An Open Streets Family Reunion: Reflections from the 2018 Open Streets Summit

By Ryan O’Connor, Director of Programs, 8 80 Cities Recently 8 80 Cities wrote a blog post about open streets being a labour of love. That being the case, the 2018 Open Streets Summit in New Orleans felt like a family reunion of sorts. It was rejuvenating to see old and new friends who share our passion for open streets and are working tirelessly to create healthier, happier, and more connected communities across the world. The event, which took place on September 15-16, brought together more than 50 leaders who currently organize open streets programs or are interested in bringing the...

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Open Streets Summit Draft Agenda

We hope you are getting ready and feel excited about the Open Streets Summit in Gretna/New Orleans! Taking place from September 15-16, 2018, the Summit will feature tours, presentations and networking opportunities with open streets champions and organizers from across the continent. Attendees will learn about the nuts and bolts of starting or scaling up open streets programs, including: Route design and planning Partnerships with business and officials Social inclusion Safety and logistics Marketing and promotion Program evaluation through measurable goals and metrics If you haven’t done it yet, click here to register for the Open Streets Summit only or...

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Open Streets Summit Speakers Announced!

The Open Streets Project is proud to announce that Ed Solis from Viva Calle (San Jose, CA), Romel Pascual from CicLAvia (Los Angeles, CA), Jaymie Santiago and Charles Brown from New Brunswick Ciclovia will join us as speakers for the 2018 Open Streets Summit in New Orleans and Gretna! Taking place from September 15-16 2018, the Summit will feature: Behind the scenes tour of the City of Gretna’s inaugural open streets program. Workshops, presentations, and networking opportunities with open streets champions and organizers from across the continent. Training and inspiration for both -novice and experienced- open streets organizers and supporters...

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How a “Great Place” Tackles Housing Affordability: Q&A with Maurice A. Jones

In an interview with Charlottesville Tomorrow, LISC CEO Maurice A. Jones unpacks the myriad fronts on which government, community developers and residents must intercept the affordability crisis. In addition to smarter policy and much more investment, development and preservation, “You also have to go at it from the people side,” says Jones. “Helping people get on a viable pathway to a living wage career” is crucial to making serious inroads on our housing challenges.

LISC + Ally Financial = A New Alliance to Boost Entrepreneurs and Homeowners

A new $3 million grant from Ally Financial will help fuel homeownership and small businesses in four cities, advancing LISC’s work to support a broadly shared prosperity. “There is incredible talent in our communities,” said LISC CEO Maurice A. Jones, commenting on the importance of the Ally partnership. “The job to be done is to match that talent with incredible opportunity.”

In This Season of Giving, Take Action!

This Giving Tuesday, we are reflecting on what we've accomplished in 2019 thanks to the support of our donors and partners. To that end, we're highlighting three key areas of our work: supporting entreprenuers, closing the skills gap and investing in safety and justice programs—all of which were made possible by our supporters' investments.