We are excited to announce that Sasaki Associates has been selected to serve as the lead Planning Consultant for the Vibrant NEO 2040.

Vibrant NEO 2040 will be the key product of our work during the coming year and the culmination of the NEOSCC project. The team led by Sasaki Associates will be responsible for three critical tasks:

1) Regional Planning Services and Project Management (Managing and coordinating the efforts of a team of consultants and staff who will create the Vibrant NEO 2040 plan and increasing overall operational capacity.)

2) Scenario Planning (engaging stakeholders throughout the region to develop a "base case" and alternative scenarios that anticipate where there region is heading.)

3) Fiscal Impact Analysis (Assessing the short- and long-term financial impacts of the base case and alternative regional scenarios.)

Conceptual schedule for 2013. A more detailed schedule including engagement opportunities will be released in the first quarter.

Hunter Morrison, NEOSCC Executive Director, said, "The Board has recommended Sasaki for several reasons:

1. They are a world-class planning organization with substantial experience in Northeast Ohio.
2. They provide an integrated approach that allows them to handle all three consulting tasks.
3. They excel at scenario planning, which we believe is the real key to the success of Vibrant NEO 2040. We can't afford a steep learning curve on this project and Sasaki doesn't have one."

"Sasaki's commitment to embracing and supporting Northeast Ohio expertise has also contributed to this decision. They will partner with a local firm, City Architecture, and per our request, they have found tasks within their proposal that may be accomplished through NEOSCC's staff and in-kind resources instead of through consultant time. This saves money and, just as importantly, builds local capacity, expertise and experience."

"We are excited to work with the NEOSCC team to develop a long range vision for Northeast Ohio," said James Miner, Managing Principal of Sasaki Associates. "Together, we have the opportunity to develop a regional framework that not only increases efficiency and lowers costs to taxpayers, but also creates an environment that will attract and retain more talent, increase employment opportunities, and reverse population decline. Our approach will build upon all of the good planning work that has preceded this effort, and enhance the quality of life in each of the region's communities. We are eager to engage community members to understand their goals and priorities for the region, and to develop a series of scenarios that illustrate a variety of ways in which those priorities can be carried forward."

The Scenario Planning team will include the following consultants: Sasaki Associates, Inc., City Architecture, Fregonese Associates, Nelson Nygaard along with previously retained Cleveland firm The Cobalt Group and Western Economic Services.

NEOSCC Fair Housing Survey Underway

As part of the Vibrant NEO 2040 planning process, NEOSCC is conducting a regional analysis of impediments to fair housing choice (often called a Regional AI).  Western Economic Services -  is helping us craft a useful Regional AI for all of the communities in our 12-county region.  

Working with Western Economic Services, we have created two surveys to help gauge the status of fair housing in our communities.  If you are involved in the housing industry please take some time to complete the survey.

We have created two surveys.  One for government officials and one for housing stakeholders.  Our definition of "housing stakeholders" are people like an advocate/ service provider, banking/ finance, construction/ development, condo or homeowner association leader, insurance, law/ legal services, property management, real estate, or resident advisory council leader. 

Please fill out the most appropriate survey and forward both survey links to anyone else you think would like to participate in this research.  

Sustainable Communities throughout the 

country

The Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium is only one of a number of Sustainable Communities grantees. Recently, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development published profiles describing some of the work other recipients are doing.

• "Every now and then you've got to ask the hard questions.  The one we choose to ask is: How will the Southeast Florida Region evolve over time to ensure that the development of the knowledge-based economy of the 21^st   century provides opportunity for the inclusive participation of all of the region's residents?"  - Dr. Mark B. Rosenberg, President, Florida International University.  
• Flint, MI is using a HUD Community Challenge grant to complete its first master plan since 1960, charting a new course for the community's future.  
• The Tomorrow Plan, Des Moines, IA's three-year planning effort funded by a HUD Regional Planning grant, fulfills Central Iowa's need for a unifying vision that addresses how future growth will affect the region. In the words of project manager Bethany Wilcoxon, the goal of The Tomorrow Plan is to avoid "losing what makes us special."  
• Equipped with a Regional Planning Grant, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council is implementing their groundbreaking blueprint for regional reinvestment in the cities, towns, and suburbs of Metropolitan Boston.  
• At the northernmost tip of Maine, the Counties of Washington and Aroostook are coming together to chart a course for mutual economic success with an integrated plan that addresses housing, transportation, water infrastructure, environmental planning, as well as economic opportunity and workforce development.  
• "Imagine a riverfront destination that you can easily walk to, bike to, and take public transportation to - and you can easily envision a place that sustains and attracts new residents and businesses."- Pittsburgh Mayor Ravenstahl.  The Allegheny Riverfront Green Boulevard Planning project, funded by HUD Sustainable Community and DOT TIGER grants, will help convert a six-mile freight line into a green riverfront rail and trail corridor extending from downtown Pittsburgh to the city's eastern edge.  
• A new hub of innovation is brewing in the Heartland, where Greater Kansas City is knitting together its neighborhoods and localities to implement sustained and coordinated economic growth.  
• HUD's Sustainable Communities Initiative is assisting several communities within Washington State, including the fast-growing Puget Sound region and the Spokane Tribe of Indians.  
• The James Campbell Corridor in Columbia, TN, has attracted $7.5 million in new investment since Columbia was awarded its Sustainable Communities grant.

