engagement

25 Oct: Vibrant NEO 2040 in the News

In the Record-Courier today, the paper endorses the Vibrant NEO 2040 Vision saying: The better way to confront our future is to deal with what is here, cleaning up the mess, shouldering our obligations to leave a better world for all. That’s the kind of thinking the people behind Vibrant NEO 2040 are trying to stimulate and hats off to them for doing so. You can read the entire piece here. We were also featured in the Warren Tribune-Chronicle recently as well: Laying out a future for the entire northeastern Ohio region – plans that include economic development, revitalization of jobs and creation of quality living environments – is a daunting task, and one that Vibrant NEO has boiled down to three major components it presented Thursday. Continue reading here. You can also check out the coverage in Lorain County Morning Journal here, the Cleveland Plain Dealer here and WKSU here.

29 Jul: Today kicks off the next round of Vibrant NEO Open Houses

Today kicks off 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. These are critically important discussions.  The entire Vibrant NEO process is an attempt to help the residents of Northeast Ohio define what we want for the future, and then determine what choices we need to make in order to get to the future.  The first round of workshops in early May helped to define a baseline for discussion – i.e. what will Northeast Ohio look like in 2040 is we continue our currents trends.  (You can learn more about these findings here.) We gathered input from residents at those workshops, and later through ImagineMyNEO, our online planning tool which is still open for use.  That input has helped us create Alternative Scenarios that you can view and discuss at our Open…

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…

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.

14 Jun: “Business as Usual” Workshops: Initial Review and Results Presented to Board

Over a three day period (April 30 – May 2) nearly 600 individuals participated in our Business As Usual Workshops.  The sessions focused on a presentation of the Business As Usual Scenario, instant polling and a mapping exercise to engage attendees in a discussion about how the region should look going forward. You can access a video from our Akron Workshop here. Below you will find some of the results from the first Workshop Series.  We have included an overall summary of the workshop results, a closer look at how different development typologies were utilized during the mapping exercise and a library of all of the maps created by workshop attendees. Summary of Thematic Feedback and Table Notes During the mapping exercise, we encouraged attendees to take notes about ideas and concerns at each table.  This document is a record of the notes taken by volunteer note-takers during the mapping exercise conducted at…

12 Jun: Have you imagined about Northeast Ohio yet? Imagine MyNEO is now live

  ImagineMyNEO is a fun and entertaining web-based tool designed to put the user in the role of regional planner, making critical policy decisions and weighing priorities for the future of Northeast Ohio and struggling with the tough choices that must be made. You can play today at vibrantneo.org/imagine. Our goal with ImagineMyNEO is to ask residents ‘What would this region look like in the future if you are in charge?’” said Hunter Morrison, NEOSCC’s Executive Director. “Users can share their priorities for the future and make the kinds of policy choices necessary to help create that future, and all in an engaging way.” In ImagineMyNEO, the user is first asked to finish the sentence “I want to live in a Northeast Ohio where…” by rating the relative importance of 15 statements such as “…My community has an urban character” or “…My taxes are low” or “I can get to places…

31 May: Cleveland Metroparks Watershed Stewardship Center Opens in June

The Cleveland Metroparks’s Watershed Stewardship Center at West Creek, staffed by natural resource and education professionals, land protection specialists, volunteers, and visiting scientists, is the first facility in Cleveland Metroparks dedicated to scientific research and promoting sustainable action. Its mission of enhancing and protecting our urban watersheds will be achieved through innovative community programming, encouraging regional participation in watershed issues, and promoting scientific discovery. Here some information on the opening celebration, June 21 – 22: Celebrate the solstice as we joyfully cross the bridge into the new Cleveland Metroparks Watershed Stewardship Center at West Creek! The Watershed Stewardship Center is dedicated to promoting healthy urban watersheds through science, education, research and restoration. This Center was developed through a dedicated partnership between Cleveland Metroparks, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, and West Creek Conservancy to serve a diverse community through adult and youth science education programming and professional trainings and workshops. Come…

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…