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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New Grants “Spark Opportunity” for Students in 26 Underinvested Communities

LISC and the Walton Family Foundation have announced the first recipients of the Spark Opportunity Grant Program, a $2 million initiative to provide planning grants to support the creation of affordable facilities for schools in Opportunity Zones and other under-resourced communities. Twenty-six high-performing schools will receive the initial round of funding, and a second round is already open to applicants.

Fifth Third Bank Teams Up with LISC Affiliate NEF on Opportunity Zone Investments

Fifth Third Bank hosted an event at LISC’s national headquarters this week to announce $100 million in Opportunity Zone investments and tap LISC”s National Equity Fund (NEF) affiliate as one of its four investment partners. NEF will focus $25 million of Fifth Third’s capital to support housing developments for working families, building on its more than 30 years of investments in affordable housing.

Advice for Women Getting Started in Male-Dominated Fields: Q&A with Claire Anderson

Claire Anderson is a Chicago-based engineer and manager of track construction at Union Pacific Railroad, which partners with LISC to expand access to stable, livable-wage jobs in rail and related sectors. Anderson recently sat down with LISC to discuss her career journey and why it’s important to her to help more women succeed in traditionally male-dominated fields.