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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Nurturing Small Business at a Historic Crossroads for Hispanic Culture and Commerce: Q+A with Hector M. Treto

Latino/a/x entrepreneurs, many of them owners of small, neighborhood-serving businesses, contribute some $800 billion a year to the U.S. economy. In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, we checked in with Hector M. Treto, a businessperson himself and consultant with RAIL CDC in the Phoenix area. RAIL connects local entrepreneurs to Spanish-speaking small business experts who can help hone business plans and offer culturally relevant technical assistance.

The Good Fight: Q+A with Pete Chavez, Owner of Chavez Boxing Gym

Chavez Boxing Gym is among the diverse small businesses around the McDowell Road corridor of Phoenix receiving expert business assistance through the community-based organization RAIL CDC. Supported by LISC Phoenix, the work is one way LISC seeks to unleash talent and level the entrepreneurial playing field, and we weighed in with owner Pete Chavez, to hear his remarkable story, in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month.

How the LIFT Act Can Make Homeownership, and Strong Communities, a Reality for More Americans

In an op-ed for The Virginian-Pilot, LISC Virginia executive director Jane Ferrara lays out the ways the proposed LIFT Act could make homeownership, at 20-year, fixed rate mortgages, accessible to first-time, first-generation buyers—the very people who are often edged out of the American Dream. The legislation, in partnership with home-buying programs like the ones LISC leads, Ferrara writes, can help "bridge the racial wealth gap as well as the gap between dreams and reality for the next generation of aspiring homeowners."