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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Marc Anthony, Javier Baez and Henry Cardenas Join LISC to Help Youth Play Ball Again in Puerto Rico

Leading names in sports and entertainment joined community leaders and families in Loiza, Puerto Rico, to celebrate the first baseball fields restored through Play Ball Again, a LISC program that aims to revive 25 Little League facilities for 17,500 boys and girls across the island. Funded through strong collaborations with Maestro Cares Foundation, Good Bunny Foundation, UNICEF USA, Chicago Cubs Charities and Kohler Company, the program is focused on urban and rural communities that were hit hard by Hurricanes Maria and Irma.

A Food Hall That’s All About Opportunity. And Food.

When La Cocina Municipal Marketplace opens this coming spring in San Francisco’s Tenderloin, it will be the country’s first women-led food hall and and the first to take on the innovative role of serving up affordable, healthy food to longtime local residents (as well as to foodie visitors). It also provides manageable rents and business opportunities for the mostly women of color entrepreneurs who will be running the culinary show and who see food as a language connecting people, places and culture. Plus, with support from LISC, La Cocina has activated a long-vacant post office, transforming a former crime hot spot.

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.