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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Combatting a Water Crisis with Entrepreneurship, and Heart

Jonathan Quarles is a Flint, MI small business owner who received a $10,000 grant from LISC and Verizon to help weather the pandemic's economic crisis. His business is a story worth telling: Quarles harvests and distributes clean water from the atmosphere, creating jobs, opportunity and "empowering the city that raised me" in the bargain.

In Pursuit of a Shared Humanity

LISC stands in unity with the protests that are sweeping our country, and their core message—that every life is sacred, says Maurice A. Jones, LISC’s president and CEO, in a video message. We are committed, he affirms, to continuing the work to dismantle structural racism and create an equitable America for all.

Our Communities Need a Marshall Plan

In his latest video message, LISC CEO Maurice A. Jones reflects on the disproportionate health and economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on underinvested communities and communities of color, and calls for a 21st-century Marshall Plan—intensive and broad investment that will both help people and enterprises recover, and redress the inequities that set the stage for the fallout of the current crisis.