2013 January

31 Jan: Mahoning River Corridor People’s Garden Program

The Mahoning River Corridor People’s Garden Program, funded by a grant to the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation (YNDC) by the United States Department of Agriculture, will provide microgrants for the establishment of gardens to serve as community educational resources to residents of Mahoning River Corridor communities. Groups located within Lowellville, Struthers, Campbell, Youngstown, Girard, McDonald, Niles, Warren and Newton Falls are eligible to apply. All projects must be new garden spaces, and can be vegetable gardens, recreational gardens, or wildlife gardens. Projects will be chosen based on innovative design, community impact, project sustainability, and the project’s potential for community environmental education. Training workshops will be held In the month of February (see dates and locations below). A representative of each group applying for a grant must attend one of these training workshops. In 2012, the program supported the creation of 10 new gardens in Mahoning River Corridor Communities, including community…

30 Jan: University Park Alliance: 2013 Urban Innovator Speaker Series

2013 Urban Innovators Speaker Series Time: 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM Date(s): 01-30-2013 to 03-20-2013 Price: Free Reserve now! Seating will be limited to 100 per presentation and reservations are required. Call 330-777-2070 or email info@upakron.com January 30th and February 20th Speaker Series programs will be held at the Andrew Jackson House – Ballroom at 277 E. Mill Street, Akron, OH 44308, the corner of E. Mill and Union Streets. March 20th Speaker Series program will be held at Quaker Square at the corner of E. Mill Street and N. Broadway, Akron, OH 44308 January 30th: Redesigning the Urban Landscape: Developing a Natural Sense of Place – Sabrena Schweyer & Samuel Salsbury, Salsbury-Schweyer, Inc. February 20th: Transforming Vacant Spaces: Creating Value from Vacancy in the Urban Footprint – Terry Schwarz, Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative March 20th: Cohousing: A Unique Approach to Alternative Housing – Sharon Sykora, Ph.D., Slippery Rock University…

29 Jan: A Tool for the Snowy Weather

Wouldn’t it be nice to know what the roads are like before you leave your home? Now you can thanks to the people at the Ohio Department of Transportation. Buckeye Traffic (www.buckeyetraffic.org) provides Ohio travelers with up-to-date information on road conditions, traffic, construction, and other activity affecting roadways managed by The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). Information provided by this site is updated frequently and comes from a variety of sources, such as pavement sensors and monitoring stations, traffic cameras, and through direct input by ODOT personnel. Whereas the information in this site is kept accurate and up-to-date as possible, Ohio travelers should refer to local and regional information outlets and agencies for the latest information during weather/disaster emergencies. This site is maintained by ODOT. What Can I do today? Act: Participate in the NEOSCC Fair Housing Survey Act: Learn about the Akron Zero Landfill event on February 2 Act:…

28 Jan: Peer Grantee Spotlight: From Brownfield to Mixed-Use

In the mid-19th century, industry flourished around the Morris Canal in Jersey City, New Jersey. As transportation technology improved, the canal was filled in and used as a corridor for freight rail and heavy trucks, which led to the establishment of more intensive industries and neighborhoods for workers in the area. By the mid-20th century, however, many industries had abandoned the city, leaving the areas near the canal with obsolete buildings, contaminated soil, and deteriorated neighborhoods. To address the neighborhood decline, Jersey City created the Canal Crossing Redevelopment Area and, in 2009, approved the Canal Crossing Redevelopment Plan. The plan calls for the 111-acre area to be redeveloped as a mixed-use, mixed-income, transit-oriented community designed in accordance with smart growth, new urbanism, and green building principles. The Jersey City Redevelopment Agency (JCRA) took a major step toward achieving the plan’s goals when it was awarded almost $2.3 million in a joint…

25 Jan: Cleveland Launches a Bike Share Study

Over the next 6 months, Cleveland’s Bike Share Task Force will be taking a look at the feasibility of bike sharing and reviewing recommended business models for operating a system in the city. Building off of recent momentum in cycling and complete and green streets, the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability issued a Request for Proposals in autumn 2012 and has contracted with Toole Design Group (TDG) as the lead consultant for this project. Bike Share Task Force: In anticipation of the feasibility study, the Bike Share Task Force formed to provide a platform to advise the project and to assist with stakeholder engagement. The Bike Share Task Force consists of representatives from many organizations who see the potential benefits of bike sharing in Cleveland: Mayor’s Office of Sustainability ClevelandCity Planning GreenCityBlueLake Institute Bike Cleveland Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Cleveland City Planning Commission Positively Cleveland Midtown Cleveland Ohio City Inc. Downtown Cleveland Alliance/Cleveland Bike Rack…

