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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Creative Solutions: A Roundtable on Arts, Culture and the Path to Community Recovery & Wellbeing

In a roundtable interview, two LISC experts and two members of LISC’s Emerging Leaders Council offer reflections and critical best practices for harnessing arts and culture as part of our national recovery—from the economic devastation of COVID, and from the country’s long-standing racial health, wealth and opportunity gap.

A New Partnership to Inject $1M into Toledo Affordable Housing

An exciting commitment to LISC from Owens Corning brings $1M in badly needed capital to boost affordable housing development and support historically underinvested neighborhoods in the Glass City. A report from NBC describes how the work funded will focus on racial equity and health outcomes, and puts a spotlight on the trusted role of LISC Toledo.

LISC Invests in Fearless Fund to Increase Access to Venture Funding for Minority Women Entrepreneurs

LISC is the first institutional investor in Fearless Fund, a $20 million venture capital fund led by women of color that invests exclusively in early-stage startups also led by women of color. "By increasing access to capital in an inclusive manner, we tackle one of the core challenges to closing the wealth gap,” noted George Ashton, managing director of LISC Strategic Investments.