Kenneth Sandlin’s Post

Designing from the margins and incorporating an array of experiences, voices, and philosophies including those from Black, Brown, and Indigenous residents is crucial for creating equitable plans and policies that lead to healthy, happy, vibrant cities. 💫 Take a peek into the rich history of how community organizing influences urban planning with Chavella, one of Consult LeLa's founders!  #UrbanPlanning #EquityInAction #CommunityVoices #CommunityOrganizingInfluencingTheBuiltEnvironment

Principal Jared H. Press spoke as a panelist at Project for Public Spaces’ 4th International Placemaking Week conference, highlighting how  Prince George's County, Maryland is using a vision grounded in placemaking to drive equitable economic development along the Blue Line Corridor.     The County adopted a forward-thinking approach by identifying key public investments in multimodal infrastructure, public anchor institutions, and placemaking through programming and activation to attract private investment in dense, mixed-use, transit-oriented development.     Panelists highlighted how, unlike urban settings, suburbia often lacks natural spaces for community gatherings, making it challenging for residents to envision effective placemaking. Yet, the demand for such initiatives is strong. The successful implementation of such long-term initiatives requires a clear and coherent vision that serves as a consistent reference point that can endure turnover in administrations, agency staff, and market cycles.     Engaging the community in these environments requires innovative strategies and a deep understanding of their unique needs. While the full realization of the Blue Line Corridor vision will take years, the early successes and lessons learned provide a valuable blueprint for other suburban jurisdictions aiming for equitable economic development.     #EconomicDevelopment #Placemaking #TransitOrientedDevelopment #CommunityEngagement 

💡 Research Spotlight: Elsewhere in New York City: Seeking Opportunities for Office Conversion This #MITCRE working paper conducts a comparative case study of two office properties, of comparable physical condition, in Manhattan and in Brooklyn to understand the opportunities and challenges of office-to-residential conversions as a solution to New York City’s #housingcrisis. The paper uncovers potential benefits: 1. Broadening the scope of these conversion projects to include other boroughs could lead to a more equitable distribution of housing resources; 2. Address the city-wide housing shortage more effectively; 3. Stimulate balanced economic growth and community development across New York’s diverse landscape. 🔗Read on SSRN: https://lnkd.in/gA2_kkkZ Co-authors: Nayeon Hong and Fábio Duarte #NYC #OfficeConversion #MIT #Research #RealEstate

Connecting the ambitions of policy to community action on the ground is always the challenge. An interesting week for High Streets with this summary of the new governments policy direction of travel for high street and town centres. Platform Places funding announcement to fund 5 property partnerships will no doubt be closely monitoring this policy shift. Our mission led approach in Wandsworth Town will frame our project around these policies. Taking a Mission Method here in SW London aims to provide a process to move from theory to action - it is a good way for cross disciplinary groups to explore and co-design a portfolio of innovations and experiments oriented toward shared challenges and building plausible options for action. Codesigning missions provides a process to identify core areas of focus within the Wandsworth Town Property Partnership and explore co-designed interventions to tackle them. Through a series of Mission Labs, we will collaboratively generate missions and begin to think about potential solutions to the issues raised, before we split into smaller, more focused working groups to begin more in-depth work into each mission. The work of these groups will result in prototypes that we will be piloting within Wandsworth Town.  

