Ethos Urban’s Post

A big thank you to the organizers of the American Planning Association - New York Upstate Chapter's 2024 Annual Conference. And thanks to David West, LEED AP for pairing up with me to host a session--and for teaching me some new things about the challenges of public engagement. ⚡ Thanks also to a very thoughtful group of professionals. We had a lively discussion about public engagement. The bottom line? Planners have a real desire to undertake meaningful, in-depth, and inclusive engagement efforts. Many of us are frustrated with the status quo. And there are many reasons why we often fall short of our own expectations. It turns out 90 minutes isn't enough time to solve this problem. 🤣 We didn't have time to squeeze in everything. Below are a few slides that share some ideas, methods, and strategies to make public engagement better. (You can read more about the session at my blog: https://lnkd.in/gSNZ9p6b). #planning #publicengagement #facilitation #Stantec

Comment below other innovative offices we can share with our UGREEN community!

Did you know that your HOA's Annual Meeting is for YOU?! Oftentimes, residents don't fully understand what happens during these meetings or feel intimidated by the process so they forego getting involved. 🤔 But your HOA’s annual meeting is a key event where your community comes together to shape its future! Today, we’d like to demystify the process and share how YOU can take part! An Annual Meeting is your chance to: ⭐ Review the Past Year - Get a recap of the HOA's financials, projects completed, and upcoming plans. ⭐ Elect Board of Directors - Choose leaders who will guide community affairs and ensure your voice is heard. ⭐ Have Open Dialogue - Discuss concerns, propose ideas, and engage in constructive conversations with your neighbors. Courteous communication is the most productive. Your annual meeting is a time where everyone’s voice is equal and where every member has a say! Whether it's giving a suggestion, calling for a vote, or participating in decisions, every voice has an opportunity to speak on issues that affect your community. Remember, YOU are important to the success of your HOA! Participating in the annual meeting allows YOU to be directly involved in shaping the direction of your community. Whether you're passionate about a project, have ideas for fun neighborhood events, or simply want to stay informed, your voice matters! The annual meeting is your chance to connect with your neighbors, make a difference, and ensure your community thrives. Now we’d love to hear back from you! Do you regularly attend your HOA’s annual meeting? If your answer is no, what’s been holding you back? Share your thoughts below! #RowCal #HOAManagement #TheSmarterWaytoHOA #HOALife #AnnualMeetings #FAQs

Excited to share something truly close to our hearts at ThreeSixtyEight! 🌟 Over the last few months, we’ve teamed up with the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and Visit Baton Rouge to build the "Better in BTR" campaign—a campaign initiative aimed at showcasing why Baton Rouge is a prime destination for young professionals to call home. Last Thursday, we got to watch the campaign go officially live in front of hundreds of people at the Better in BTR launch party. The energy of the crowd will be a moment I’ll never forget as I felt the pride of our city come together. We were proud because we now have a shared answer to a question we’ve been asked frequently by others and even to ourselves … Why live in Baton Rouge? We know that home is more than just a place with numerous employment opportunities—it's about quality of life. That’s why our campaign goes beyond showcasing top employers; it also highlights the unique and diverse communities, neighborhoods, and recreational activities Baton Rouge offers. What truly sets our city apart, however, is the sense of belonging instilled by our community. Those who move here and choose to stay quickly discover how deeply they can connect and how difficult it becomes ever to leave. For the last two years, I’ve sent out a Google doc to hundreds of people with all the communities to join, people to meet, and things to do. Now, I’m so proud there’s a resource that can be shared by all that showcases what makes our city great. We can now answer with confidence - THIS is why we live in Baton Rouge. Check out the campaign site here: www.betterinbtr.com Use the site to explore our city. Use the site to find the right neighborhood for you. Share the site with others mulling if they should move here. Share the site with others who think BTR has nothing to do.  Share the site with others looking for communities to join. If anything, come talk to me about BTR. Yes, we have some issues like other cities have, but this is a city I know YOU can make a difference in. My physical and digital door is always open to have this discussion. And yes, this is only the beginning of the campaign. If you have any stories about why your life is better in BTR, please share them in the comments! #talentattraction #talent #batonrouge #betterinbtr #economicdevelopment 

The GBC May Scoop is OUT! Don't miss out on this read, packed with updates on events and new happenings at GBC, valuable resources, and much more. Read here: https://lnkd.in/g-2BCCPf #gbc #gbcscoop #goodbusiness