Click to visit the original article at HUD.gov. 

Helping Communities Realize a More

Prosperous Future

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities (OSHC) recently released its 2012 Accomplishments Report, Helping Communities Realize a More Prosperous Future, which highlights how grantees of the 2010 and 2011 HUD Sustainability Grants are working to support locally led collaborative efforts that are building stronger regional economies.

Among the most significant findings of the report is the almost 100 percent leveraging of federal funds.  In 2010 and 2011 OSHC awarded 152 grants in 48 states, totaling $240 million. This in turn has generated almost $253 million in private investments and commitments from local partners.  The report further highlights that HUD's Sustainable Communities grantees have brought significant local, state and private resources to the table.  HUD's investment of $95.8 million in 2011 generated $115 million in matching and in-kind contributions - which is more than 120% of the Federal investment - from the 56 selected grantees.

HUD estimates that its two years of grant funding will have a positive impact on 133 million Americans by helping their communities and regions become more efficient and competitive while improving their quality of life.

The report also provides numerous examples of grantees in small and large communities who are utilizing sustainability principles to create jobs. In Memphis, TN, for example, The Aerotropolis Initiative, an integrated housing, transportation and economic development strategy is stimulating investment in the vicinity of the Memphis International Airport.  In coordination with other regional logistics and infrastructure strategies, the Initiative, developed in concert with FedEx, Elvis Presley's Graceland, Medtronic and Smith Nephew biodevice companies, and numerous other major U. S. employers will lead to the creation of more than 3,000 local jobs and produce tens of millions in private capital investment.

OSHC is part of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, which is a partnership between HUD, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It's goal is to support local and regional economic development, energy conservation, and increased transportation and housing options.

Helping Communities Realize a More Prosperous Future (PDF).

iNaturalist

"iNaturalist is a place where you can record what you see in nature, meet other nature lovers, and learn about the natural world."

Interested in contributing to a learning platform about nature? iNaturalist (http://www.inaturalist.org) is a smartphone and web-based data gathering program designed to provide an ecological learning and teaching platform for amateur and professional naturalists alike. The world is full of naturalists and many hikers, hunters, birders, and beachcombers record their observations of the environment around them. If the record of observations is comprehensive enough, it may be possible for scientists and land managers to monitor changes in biodiversity, and allow anyone to use the comprehensive record of life to learn more about nature. A comprehensive record of nature is the primary purpose of iNaturalist.

According to its website, iNaturalist began as the Master's final project of Nate Agrin, Jessica Kline, and Ken-ichi Ueda at the University of California-Berkeley's School of Information in 2008. Nate and Ken-ichi continued working on the site, along with Sean McGregor, post-graduation. Currently, Ken-ichi Ueda maintains the site in collaboration with Scott Loarie, a climate change researcher at the Carnegie Institution.

A presentation about iNaturalist headlined the most recent meeting of the Lake Erie Allegheny Partnership (LEAP) at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History on November 14. Naturalist Marlo Perdicas, of Metro Parks Serving Summit County, introduced iNaturalist as an innovative tool for data sharing, citizen science, and learning. Perdicas illustrated the potential for iNaturalist as a means to vastly expand natural survey capabilities while fostering a stronger sense of community among iNaturalist users and park staff. She provided examples of how the program is currently utilized in Northeast Ohio, particularly Summit County, and also explored potential for expanded use through an energetic and interactive discussion with the audience.