Infrastructure Institute’s Post

During #AffordableHousingMonth, I'm proud to highlight DIALOG's dedication to addressing the urgent issues of urban growth and housing affordability. Our cities are expanding rapidly, leading to rising costs and a lack of affordable options, which force families, young adults, children, and the elderly out of their homes, disrupting lives and severing community bonds. We champion smart housing approaches that create #nimble, #sustainable, and #equitable communities for all generations. Our designs are rooted in empathy and a deep understanding of diverse community needs, promoting #inclusivity in every project, from #mixedincome developments to #adaptive reuse projects. At our partnership meeting in #Vancouver last week, we hosted a #crossdisciplinary panel and workshop on these critical issues. We invited key thought leaders from academic, civic, economic, and political circles, as well as residential developers and #Indigenous partners, to be part of this deep dive. Our goal is to empower diverse voices, create connections, and provoke action. #AffordableHousing #SustainableDesign #CommunityBuilding #UrbanDevelopment #InclusiveHousing #Architecture #DesignForGood

One building can spark positive change in an entire neighborhood! Thank you, Seth Kaplan for advocating for the neighborhood perspective, our engaging dialogue, and for sharing our thoughts. For us, #NeighborhoodMaking is an approach, rather than scale. It’s about seeing every element—whether a building, park, or street—as contributing to the neighborhood’s sense of belonging and identity. When these elements work together, they create social value that truly impacts where it matters most: our #neighborhoods, where we #live, raise our #children, and build our lives. #NeighborhoodMaking #SocialValue #NeighborhoodStrategies

People Planning

Becoming Independent needed a flexible headquarters that allowed the nonprofit to continue empowering people without siloing employees. HGA delivered an inclusive, centralized space. Here’s how: https://lnkd.in/ev6mSmAU #FM #FacilityManager #PropertyManagement #RealEstate #CRE #Architecture #BUILDINGS #BuildingsMagazine #BuildingsMedia

🌐 Shaping Urban Spaces: A Call to Collective Action The ongoing inquiry led by Enhancing Housing and Communities dives deep into the heart of our cities – the open spaces. With a central focus on ensuring equal access for everyone to public areas and the broader built environment, this examination is a crucial step towards shaping inclusive urban landscapes. In this comprehensive investigation, I've had the privilege of contributing through recent indoor and outdoor projects, illuminating the inherent freedom they provide. It's a testament to the transformative power of thoughtful design in our shared spaces. 🏙️ Advocating for Change Advocacy is not enough; we must champion tangible change. I strongly endorse establishing a comprehensive strategy – a human-centric framework that can guide local authorities and communities. This blueprint underscores the importance of inclusive spaces for individuals of all ages in their neighbourhoods, covering dimensions like the built environment, planning legislation, transport, and community engagement. 🤝 Power in Unity Furthermore, let's recognise the power of collective action. Organising in communities and groups is not just a suggestion; it's a necessity. This collaborative approach fosters understanding, idea exchange, and strength. Together, we can actively combat solitude and promote inclusion and resilient cities through impactful urban interventions. 🧩 Every Piece Matters In the intricate puzzle of our society, each person plays a crucial role. The city belongs to all of us, and we must be responsible for our contribution. My research journey, initiated with interactions with groups experiencing homelessness, highlighted every individual's profound insights into the urban landscape. 🌍 A Universal Desire Travelling across diverse cultures and countries made it possible to recognise the universal desire to be part of something more significant. As we shape our city's collective identity, I invite you to reflect – Who are you in this puzzle? Have you considered your role in making our urban spaces genuinely inclusive? #UrbanSpaces #CommunityEngagement #InclusiveCities #CollectiveAction #UrbanInnovation #CityDevelopment #PublicSpaces #HumanCentricDesign #CityIdentity #CommunityStrength #UrbanInterventions #CityPlanning #InclusionMatters #EqualityInUrbanDesign #SustainableCities

How can a single building contribute to a socially flourishing neighborhood? How can the way we design the physical support the social?   Here are some great ideas on how a single building can adopt a neighborhood approach: 1.       PLACE IDENTITY – Help strengthen the local culture and character of the area. 2.       DESIGN – Focus on human scale designs that encourage social connections and safety. 3.       FACILITIES – Provide services or spaces that meet unmet needs in the neighborhood. 4.       TARGET GROUP – Understand the neighborhood's population and how certain groups can benefit or drive positive change. 5.       SOCIAL SPACE – Make shared indoor and outdoor areas available for community gatherings and activities. 6.       GATHERING – Open up certain activities or spaces to the entire neighborhood to encourage social interaction. 7.       URBAN SYNERGIES – Work with local businesses to promote social responsibility and build community ties. 8.       NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD – If possible, create a network of property owners, the municipality, and residents to identify needs, share responsibility and coordinate common actions.   Thank you, to Neighborhood Lab and Ofri Earon for gathering this list. Great ideas that we can all use in different contexts. Robert Steuteville Mallory Baches AICP, LEED-AP, CNU-A Todd Hornback Erin K. Peavey Kevin Ervin Kelley, AIA Tim Tompkins Bart Mitchell Egbert Perry Frances Kraft Majora Carter Ethan Kent PlacemakingX Placemaking Education Madeleine Spencer Ryan Smolar Nathan Storring David Erickson David Edwards Carol Naughton Ron Ivey Sam Pressler #community #neighborhood #loneliness #urban #design #health

Keep returning to this question. It came up when working for the UK Design Council on Systemic Design in #ClimateCrisis. How older design tools and ideas are about process and movement from here to there. The sense of change by going somewhere else or building something completely new. But #degrowth and #sustainability mean all that energy use, all that travel is wasteful. Meanwhile Asset Based Community Development and Permaculture, place us more solidly and more rooted into our places and our communities. Design tools that are interventions from outside and which assume designers or institutions leave need care. What if it’s not a journey but a place and you don’t move?

At a recent workshop, an important question came up: How does affordable housing account for ageing? Will the homes we live in today still meet our needs when we're older? I explored this in my previous article, and while I was at it, I experimented a little with NotebookLM, and here's the episode produced. What do you think? (To me, it still sounds like AI but it's still very novel and interesting so far.) https://lnkd.in/diiiKHSY #affordablehousing #ageing #elderly #universalcare #architecture #urbandesign

Join Terner Center & Labs and National League of Cities for the 2024 Housing Supply Innovation Symposium. This event features the current cohort of housing affordability innovators at Terner Housing Lab in conversation with local and national leaders, experts, and investors. This year’s topic is Human-Centered Approaches to Building and Accessing Housing. Participants will investigate holistic approaches to housing supply that consider history, sustainability, and, most importantly, respond to the needs of the residents we aim to house. Honoring History: Acknowledge and address historical discrimination in housing as communities pave the way for a more inclusive tomorrow. Learn how lessons from the past can inform present and future housing initiatives that bridge gaps and promote equality. Sustainable Foundations: Explore innovative solutions to meet the growing demand for housing while prioritizing environmental responsibility. Human-Centered Housing: Centering the human experience, participants will delve into creative ways to increase individual access to housing. From community initiatives to personalized solutions, discover how communities can make every house a home. #housing #housingsolutions #communities #cities #humancentereddesign #housingaffordability #housingsupply #livestreamevent #

Communities are built through connections between people. Creating shared facilities or merging existing ones encourages serendipitous meetings and run-ins, building the sense of connection. Learn more about our approach to planning and designing shared facilities from Associate & Project Manager Leah Marthinsen below. #HEDAdvances #ArchitectureAndDesign #Community #Facility #Facilities #Government #GovernmentFacility #Local #Library