🌆 The RI League of Cities and Towns is accepting workshop proposals for our Annual Convention on Thursday, 3/21/24. 📄 🛑 Proposal deadline: 1/19/24 💡 This year's theme is: Evolving Needs, Resilient Future. 🌐 Workshop slots are limited. Successful proposals appeal to the greatest number of municipal leaders and employees. 👀 What we're looking for:  ➡ A unique best practice or process improvement to increase efficiency, productivity, or solve a problem ➡ Actionable solutions for and examples of community engagement, workforce development, or shared services ➡ Information on policy 'hot topics' and impact on cities and towns, including but not limited to: 💻 Emerging Impact of Technology 🏘 Housing & Land Use   ⚖ Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 👩💼 Municipal Workforce Development & Retention 🛣 Critical Infrastructure Funding & Management To submit your proposal, visit: https://lnkd.in/eYdFvfxK Any questions, contact me at jslattery@rileague.org

Four weeks to go! The future planning of our cities and the sports and facilities within them is crucial to create thriving spaces and communities. Join us for the 2024 PLA National Conference as we discuss how these facilities can enhance the health and wellbeing of all Australians. Vision planning will determine how these places serve our communities now and in the future. With the 2032 Brisbane Games on the horizon, there’s no better time to think about the lasting legacy we can create. At this year’s conference, we’ll delve into: - Building for the Future: how well-designed facilities can support Australia’s athletic success and promote healthier, more active communities. - Creating Lasting Legacies: learn about Brisbane’s plans for the 2032 Games and how these ideas can inspire forward-thinking projects across the nation. - Innovative Facility Planning: cutting-edge approaches to designing spaces that are not only functional but also sustainable and inclusive. - Enhancing Community Well-being: how the right infrastructure can drive community engagement and improve the overall quality of life. Don’t miss it! If you’re interested in planning, designing, or managing sports and community facilities, these events will be for you. Register now 👉 https://lnkd.in/eyKxv5ak

Screenshot from a GWCN: Global Walkability Correspondents Network chapters meeting yesterday! GWCN is now 2 1/2 years old & is dedicated as a space for networking among people passionate about championing issue of #walkability. As a network, we also began supporting the development of local chapters & it is super exciting to see network members around the world take agency of a GWCN chapter in their community for diverse activities related to walking & walkability. Yesterday was typical of the geographic diversity we usually have at meetings (also being mindful of the time- 18.00 CET & that we cannot accommodate all time zones in one meeting, so have different meetings at different times each month to accommodate members in all world regions). Yesterday Cori Dahl shared updates from the chapter she leads- GWCN Chicago. She is also planning chapter summer activities & open to local collaborations so if you are working with, researching, advocating for issues of walkability (to include access to quality public transportation) in Chicago please feel free to connect. We also heard from both Omer KILIC, MSc & Ayse Umay Gezer who are both local city leaders in the national GWCN Turkey Chapter that Istanbul-based Merve Özhan leads. Vanny K Mwamba is fresh back in Ohio from his return to Congo & raised the ever-interesting question of how we adapt our advocacy to different areas, contexts, cultures & situation. 'Advocacy is a spectrum'. Also check out his profile for more on his recently released film 'Why We Walk'. Laura Walsh, ActiveScore AP shared (in most engaging narrative ways) the frustration & anger of fearing for our life as pedestrians that so many of us know, experience, have experienced- emotions that I think are also vital to share as part of advocacy Zvi Leve, MSc shared some interesting reflections on the state of underground space in Montréal & (like Laura) also sharing reflections on living #carfree for many many years & living the example that it can be done. 1st GWCN newsletter coming out next month:  Subscribe to the LinkedIn newsletter here:  https://lnkd.in/dwWFxmxQ Special Editions of the existing Pedestrian Space Newsletter will also be published focused exclusively on GWCN activities. Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/eeDcHP_V  #GWCNwalks #walkability

It's the best time of the year...applications for our 2024 USGBC Local Market Leadership Awards are now open! USGBC’s Local Market Leadership Awards recognize the people, projects and partners that demonstrate excellence in working to create better buildings and to improve the lives of all in their local communities. This year’s awards program has two cohorts of participating markets, with two different deadlines for applications. Cohorts and deadlines are as follows:    - Cohort 1 (August 19 Nomination Deadline): Alabama, Colorado, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Tennessee - Cohort 2 (October 3 Nomination Deadline): Arkansas, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois (project awards only), Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, West Virginia    All participating markets use the same nomination process, but awards are judged separately for each market. Applicants must be located in a particular market to be considered for that market’s award.    - Awards Call for Nominations: https://lnkd.in/edZ8DcXJ - Awards Homepage: https://lnkd.in/e-bBEYwE - Call for Volunteer Awards Judges: https://lnkd.in/eGim3Wi7 U.S. Green Building Council, U.S. Green Building Council - U.S. Market Insights, Tara Bleakley, #usgbc, #usgbcfl, #florida, #leed

Open space is a critical asset, however we are short changing the amount of open space that we provide in our Melbourne growth areas. The SGS standard for open space planning is 30sqm, however our growth areas are only being provided with about 20sqm per capita. To see a summary of open space in growth areas see the LGiU Australia article below. https://lnkd.in/g3UnSAZb