In the spirit of openness and authenticity, I want to share the reason behind this post. I'm 34 with a rich background in business experience and understand the importance of keeping the numbers in the black and not needless spending. I've learned that openly talking to people with genuine dialogue to understand their perspectives and their situations is an immense value these days. This is a skill that this community needs in their local government. I believe in being straightforward and honest because politics doesn't need to be full of grand promises to win over votes. It needs to be about real conversations, addressing actual issues, and working towards feasible solutions. I'm not just running for this position; I'm dedicating myself to our town's growth and well-being. A town council member should be a steward of the community's trust, a voice for its people, and a driver of progress. With my business experience, I bring a practical, results-oriented approach to governance. I understand budgets, the importance of strategic planning, and the need for responsible management of resources, and most important, working with colleagues. I aim to represent all voices in our community. Every concern matters, every suggestion is valuable, and every resident is a vital part of Mansfield's future. I understand that strong businesses mean a strong community. That's why one of my key priorities will be to support and empower the businesses of Mansfield. By streamlining processes, encouraging local entrepreneurship, and facilitating a business-friendly atmosphere, we can ensure that our town not only attracts new enterprises but also nurtures the ones that have long been part of our community fabric. The world is changing rapidly, and Mansfield needs leaders who can adapt, understand, and lead with integrity. I am stepping up to be that leader, to bring fresh ideas and a new perspective to our local government. #Mansfieldnj #mansfieldtownship #localgov

COMING SOON The Case for Cities draws on the expertise of contributors from the academic, professional, and civic sectors to explore the creative tension between the two great values on which the vigor of cities depends—that they should be "Cities of Choice" (places where people who have choice want to live) and "Cities of Justice" (places that welcome and support people with limited choices). The book’s underlying perspective is that these two values are symbiotic and that promoting both is what leads to viable, sustainable urban resurgence. https://lnkd.in/gvRfxpRG

{MEMBERS NEWS} "A city’s strength and prosperity depend on a strong downtown and city center, which serve as hubs of culture, knowledge, and innovation. The performance of these districts and city centers enhances an entire region’s economic productivity, inclusion, vibrancy, identity, and resilience". The Value of Downtown Study conducted by International Downtown Association showcases the impressive results of the Chicago Loop and demonstrates its importance for the economic and social development of the entire city and surrounding area. Here the full report 👉 https://bit.ly/3AGzMNT

Smart policy alert! Modernizing the #nyc zoning code to allow businesses to grow and neighborhoods to have diverse #retail is vital to the city's economic future. This video from Mayor Adams, Dan Garodnick, and the NYC Department of City Planning does a good job of justifying why their plan to update the code (called the City of Yes for Economic Opportunity #rezoning) makes perfect sense. Seriously, preventing dancing from places that play music does not make much sense (even if folks have to watch terrible dancers like me!). More info on the plan can also be found at: https://lnkd.in/e35a3MPf. #realestate #economicdevelopment #communitydevelopment #publicrealm

BTI Partners CEO Noah Breakstone recently spoke with Florida Trend Media Company's Brittney J. Miller for a Q&A on Florida's urban surge. In their discussion, Noah highlighted Florida’s booming housing market and rapid urban growth, expressed confidence in the state’s ability to address challenges like infrastructure and environmental concerns, and praised local planning efforts for effectively managing ongoing expansion. “There's a trade-off in spending money now to be competitive in technology, health care and education in the future. I think Florida and these major markets are being prudent in spending those dollars,” Noah said. “A lot of our major cities are addressing many issues through building codes and planning and zoning boards. It's going to continue to change and grow.” Read more here: https://bit.ly/3RQnyrW

🥇 🥈 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞? 🥉 Dr. Ray Oldenburg was an urban sociologist at the University of West Florida who promoted the importance of the "third place" in our lives and communities. 🥇 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 refers to a person's home. 🥈 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 refers to a person's work. 🥉 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 refers to that other place where a person spends time between home and work that allows a person to make connections, have a good time, and, ultimately, weave the fabric for a civil society to function. In a phrase, a third place is simply a safe and welcoming gathering place outside of home and work. Dr. Oldenburg stressed that city planners and business leaders should recognize the importance of offering valuable third places for people to experience critical interactions to build strong relationships and stronger communities. A third place could be a church, a gym, a coffee house, a restaurant, a bookstore or library, or a pub, to name a few. What is your third place? #cityplanning #urbanplanning #firstplace #secondplace #thirdplace #community #gatheringplace