NEOSCC Board approves release of Vibrant NEO 2040 Vision, Framework and Products Member organizations to now consider Vision for approval The Board of Directors of the Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium (NEOSCC) yesterday voted to release the Vibrant NEO 2040 Vision, Products and Framework documents to NEOSCC member organizations for review, consideration and potential vote of approval. The NEOSCC Board will take a final vote on approval of the Vision at its February 25, 2014 meeting. You can review the board meeting presentation above. “Over the course of the last year, NEOSCC has engaged residents, elected officials, and experts throughout our 12-county region in a rigorous scenario planning process to identify the choices we can make now to help create a Northeast Ohio that is more vibrant, resilient, and sustainable in the future,” said Hunter Morrison, NEOSCC Executive Director. “Based on input and feedback from residents and leaders, the overarching…
Housing
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…
This post is on behalf of Sustainable Cleveland 2019… click to view full postcard click to view flyer From the Sustainable Cleveland website… Overview Sustainable Cleveland 2019 is a 10-year initiative that engages people from all walks of life, working together to build a thriving and resilient green city on a blue lake. You are invited to submit up to two photos that highlight how this vision is being made a reality in Cleveland. You are encouraged to submit photos that relate to the Sustainable Cleveland celebration topics and key areas for climate action, including: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Local Foods Waste Reduction and Resource Conservation Clean Water Sustainable Mobility Vibrant Green Space Vital Neighborhoods and People Public Health Awards 1st place: $1000 cash award and framed photoAmateur category 2nd place: $500 cash award and framed photo 3rd place: $250 cash award and framed photo Youth category 1st place:…
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…
2013 Northeast Ohio Fair Housing Draft Report Review and Presentations The Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium (NEOSCC ) is currently undertaking a study to evaluate fair housing throughout the 12 Counties of Northeast Ohio. It is known as a Regional Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice. The public comment period for the report draft will include on-line, in-print and presentation options for your review. Provide your knowledge, opinions, and feelings about fair housing choice. The purpose of the comment period is to allow the public an opportunity to review and comment on the draft findings and suggested recommendations. COMMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL JULY 9, 2013. Please note that these are proposed findings and recommendations and are subject to change. All interested citizens are encouraged to attend any of the public meetings and/ or forward written comments to: NEOSCC, 146 S. High Street, Suite 800, Akron, OH 44308 or…
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…
In May, NEOSCC will be launching an on-line engagement tool entitled Imagine MyNEO! Based on an open source software called Crowd Gauge, Imagine MyNEO! will allow the entire region to share their priorities with the Vibrant NEO process. As an introduction to the new tool, we have included an article by Sarah Madden of Sasaki Associates (our Scenario Planning consultant). It includes background about the creation of the tool and some examples of its previous use. Gauge the values, priorities and preferences of the crowd. by Sarah Madden, Sasaki Associates Web-based technology can help planners promote literacy about planning issues and increase public engagement. We already deploy sophisticated data analysis and modeling tools, but many of these tools are more suitable for back-of-house number crunching than for interactive public engagement. This divide between tools for technicians and tools for engagement is significant: despite all of the public- and client-facing communication work we do, few…
As two of the most significant expenses in our personal lives, housing and transportation cost can play a key role in our quality of life and where we choose to live. Over the last few years a new tool has been developed by the Center for Neighborhood Technology to analyze some of these costs relative to income and geography. To integrate this way of thinking into the choices and decisions made by home buyers, renters, urban and transportation planners, and developers, CNT and our collaborative partner, the Center for Transit Oriented Development (CTOD), developed a groundbreaking tool, the Housing + Transportation Affordability Index, that measures the true affordability of housing choice-by factoring in both housing and transportation costs in a neighborhood. The cost of getting around takes a significant bite out of household budgets. The average family in the United States spends about 18% of after-tax income on transportation, but…
The NEOSCC is currently undertaking a study to evaluate fair housing throughout the 12 Counties of Northeast Ohio. It is known as a Regional Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice. In early March 2013, through a series of Fair Housing Forums, we reached out to each of the 12 Counties to present preliminary data and listen to your thoughts on this important issue. The documents below represent the data from the presentations given in each County during the week of March 11 through 15. Please continue to provide your feedback through our Fair Housing Surveys or by emailing comments to info@neoscc.org. Presentations by County Ashtabula County FHF Cuyahoga County FHF Geauga County FHF Lake County FHF Lorain County FHF Mahoning County FHF Medina County FHF Portage County FHF Summit County FHF Stark County FHF Trumbull County FHF Wayne County FHF What Can I Do Today? Register for a Vibrant NEO workshop!…
Speakers include: Marija Georgievski, Executive Director, Lake Erie Landlord Association (Landlord Best Practices) Dennis Muzilla, Manager, First Federal Savings & Loan of Lorain (Compliance with Fair Lending Practices) Mindy Wright, Housing Manager, Lorain County Urban League (Foreclosure Counseling 101) Emily C. White, Attorney, Legal Aid Society of Cleveland (Rent to Own: Beware of Scams)