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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Connecting Local People to the Prosperity of Place

Our latest LISC white paper examines emerging strategies that connect industrial district revitalization to local workforce efforts and how investments in industrial districts can fuel programs designed to train low-income residents and ensure they access local jobs. The paper takes a close look at how this plays out in the field with two case studies from Brooklyn, NY and one from Jackson, MI. Read on!

Partnership for the Bay's Future, in Close-Up

An article in the Bay Area magazine Gentry takes a careful look at how Partnership for the Bay's Future, LISC's collaboration with the San Francisco Foundation, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Genentech, the Ford Foundation, Kaiser Permanente and others is tackling the region's extreme affordable housing shortage, alongside transportation access and economic opportunity. "Housing has to be considered everybody's challenge and everybody's opportunity," says LISC CEO Maurice A. Jones in the piece. That collective ownership and the diversity of sectors in the partnership "are the only way we're really going to make true progress."

Talent Development Catalyzes Opportunity

A strong and vibrant workforce helps fuel community growth as well as business success. That’s why Union Pacific Railroad is supporting LISC Financial Opportunity Centers and contributing the expertise of its staff to industrial training programs that help people compete for family-sustaining jobs. Union Pacific’s Chiquita Morgan urges employers to "get out from behind our walls" and help advance the efforts of workforce development agencies, neighborhood groups and others who are helping people build a stronger financial future for themselves and their community.