Joshua Platt’s Post

October is National Community Planning Month! Planning is essential for the health, safety, equity, and economic well-being of all people living in our communities. Across the country, communities celebrate planning in different ways. Earlier this month, Mayor Jan Kaplan proclaimed October as Community Planning Month in the City of Newport, Oregon! The City of Salem also celebrated by hosting their third annual Planner Palooza this year with games and opportunities to meet city planners. Planning does not stop at a geographic border, though. Communities are served best when planners take a broader viewpoint, encompassing regional and statewide perspectives. At DLCD, we are guided by 19 statewide planning goals, which address local processes for land use planning, state resource preservation, and guidance for urban, rural, and coastal development. Oregon land use requires comprehensive planning, which means communities must consider not only the many issues that affect their community, but the impacts their actions will have on neighboring communities, transportation, the land itself, and economic development. Learn more about community planning in Oregon at https://lnkd.in/grnRbu2M. #PlanningMonth #NationalCommunityPlanningMonth #CommunityPlanning #AmericanPlanningAssociation

On this Labor Day, more often than not, we are continuing to grapple with shoestring resources that typically accrue for community organizing and capacity building efforts within public agency led processes. All in service of improving and strengthening our cities and regions: better access to food, homes, transit, parks, schools and jobs, stronger adaptation and resilience preparation to the ill effects of climate change and other emergent community needs. It doesn’t have to be this way. As novel examples illustrate well across several community constellations in California alone—Allensworth Progressive Association in Allensworth, 40 x 40 Council in Oakland, Santa Ana Shared Financing Collective in Santa Ana and others—communities are flipping the script and orchestrating the future of their own neighborhoods. When we as communities assert power and articulate our collective visions we can attract resources in abundance. This is no mirage! This is a snapshot of an alternate reality that can be true for more communities and must be a reason to not mourn but celebrate today—the promise held within community’s collective labor. #CommunityVision #CommunityPower #AbundantResources #LaborDay

🌵 Building Bright Futures Through LIHTC Developments in Arizona 🏡 From the vibrant deserts to the mountain towns, Arizona’s communities are as diverse as its landscapes. In the LIHTC industry, we’re committed to creating affordable housing solutions that strengthen the foundation of our state’s future. 💪🌟 In rural and urban Arizona, partnerships are the cornerstone of success. By working hand-in-hand with local governments, non-profits, and community leaders, we’re delivering housing solutions that meet the unique needs of each area. 🤝✨ These developments go beyond bricks and mortar—they’re about creating safe, healthy, and inviting spaces where families, seniors, and essential workers can thrive. 🛠️🏜️ Thoughtful design, energy efficiency, and community-focused amenities help residents build brighter futures. Rural development plays a critical role in Arizona’s progress, ensuring that small towns and underserved areas have the housing and resources they need to grow and prosper. 🌟🌵 Together, we’re shaping a stronger, more inclusive Arizona, one LIHTC project at a time. 🏡💪 #AffordableHousing #LIHTC #ArizonaStrong #CommunityFirst #BuildingBrighterFutures

How do you cite a number to show how important your local park is to your community? Stats about acreage and visitors and dollars spent can seem trite compared to the inherent value we know parks have to the community. Our parks, trails, town squares and community institutions, like libraries and museums, are crucial to community wellbeing and, therefore, powerful economic drivers. But advocating for investment in these civic assets is often difficult because their return-on-investment isn't quantifiable using traditional metrics. That's beginning to change thanks to Reimagining the Civic Commons, which has developed a framework to quantify the importance of community assets. Their approach allows community members and policymakers to better articulate the value of these special places to seemingly intangible goals, like social cohesion and civic engagement. When added to more conventional data, like foot traffic and economic impact, these new insights can make an even more compelling case for investment in public spaces--one that resonates with community members as well as policymakers and funders. Check out their Measuring the Civic Commons toolkit for practical ways to capture community data, gauge impact and share it as an advocacy tool: https://lnkd.in/eHGC-uZQ? THE JPB FOUNDATION | The Kresge Foundation | William Penn Foundation

Access to healthy green space is an essential part of life for New Yorkers. Greenways give unique access to greenspace between neighborhoods. They bring together communities, provide greater access to open space, and serve as enjoyable thoroughfare. There are currently 150 miles of greenways in New York City parks, but many are in poor repair, and are often short, non-contiguous segments. In 2022 the Mayor announced the City’s $47M budget commitment to improve Greenways in Brooklyn which was exciting news following the work from our 2020 $1M grant to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City supporting the city's conceptual planning initiative to transform and improve greenways as destination pathways in Queens and Brooklyn to create greater access between underserved neighborhoods. The conceptual planning initiative brought together city agencies with communities in the planning process to ensure the best routes for these greenways. Access to greenspace is a key part of health – and greenways provide a safe, gateway for healthy physical activity like walking and cycling between larger greenspaces. Read more about this grant here: https://on.nyc.gov/49tFRZV

Learn about 3 powerful strategies in community engagement to build trust, impact and civic pride - from Akron, Detroit and Macon, Georgia. Read this Medium article for inspiration for your own practice. https://lnkd.in/ePYMaavv #communityengagement #strategy #urbanplanning #publicspace #akron #detroit #macon

Maryland’s Main Streets are the heartbeat of our communities, and it was inspiring to join fellow Main Street managers, board members, economic development professionals, community teams, and advocates to celebrate what makes these spaces so special. Organized by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and the MEDA (Maryland Economic Development Association), this event showcased the unique, authentic experiences that our local communities foster. Notably, DHCD introduced the Just Communities designation—the first of its kind in the country—to focus funding on historically disinvested communities. Additionally, Governor Moore’s recent legislative efforts were highlighted, such as the Renters’ Rights and Stabilization Act, which includes a groundbreaking Right of First Refusal law, empowering Maryland renters. The Housing Expansion and Affordability Act aims to incentivize development in targeted areas, while the Housing and Community Development Financing Act will channel significant federal funds through the New Market Tax Credit program, establishing Maryland’s first state-sponsored Community Development Entity. Here’s to continuing our work to support and celebrate Maryland’s beloved Main Streets! #MainStreetMD #CommunityDevelopment #MarylandEvents #LocalBusiness #MEDA #EconomicDevelopment

One thing that's great about the LISC network is learning from our fellow local offices. The CRI team recently asked and researched some pressing questions: What harms do tenants in BIPOC communities in New York City currently face, in terms of evictions and housing quality? And how could well-funded, well-implemented TOPA and/or preservation programs address these harms? The latest research brief from Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)'s Community Research and Impact empirically examines the potential racial equity benefits of COPA (Community Opportunity to Purchase Act) and TOPA (Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act) policies and housing preservation strategies. Authors assessed the current state of evictions and housing distress in low-income neighborhoods of color in New York City, and quantified the number of distressed and potentially overleveraged properties that might benefit from preservation purchases. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dHeVZqZ7

We love an across-the-aisle moment. As a nonpartisan organization, we know that helping Oregon build homes in places that reinforce affordable living, reduce climate change, and respect the environment will be a shared effort. Everyone deserves livable, walkable neighborhoods, and most of the housing Oregon is missing is for people with moderate and lower incomes, so we're working to make sure that's who we prioritize when we work to build new housing. Where to start? Today, there are well more than 10,000 acres of land inside Oregon’s urban growth boundaries that are zoned for residential development and are ready for housing.

"At a time when New Yorkers are using parks and open spaces more than ever—and these places have become even more vital to the city’s future livability—the city can’t keep up with their growing needs, especially as its Parks Department absorbs a $20.1 million budget cut. Adequately maintaining the city’s public parks and open spaces will require sustained public investment." Along with calling for more investment in civic infrastructure, this commentary by John Surico elevates why and how New York City should make it easier for nonprofit and community groups to help care for parks and public spaces. And offers recommendations for cities everywhere to consider in moving from a "culture of no" to a "city of yes" when it comes to public-private partnerships for public space stewardship: ✅ Direct the city’s lawyers to simplify agreements around parks and open space care.  ✅ Develop a public space management handbook that includes parks and open spaces. ✅ Reduce the overhead costs for groups that support the needs of public parks and open spaces—starting with insurance. ✅ Ensure that the city’s proposed Public Space Academy includes parks groups. https://lnkd.in/e2faEn9h Center for an Urban Future #parks #publicspace #stewardship #care #maintenance #civicinfrastructure