24 Jan: Sustainability Pays off In Summit County

Non-profits and businesses in Summit County, Ohio are taking the proper measures to make a Green Print in the county, with The Summit of Sustainability Awards.  According to the site, The Summit of Sustainability Award is a natural outgrowth of the City of Akron’s Green Print which since March of 2008 has worked to quantify the impacts government, commercial/industrial, and residential activities on our environment. The Green Ribbon Panel’s (charged with driving Green Print change) Education and Outreach Subcommittee knew that there were many sustainability success stories within the business and non-profit community throughout Summit County and felt those successes could serve as a guide for other organizations seeking to achieve triple bottom line improvements: People, Profit and Planet.  A group of area companies and non-profits who had shown a dedication to sustainability practices along with the City and County was convened to create a regional recognition process that could…

23 Jan: NEOSCC Board elects new officers to lead Vibrant NEO 2040 planning process

At our board meeting yesterday, the Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium Board elected a new slate of Board officers and members of the Board’s Executive Committee. These officers will lead the organization throughout 2013, the final year of the initial, three-year federal grant. “This slate of Board officers and Executive Committee members provides NEOSCC with the leadership of some of the best planning minds in the region,” said Hunter Morrison, NEOSCC Executive Director. “This year our focus will be on conducting the Scenario Planning process and creating the Vibrant NEO 2040 plan. These officers, led by Grace Gallucci, the new Executive Director of NOACA, gives us a reservoir of expertise and experience that will help ensure that the Vibrant NEO 2040 plan is an innovative, actionable framework for improving this region’s future.” 2013 NEOSCC Board Officers: Board Chair: Grace Gallucci, Northeast Ohio Area-wide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) First Vice-Chair: Bob Nau,…

18 Jan: Alternatives Begin Fueling Transit in Northeast Ohio

A number of Northeast Ohio Transit Agencies have begun to look at alternative ways to fuel public transportation.  Last year, Stark Area RTA unveiled their new Clean Natural Gas system used to fuel a number of new buses at SARTA. CNG is the Cleaner, Greener, Domestic and more Affordable option. Cleaner: Reduces health-harming air pollutants – 95% less particulate matter, carbon monoxide emissions and 80% less nitrogen oxide emissions.  (U.S. Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Labratory). Greener: Lowers greenhouse gas emissions by 26-29% in cars and light trucks and 23% in medium to heavy-duty vehicles. Domestic: 98% of natural gas is produced in North America; reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Affordable: Costs 25-40% less than diesel fuel (1/3 of the cost of traditional gasoline), has maintenance costs equal to or less than gasoline or diesel vehiles. SARTA will see a savings of over $300,000 per year by making the switch.    This week, the…

17 Jan: SC2019 Kicks Off Year of Advanced & Renewable Energy

Sustainable Cleveland 2019 (SC2019) is a 10-year initiative launched by the City of Cleveland in 2009 that engages everyone to work together to design and develop a thriving and resilient Cleveland that leverages its wealth of assets to build economic, social and environmental well-being for all. Every year leading up to 2019, Cleveland will focus on one of the key areas fundamental to a sustainable economy. The Sustainable Cleveland Celebration Points are designed to be accessible to all members of the community — households, neighborhoods, businesses, and institutions can all participate, either in collaboration or independently.  In celebrating 2013 as the Year of Renewable and Advanced Energy, SC 2019 is inviting everyone to attend launch party … The winds of change… come and join us. Learn how Advanced and Renewable  Energy works  in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. Learn about solar, wind, hydrogen, fuel cells, bio-energy, energy efficiency and more! Stop by informational tables…

16 Jan: Attention Developers and Investors: Smart Growth and Economic Success

Smart growth development is compact and walkable and provides a diverse range of choices in land uses, building types, transportation, homes, workplace locations, and stores. Such development projects are attractive to private-sector interests because they can find a ready market and compete financially. They appeal to local governments because they can be the building blocks of a growing economy and high-quality, economically sustainable neighborhoods and communities while also helping to create a cleaner, healthier environment. Some of the advantages for developers, communities, and local governments associated with smart growth include: Compact development: Using land and resources more efficiently and redeveloping old or neglected areas while retaining existing infrastructure can create economic advantages for real estate developers and investors, businesses, and local governments. Compact development can generate more revenue per acre because it uses land more efficiently. It can reduce the costs of land and infrastructure for individual projects and the costs…