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Urban Update
The monthly newsletter of the
UMass Dartmouth Urban Initiative
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September 2012
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September means three things for the Urban Initiative team:
1) Back to school. This translates to at least one new face in the office (meet grad assistant Jason Hill in his blog post here), two fewer (interns Emma and Adam have returned to the halls of NBHS), and the opportunity to recruit a new crop of students to help with the exciting work on our agenda this school year. Do you know a UMass Dartmouth student who might be interested in applying their classroom skills to the challenges of our partner cities? Send them our way!
2) The SouthCoast Urban Indicators Project. We're busy putting the finishing touches on our brand new website, which will feature indicators across a handful of urban issue areas for both Fall River and New Bedford. Before we officially launch the site, we're looking for volunteers who have some knowledge about one or more issue areas (among education, economy, environment, public health, and civic vitality, for starters) to view the site and provide us with feedback about both content and user-friendliness. Can you help? If so, please email urbaninitiative@umassd.edu. Thanks, and we look forward to sharing the full site with everyone soon!
3) Sustainable cities. Scroll down to read more about and register for the event we're co-sponsoring with the UMass Dartmouth Sustainability Office! The topic is walkability, and the dynamic format and diversity of presenters will make this a must-attend for anyone interested in walking, driving, and parking in urban centers. This is the first in a series we're developing on sustainable cities. Got an idea for a speaker or event we should include? Let us know!
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Projects
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- Curious about what we learned while developing our baseline report for our evaluation of Taunton's HOPE VI project? View a presentation on our findings here, and stay tuned for a full report next month.
- If you live in Fall River or New Bedford, you may get a call from the Center for Policy Analysis over the next few weeks asking you to participate in a survey about civic culture in your city. The results will inform our Urban Indicators Project and another effort in the works, so please help us out by participating!
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| From the blog: |
- Meet Jason, our newest graduate research assistant!
- Bob Golder has a great post on urban wildlife, including a photo of a native New Bedford snake!
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Upcoming Events
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What: 'Creating Walkable Communities,' a session co-sponsored by the Urban Initiative as part of our 'Sustainable Cities' series being offered with the university's Office of Sustainability. Learn about ways to make your city or town more pedestrian-friendly in ways that extend to improvements in parking and economic development.
When: Thursday, September 20, 1-5p
Where: Woodland Commons, UMass Dartmouth campus
Want your upcoming event listed? Email us!
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About the Urban Initiative:
The Urban Initiative at UMass Dartmouth is a division of the Center for Policy Analysis that was established in 2007 to address challenges and opportunities in the region's smaller industrial cities, with a particular emphasis on nearby communities like Fall River and New Bedford. In addition to conducting applied research, evaluating programs and policies, facilitating collaborations, and providing technical assistance to cities and organizations therein, the Urban Initiative serves as a knowledge base for urban policy issues and their applications in the region.
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Grant & technical assistance opportunities
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America's Great Outdoors: Connecting Youth to the Outdoors grant program - Deadline: September 19
Proposed projects should maximize hands-on outdoor engagement opportunities on public lands, focused on the areas of 1) education; 2) recreation ; and 3) environmental stewardship. To be eligible, applicants must be a Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management unit or a nonprofit organization, academic institution, or tribal group that partners with these agencies. Applicants must have been in existence for at least two years. The proposed youth engagement events must be held on a Forest Service or BLM site, or show that the project clearly benefits these agencies. Click here for more. Service-learning grants to target childhood obesity - Deadline: October 15
Grants of up to $1,000 are available for youth-led service-learning projects which aim to combat childhood obesity through walking, running or hiking programs. Project proposals for UnitedHealth HEROES grants must include an activity element where young people can count their steps, such as walking, running or hiking, as well as a service component which provides direct service, enables advocacy on behalf of a cause, or features youth philanthropy. To learn more about the program and how to apply for a grant, click here . Know of any other upcoming opportunities we should share? Email us! |
Job opportunities
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Comprehensive Planner
Where: Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD)
Job duties include: preparing bylaw amendments; working with local committees; researching growth management issues; making presentations at public meetings; coordinating work with other planners and departments; conducting land use and other planning related studies; drafting plan elements; conducting GIS analysis and managing geo-databases; and other duties as assigned. View the full job description here.
Planning Director
Where: Town of Easton, MA
Full-time; Master's degree and three years of experience required. More information available here.
Make sure to check out our blog, which typically has more job opportunities than those featured here. And let us know if you have an opportunity to share!
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