Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, a NEOSCC Board Member, last month flipped the switch on solar panels turning a brownfield into community asset. From the Plain Dealer: Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Executive Director Jeffrey Patterson wanted to make a brownfield productive and enrich Cleveland’s struggling Kinsman neighborhood. He hit both targets with his plan to use six acres of brownfield as a solar farm to generate power for CMHA’s nearby three-story headquarters. The project will also improve a blighted area and provide some jobs to residents. Electricity should start flowing this month, making the housing authority the first in the country to have a solar farm, says Mike Shaut, CEO of Shaker Heights-based Carbon Vision, a key partner in the project. CMHA will pay nothing for this venture, which is expected to cost a little more than $3 million. Carbon Vision will lease the land from CMHA and own the solar farm for…
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From Executive Director John Begala: 2013 is the Centennial of The Center for Community Solutions and as part of our preparation for the next century, we are updating and adding to our decision support publications and events. What do I mean by decision support? Simply a term describing how CCS’s work informs executives and professionals in government, non-profits, and business as they make decisions. At this moment, you are reading our newly updated and reformatted newsletter, Common Ground. We are pleased to add Common Ground to our myriad decision support publications available through membership or online at www.CommunitySolutions.com. The name Common Ground reflects our longstanding commitment to collaboration –especially in the policy arena. As you know, the many challenges that continue to confront American society are subject to a rising tide of partisanship and ill will. We aim to play a role in moderating the tone of this public discourse by relentlessly…
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…
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:…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…