxcredits #localbusiness #venturecapital #venturefunding #nuclearpower #costoflivingcrisis #pricecap #energypolicy #energymarket #nuclearenergy #nuclearpowerplants #nuclerindustry #energymarkets #environmentaljustice #fusion #fusionenergy #ndc #ndcs #esg #unsdg #sustainability #sustainabledevelopment #environmentalpolicy #environmentalmanagement #sgd7 #sdg13 #greenbonds #recs #cleanenergy #tech #banks #wallstreet #etf #etfs #innovation #grid #resiliency #climatechange #sustainabledevelopment #cleantech #futureofenergy #netzero #cop28 #cop27 #oilgas #energytransition #power #sustainableenergy #sustainablefinance #sustainablefutures #sustainablefuture #hydrogeneconomy #fuelcell #strategicforesight #scenarioplanning #futures #futurism #alternativeenergy #solarenergy #windenergy #powergeneration #decarbonization #decarbonisation #scenarioplanning #strategicforesight #womeninenergy #strategy #management #cleanenergytransition #cleanenergyfuture #cleanenergyrevolution #electricity #womeninbusiness

Politics is the Art of Compromise and, Where Necessary, Choices 💡 In this exclusive op-ed, Robbie Moore MP delves into the critical issue of balancing housing development with the protection of our greenbelt. With pressures mounting from a growing population, the notion of "greybelt" emerges as a new, controversial term that may blur the lines between development and conservation. Moore cautions that this could undermine public trust and transparency, shifting local councils' decisions into a realm where community input becomes secondary. Key concerns? Disproportionate focus on meeting housing targets at the expense of community needs, and development plans that lack the infrastructure to support them. As Moore highlights, true progress relies on public consent, not just mandated numbers.  "Housing is accepted and even welcomed when local people are consulted and treated like adults." Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/df3ZER5y #housing #development #planning #policy #greenbelt #greybelt

📣 The easiest way to start delivering benefits to your community is by opening up clear routes of communication with them. This means being transparent in how your business makes decisions. Sylvestris has supported the Scottish Land Commission in drafting guidance on how rural businesses can create transparent routes to negotiate changes in use, tenure and ownership of assets. It's called: Diversification of Land Ownership and Tenure: Practical Guidance for Rural Land & Property Managers. Hopefully, this guidance and example will smooth the way for future conversations with communities and community members, and help businesses identify where there may be opportunities to diversify land tenure and use on their properties, contributing to the resilience of their communities. Find it here: https://lnkd.in/e3-Vz-XG Template protocol here: https://lnkd.in/e3-Vz-XG #scotland #ruralbusiness #estates #communities #communitybenefit #communityempowerment #transparancy #resilience #land #property

The Community Land Leadership Group, Scottish Land Commission, met on 7th March to discuss and consider (1) Asset Transfer and (2) urban community land ownership. A review is being undertaken by the Scottish Government of the Asset Transfer processes and implementation, as part of a wider consideration of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. The results of the review are expected to be published by the end of the year. We also received a presentation from Carey Doyle, Urban Hub Manager at Community Land Scotland regarding the amazing work that is being undertaken in urban areas in bringing land in to community ownership. Over 100 case enquiries received in the Glasgow & Clyde Valley area and many from areas of resource deprivation. So much has been achieved in a short space of time with communities more empowered, confidence levels increased and issues of vacant & derelict land being addressed,

If you're not doing Community-Based Collaborative Equity Research (CBCER), are you truly addressing the issues of inequality and social justice? This approach is grounded in priciples of collaboration, mutual respect, and shared decision-making, aiming to produce research that is relevant, actionable, and beneficial to the community involved. The next stop, Chaffee County: “As Diesel mentioned, there are a lot of assets they’re looking to develop here,” Swann said. “With community buy-in, what is most important to the voters and residents of Chaffee County? … Ultimately, we are asking these communities to foot the bill for these types of measures … so we want to make sure there’s buy-in there.” Chaffee County is exploring a Recreation Special District to boost funding for parks in Salida, Buena Vista, and Poncha Springs. Trust for Public Land is in early talks on structuring it, focusing on various funding sources, tax impacts, and examples from other communities. A feasibility report is next to help guide the best path forward for all jurisdictions. #ChaffeeCounty #Recreation #CommunityDevelopment https://lnkd.in/gpj5f-vM

Elk Grove has settled a lawsuit with the state over a 67-unit supportive housing project the city denied, despite the fact that the city had recently approved a similar market-rate project. 🔗Read more about this story and our other notable updates mentioned below in this week's Sustainable Development & Land Use Update: https://hubs.li/Q02PqH1N0 ✔️ Lawmakers close loopholes in SB 9 to encourage new housing in single-family neighborhoods ✔️ Bill separating warehouses from homes, schools passes California Legislature ✔️California cities, counties may need to consider wildlife connectivity in development plans #SustainableDevelopment #Sustainability

🏢 The systems we use for land-use planning can either be used to broaden access to affordable housing and community spaces – or to concentrate ownership and power. We welcome urban planning innovator Cheryll Case as a Social Capital Partners Fellow. Cheryll is the Founder and Executive Director of CP Planning. Her interest is in bringing a human rights-based approach to urban planning and community-led solutions to improve access to housing and community space. Most current land-use planning practices concentrate wealth and ignore the economic, social and cultural rights of marginalized people. Cheryll is one of an ambitious group of young leaders building a different set of practices and structures for the land-use planning economy. That is, for land-use planning to be practiced in a way that contributes to the public good and strengthens community well-being. The Community Land Trust movement is one approach that is starting to pay dividends for working people and communities. “Cheryll helps all of us think more strategically about how to use land more equitably and build wealth for more people and communities,” says SCP CEO Matthew Mendelsohn. “As the value of land increases, wealth becomes more concentrated and barriers to ownership become higher. Cheryll and her colleagues are disrupting planning practices and identifying better practices that build solidarity across socioeconomic groups.” 👓 Read Cheryll’s most recent report - 2024 Roadmap Impact and Next Steps: https://lnkd.in/g8rgkf-N 🔗 Get to know our Fellows at: https://lnkd.in/gWeGECDj #SocialCapitalPartners #SCPFellows #AffordableHousing

We can address the housing crisis without undoing climate action solutions and without creating the next crisis of access to food and farmland. It involves a development industry that is more responsive to the voices of local residents, with projects that are in the right places and designed in response to local community context. It involves neighbors accepting change when that change aligns with stated community goals. Everyone has to do their part. From GrowSmart Maine and Build Maine in the BDN - https://lnkd.in/gUHFbJrm

This is a useful and practical note from Scottish Land Commission. Charlie Davis supported SLC to compile the guidance, taking experience from when relationships between communities and landowners work best, and the factors that risk them breaking down. The guidance requires positive and constructive action from both sides. Our experience is that when that happens, relationships are stronger, and more understanding; and, when the circumstances are right (which the guidance helps to establish), diversification of tenure can bring real benefits for land-based business and their local communities. #landmanagement #ruralestates #scottishlandcommission