2013 April

30 Apr: Let’s create Northeast Ohio’s future!

Our work together begins tonight! VibrantNEO 2040’s scenarios will tell stories about our possible futures, based on where Northeast Ohio is today and the choices we might make about how we use our land and how we invest our resources. Once we create these scenarios, we will be able to compare how successful they are at achieving our common goals for the region, judge which choices would be best for Northeast Ohio’s future, and create a shared vision and framework for the future around those choices. You are invited to attend an upcoming workshop to share your voice in the conversation. We have selected six city locations throughout the region for your convenience. Pick a date and location that works for you! CLICK ON THE BLUE LINKS BELOW TO REGISTER! April 30 Oberlin (Lorain, Medina, and western Cuyahoga) The Oberlin Inn, 7 North Main Street, Oberlin, OH 44074 Warren (Mahoning,…

29 Apr: A Letter to the Region

Join Us this week! We all have our reasons for loving Northeast Ohio, and because we love this region, we want to see it thrive and grow, just as we want to see the challenges facing our region addressed and put behind us. The Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium (NEOSCC) is working to help residents preserve and build upon what we value, and fix those things that are challenging. NEOSCC is a regional collaboration of public agencies, elected officials, philanthropic and non-profit organizations, colleges and universities and community members. Our mission is the development of Vibrant NEO 2040, a vision for how to make Northeast Ohio a more vibrant, resilient, and sustainable place to live and work. To develop that vision, we need a solid understanding of the “facts on the ground,” so NEOSCC started by convening over 150 experts from across Northeast Ohio to study over 200 existing policy…

26 Apr: Housing: Strategies to respond to residents’ needs and values

Housing choice connects with transportation options, public health & improved access to opportunities The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released a publication outlining various strategies communities can use to ensure redevelopment plans respond to the needs of existing residents and reflect their values.  The strategies are grouped under seven common elements that connect environmental justice, smart growth, and equitable development: Facilitate Meaningful Community Engagement in Planning and Land Use Decisions Promote Public Health and a Clean and Safe Environment Strengthen Existing Communities Provide Housing Choices Provide Transportation Options Improve Access to Opportunities and Daily Necessities Preserve and Build on the Features That Make a Community Distinctive Creating Equitable, Healthy, and Sustainable Communities was developed jointly by EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and HUD’s Office of Sustainable Communities. For complimentary hard copies of the report (including free shipping), email nscep@bps-lmit.com or call 800-490-9198 and request product code: EPA 231-K-10-005.  You…

24 Apr: Less than 1 week… Will you help create NEO’s Future?

What are you doing April 30, May 1 or May 2?  Creating NEO’s Future Depends on You? Speak up and voice your opinions about OUR home! What brought you to Northeast Ohio? What keeps you here? What do you value most about Northeast Ohio? What will keep you and your family here in the future? The Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium (NEOSCC) will be hosting a series of workshops to create a vision for a Vibrant NEO in the year 2040. Workshops will be two hours long and will be held at various locations throughout the region.  Please feel free to pick the time and location that is most convenient for you, regardless of your county of residence. Your help is needed to help NEOSCC focus the workshops on issues that are most important to YOU – today and in the future! CLICK ON THE BLUE LINKS BELOW TO REGISTER! ALL WORKSHOPS…

19 Apr: Come see us at Earthfest on Sunday

Here are some pix from our table last year… NEOSCC is proud to once again be a sponsor for Earthfest.  Come visit our table this Sunday! Join Earth Day Coalition for EarthFest 2013 at this year’s new location, the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, on Sunday, April 21 from 10am-5pm.  In partnership with Mayor Frank Jackson’s Sustainable Cleveland 2019 initiative, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture and the Ohio Development Services Agency Office of Energy, this year’s EarthFest will celebrate Advanced and Renewable Energy with a new exhibit area under the Fairground’s dramatic on site wind turbine and Energy Education Center.  Presented and organized by Earth Day Coalition since 1990, EarthFest is Ohio’s largest environmental education event and the longest running Earth Day celebration in the nation. EarthFest will feature over 200 exhibits in 8 sustainability areas including: Advanced and Renewable Energy, Local & Sustainable Food, Clean Transportation…

18 Apr: MassDot Greening the State Transportation System

  Massachusetts Department of Transportation launched GreenDOT, a comprehensive environmental responsibility and sustainability initiative that will make MassDOT a national leader in “greening” the state transportation system. GreenDOT will be driven by three primary goals; reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, promote the healthy transportation options of walking, bicycling, and public transit, and support smart growth development.  In May of 2012, MassDOT released a Draft GreenDOT Implementation Plan for public review. The Plan was written to embed the sustainability vision of GreenDOT into the core business practices of MassDOT. According to the website, GreenDOT calls for MassDOT to incorporate sustainability into all of its activities; from strategic planning to project design and construction to system operation. The initiative includes greenhouse gas reduction targets mandated under the Global Warming Solutions Act, signed by Governor Patrick in 2008. GreenDOT was designed in response to several existing state laws, Executive Orders, and MassDOT policies….

17 Apr: GCRTA HealthLine named ‘Best BRT in USA’

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) recently received a Silver rating for the HealthLine – the highest ranking of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System in United States. The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) presented the award for the HealthLine to Joseph Calabrese, CEO and General Manager, RTA, as well as to Mayor Frank Jackson, City of Cleveland, for its support of the project, on Tuesday, April 16 at 200 Public Square. “The HealthLine is an example of how BRT can help to revitalize city centers, speed commutes, improve air quality, and leverage investment and development near transit, as we’ve seen with Cleveland,” said Walter Hook, ITDP CEO. “We consider the HealthLine to be a best practice for BRT in the US, and our hope is that it encourages other US cities to adopt this cutting-edge form of mass transit.” Former Senator George Voinovich supported this project…