News

08 Jul: Register Now for the Vibrant NEO Open Houses!

Join us for the next round of Vibrant NEO Open Houses where we will look at Alternative Scenarios – different potential futures for Northeast Ohio – that could result from different choices. The VibrantNEO process puts you in charge of Northeast Ohio’s future. What will our communities look like, how successful will our economy be, and how much will it likely cost us if we keep our current policies and approaches to land use, transportation and development in place? What would the alternative futures look like if they change? We need your help to define what we value and what choice Northeast Ohioans want to make for our future. We can only answer these questions together!   Pick a date and location that’s most convenient for you and join us for a Vibrant NEO Open House where you can learn about and help choose among different possible futures for our region. The open house format will…

01 Jul: Regenerating America’s Legacy Cities

From the Weblog of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy: “Many of America’s legacy cities — older industrial metropolitan areas facing manufacturing decline and population loss — have had a difficult time bouncing back. But the key to revitalization for Baltimore, St. Louis, Camden, N.J., Youngstown, Ohio or Flint, Michigan, is to take stock of the assets right at their doorstep, such as downtowns, parks, transit systems, and academic and cultural institutions. That’s the message of Regenerating America’s Legacy Cities, an analysis of 18 cities by Alan Mallach and Lavea Brachman, who advocate step-by-step “strategic incrementalism” as a path to economic development, rather than the silver-bullet approach of signature architecture, a sports stadium or other megaprojects. In preparing the Lincoln Institute’s latest Policy Focus Report, Mallach and Brachman, who are both nonresident fellows at The Brookings Institution, examined cities in New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the South, and the Midwest, that had a population of at…

21 Jun: Imagining Your Northeast Ohio!

       Last week NEOSCC launched an online game: Imagine My NEO. Imagine My NEO puts users in the shoes of a policy maker, allowing them to design their own community by ranking priorities, projects, and policies they wish to see in the future of our communities. The game is designed to gather input from residents of Northeast Ohio, and will be used in the next phase of the NEOSCC project of implementing the planned scenarios. NEOSCC will use the data collected to design and plan a more vibrant, resilient, and sustainable Northeast Ohio.         In order to receive feedback from as many residents as possible this summer, NEOSCC is going around to Northeast Ohio events and venues, engaging visitors by answering questions, explaining our goals, and by having everyone play the game on one of our iPads. Please stop by our table at any one of…

21 Jun: Akron and Cleveland What Matters to Metros Forums next week

The Fund for Our Economic Future’s What Matters to Metros™: Foundational Indicators for Economic Competitiveness helps community leaders identify factors that are associated with economic growth in mid-sized U.S. metropolitan areas in a post-recession economy. What Matters to Metros™ can serve civic leaders in metros throughout the United States, but the research bears specific implications for the four largest metropolitan areas in Northeast Ohio: Akron, Canton, Cleveland and Youngstown. This research provides data that civic leaders and the Fund can use to ask more strategic questions about how “growth” can be pursued, and to identify their own distinct approaches to get there. Over the last few weeks, the Fund has hosted forums in Canton and Youngstown. The Fund will be hosting two more community forums next week. You can RSVP by visiting the links below.  Akron June 24, 10a-12n Quaker Square Inn (135 S Broadway St., Akron, OH 44325) Partners:  Akron Community Foundation and…

20 Jun: See what’s being said about our Regional Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice

This week around the Northeast Ohio region, NEOSCC staff are presenting and taking comments on the draft of initials findings from our Regional Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice. Below are some excerpts of what a few local media outlets had to say about the study and the work we are doing. You can click on each article to read the story in full.   “Study: Blacks in Mahoning County receive more predatory loans” by Burton Speakman,The Vindicator “The overall point of the study was to show where issues exist within Northeast Ohio and develop a vision of what this area should be, said Anthony Kobak, project manager for NEO Sustainable Communities Consortium. Then the area needs to develop plans and find funding for programs to help make any necessary changes to make area housing more equitable, he said.” “Reports show minorities denied loans” by WKBN Staff, WKBN Channel…

19 Jun: Help us spread the word about Imagine MyNEO!

As part of Imagine MyNEO, we are launching a engagement challenge: myVibrant5. After you complete Imagine MyNEO you will be given the option to join the myVibrant5 challenge. The challenge will feature a leaderboard indicating those participants that have invite the most friends to play and complete Imagine MyNEO. A dynamic leader board identifying the the top 5 participants will be featured on vibrantneo.org. Check out the presentation below for more information.

04 Jun: Public Hearing for ODOT Major and New Construction Projects

The Ohio Department of Transportation’s Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC) has reviewed and scored applications for this year’s round of major/new construction funding. Major/new projects are defined as those that cost more than $12 million and are critical to the mobility, economic development, and quality of life of Ohioans. ODOT has scheduled public meetings to receive feedback on the draft list of projects. The public hearing for northeast Ohio that covers ODOT districts 3, 4, 11 and 12 is scheduled for Thursday, June 6 at 9:00 am at the Akron Public Library, 60 South High Street in downtown Akron. For more information.

03 Jun: Take the 2013 National Bike Challenge!

Who is organizing the Challenge? The lead sponsor is Kimberly-Clark Corporation and the Challenge is organized and presented by the League of American Bicyclists. What is the Challenge? The Challenge is an exciting health and wellness initiative that encourages people to bike for transportation and recreation. In 2013, we aim to have 50,000 riders pedaling 20 million miles from May 1, 2013 until September 30, 2013. It is open and free to anyone who lives in the U.S. or works for an organization with U.S. employees. What is the history of the Challenge? In 2009, Kimberly-Clark Corporation created an internal Bike Challenge for its more than 50,000 employees. With the help of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, the Challenge was successfully piloted In Wisconsin at the state-wide level in 2011. The Bike Challenge, then called the Get Up & Ride National Bike Challenge, went national in 2012. It had over 30,000 participants riding 12…

28 May: What Matters to Metros: Register for Community Forums!

The Fund for Our Economic Future’s What Matters to Metros™: Foundational Indicators for Economic Competitiveness helps community leaders identify factors that are associated with economic growth in mid-sized U.S. metropolitan areas in a post-recession economy. What Matters to Metros™ can serve civic leaders in metros throughout the United States, but the research bears specific implications for the four largest metropolitan areas in Northeast Ohio: Akron, Canton, Cleveland and Youngstown. This research provides data that civic leaders and the Fund can use to ask more strategic questions about how “growth” can be pursued, and to identify their own distinct approaches to get there. The Fund will be hosting community forums with partners in Northeast Ohio’s four metros in June 2013. You can RSVP by visiting the links below.  Canton June 5, 9:30a-11:30a at the Stark Community Foundation (400 Market Ave N, Canton, OH 44702) Partners:  Stark Community Foundation and the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce…