Sara Boonham’s Post

Just attended the "Planning While Black: Sustaining an Inclusive Urban Renaissance" panel at the American Planning Association conference, and I'm truly inspired! It's a powerful reminder of how crucial equity is in urban planning. As planners, we must keep communities at the heart of every decision. Let's commit to making equity and inclusivity the foundation of our work. #UrbanPlanning #EquityInAction #APAConference

🌆 Greater Washington's resilience shines as new development projects emerge in 2023, even amidst economic challenges. From innovative office-to-residential conversions to fresh public housing initiatives, our region is buzzing with potential. In D.C., where over $81.6 billion in projects have been realized since 2000, the focus is shifting. The trend? More mixed-use and residential endeavors, reflecting our city's dynamic needs. Our recent State of the District and Region Conference shed light on this evolution. Leaders, including Alex Orfinger of the Washington Business Journal, emphasized the significance of revitalizing downtown and fostering business growth. Gerren Price of Downtown D.C. BID highlighted the strategic importance of transforming underutilized spaces, adapting to the city's growth trajectory. D.C.'s future is bright, and we're here for it! Dive into the full insights: https://swiy.co/I79B #DC #DCGrowth #FutureOfDC #Business #UrbanDevelopment

Should affordable housing be green? Is that even a question?! Yes. Because in a sector that’s chronically starved of resources, sustainability is often seen as a luxury. BG’s Elizabeth Waters shows how the apparent affordable housing options—build more or build green?—present a false and untenable choice. Elizabeth spoke with many experts who’ve proven we can rise to the occasion and address a severe affordable housing shortage, climate change, *and* endemic injustice by: 📗 Reframing the conventional wisdom that sustainability and affordability are at odds 💚 Leveraging existing systems to improve people’s health, quality of life, and resilience 🧤 Working toward and supporting longer-term systemic change For this Spotlight Report (free to premium BuildingGreen subscribers), Elizabeth interviewed: Habitable's Gina Ciganik, David Baker Architects' Katie Ackerly, 7 Directions Architects/Planners' Daniel Glenn, Enterprise Community Partners' Krista Egger, THE JPB FOUNDATION's Dana Bourland, AICP, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Ethan Handelman, ESG | Architecture & Design's Laura Eder (Foster), MSR Design's Simona Fischer, LS Black Development 's Willy Boulay, International Living Future Institute's Susan Puri, and HomeSight 's Uche Okezie. Also! Featuring research from the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the BlueGreen Alliance https://lnkd.in/ecTrDEi7

What a stunning well crafted scaffolding project! #scaffolding #scaffoldingservices #scaffolddesign #scaffolders #sitesafety #constructionsafety

Read this Washington Post article for a look into this stunning 150-year-old home in Georgetown. Gain insights into the historic charm and unique property values that make Georgetown a coveted neighborhood. #DMVRealEstate #DCRealEstate

Check out my blog post: Preserving Seattle's Historic Charm: The Art of Brick Restoration by Howard Homes Seattle #newblogpost

Four Wayne County buildings earn spot on National Register of Historic Places - Detroit News: Four Wayne County buildings earn spot on National Register of Historic Places  Detroit News

From the origins of human settlement, developing urban systems has been integral to building functioning societies. Diverse cities and communities ensure that our biophysical, ecological, social, and economic drivers are all met. Some would argue that the city is, in fact, our greatest invention. In this piece by COX Director David Holm, he explores how balanced polycentric cities provide opportunity and celebrate the fundamental tenets of community and people. 

A thoughtful analysis in this article in Governing: "But preservation serves the vital purpose of helping people to understand, appreciate and connect with their local history at a time when historical awareness is a missing element in much of America. If preservation has gone too far, it has gone too far in the right direction. We ought to be able to manage it without denigrating the things it has achieved." Equity-based preservation is the way forward. https://lnkd.in/gPGp3Jc2 #HistoricPreservation #equity #UrbanDesign

One single building can tell the story of a city and it’s people. I’m stoked to be an inhabitant of this building at SHACK15. I constantly seek “awe” and the Ferry Buildkng delivers on a daily basis. What will the buildings that we are designing today say to our descendants in 100 years? Is our build environment legacy crowded with data centers, distribution centers cementing the take-make-waste linear economy, mamoth ethane cracker facilities….these are high in volume and mass. Is that what we are all about?