We2’s Post

"During the Regular Council Meeting on Monday, Surrey City Council approved a new multi-year Accessibility Action Plan. Developed with input from the public and the Surrey Accessibility Leadership Team, the plan aims to address equity gaps for all residents, placing special emphasis on the needs of individuals with# disabilities. Over the next three years, the plan will guide the removal of barriers and actively promote inclusivity, aligning with provincial accessibility requirements. "'The Accessibility Action Plan exemplifies our commitment to enhancing #inclusivity and #accessibility in Surrey,' said Mayor Brenda Locke. 'The Plan involves removing #barriers and ensuring equal opportunities for all members of our #diverse neighbourhoods. Together with the community, we have developed a plan to meet the needs of our residents. We've worked with the community to create this plan that will make Surrey an even more welcoming and #accessible city.' "In fall 2023, community feedback was collected through an online survey and in-person pop-up booths at City facilities with over 1,383 interactions and surveys completed. This feedback helped shape the plan, which outlines five key actions affecting buildings, public spaces programs and services, and information and communication methods. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/euDUC3yW #AccessibilityNews #AccessibilityMatters #AccessibilityAwareness #AccessibilityForAll #AccessibilityMatters #AccessibleBC #AccessibleBritishColumbia #AccessibleCanada #BreakingBarriers #LevelPlayingField #LPF

Over the past four months, I have had the privilege of participating in the WEPOWER Design Fellows program, where I collaborated with a talented group to co-facilitate community dialogues on the design process. Together, we led solution-oriented teams through a series of activations that culminated in the development of the Community Wealth Building Playbook. This experience has been an enriching journey of collective brainstorming, community engagement, and creating pathways for sustainable community development. Building community power means finding solutions within the community by the community. It’s a call to action for local stewardship—working together to create healthy, equitable, and sustainable communities. Community stewardship involves people and organizations stepping up to take responsibility for forming partnerships that drive transformative change at the local and regional levels. A key aspect of community stewardship is supporting local businesses. Successful businesses contribute more in taxes, which in turn provides resources to fund local social amenities and schools. By backing local entrepreneurs and businesses, communities strengthen their economic base and improve their overall quality of life. Community power is most effective when individuals take charge of the issues within their control to address problems in their neighborhoods. Rather than waiting for outsiders to come and solve internal issues, community members actively work together to make their environment better. The basic things might include: 1. Promoting Safety and Responsibility: Ensuring neighborhood safety by looking out for each other, raising responsible and respectful kids, and holding community leaders accountable. 2. Fostering Respect and Dignity: Treating others with kindness and respect, promoting inclusivity, and standing against discrimination. 3. Civic Engagement and Participation: Voting, engaging in community dialogues, and participating in local governance to ensure that community voices are heard. 4. Addressing Social Issues: Organizing discussions on healthy living, tackling substance abuse, empowering youth, and reducing the presence of liquor stores and fast food outlets in the neighborhood. 5. Maintaining Public Spaces: Picking up trash, cutting grass, and addressing home repairs to keep neighborhoods looking clean and safe. By taking these actions, community members build a stronger sense of unity and responsibility. They demonstrate that real change starts from within, and by holding each other accountable, they create a more vibrant, inclusive, and resilient community. It's about empowering people to be the change they want to see, fostering a culture of cooperation, and building a foundation for a better future. Design Fellows https://lnkd.in/gZu4Mw4C

"Improving Community Engagement in Affordable Housing Development Surveys: Addressing the Gap in Public Meeting Participation" Read the full article below..

Creating Effective Self-Evaluation and Transition Plans Self-Evaluation Transition Plans (SETPs) are essential for municipalities striving to ensure accessibility and compliance with ADA standards. These plans highlight areas needing improvement and chart a clear path toward achieving full accessibility. What are SETPs? SETPs involve a comprehensive review of public facilities, programs, and services to identify any barriers to accessibility. Self-Evaluations are crucial for municipalities to understand their current compliance status and prioritize necessary modifications. Why are SETPs Crucial? 1. Compliance: Ensures adherence to ADA requirements and avoids potential legal issues. 2. Inclusion: Promotes an inclusive environment where all citizens can access public spaces and services. 3. Proactive Planning: Identifies barriers and develops a strategic plan to address them, preventing future accessibility issues. How ACP Helps At ACP, we specialize in helping municipalities develop thorough and effective SETPs. Our approach includes: Detailed Assessments: Conducting comprehensive evaluations of existing facilities and services. Community Engagement: Gathering input from residents, especially those with disabilities, to ensure all needs are addressed. Strategic Planning: Crafting actionable plans with clear timelines, costs, and responsibilities to achieve full accessibility. By partnering with ACP, municipalities can confidently navigate the complexities of accessibility compliance, ensuring that all community members can fully participate in public life. Let's work together to create accessible and inclusive communities for everyone!

I've made it from 1963 to 1971.* From Colin Buchanan to Jan Gehl, and two different starting points for answering the same question - how should we design our public realm? Buchanan was tasked with understanding how cities and towns could accommodate the inevitable rise of car ownership, and what would be lost in the process. He wrestled with how to provide access to areas via private motor cars versus maintaining an environment that people could enjoy. Gehl's approach in 'Life Between Buildings' is almost philosophical by comparison. He considers how our behaviour in public spaces reveals our essentially social nature and through numerous studies, my favourite being one of children at play, shows how we are drawn to spaces where we can engage (passively or actively) with other people. Gehl sees the central role of our public realm as being to support social activities. Through a simple classification of outdoor activity he shows how 'necessary activities' (eg the walk to school or the local shop) will take place regardless of the quality of the physical environment but optional activities (eg taking a walk for air or sitting in the sun) and social activities (eg play and conversations) will largely only occur when surroundings are pleasant. Most people can look outside their window and see that these sociable activities have been lost from our streets. Around three million people in England say they feel lonely often or always (2021/22). Research by Prof Daniel Dorling for the BBC on social fragmentation in GB from 1971 to 2001 concluded that: "even the weakest communities in 1971 were stronger than any community now". It was in 1969 that Appleyard's seminal study on the use of streets found that those with lower traffic supported more social connections. The UK has a loneliness strategy which, beyond a passing reference to the value of high streets, does not once engage with the issue of how the public realm is used. The Department for Transport's contribution to this strategy does not consider how the design of our streets can hinder or support social connection. Organisations like Playing Out (here in Bristol) and Play London have supported many communities to establish play streets which provide safe, but temporary, space for children to play outside their front doors. A former director at London Play telling me that "children playing in the street are pollinators of neighbourhood connections" is what first made me think about urban design. Initiatives like the Big Lunch also provide an occasional glimpse of what neighbourhoods centred on social connectivity could look like. England is missing a transport strategy. When we finally get it, this should also be a public realm strategy that aims to make it possible for people to connect with each other on the streets where they live. #transport #urbandesign #play *Although the edition I'm reading is from 2011 and has been updated quite a few times since then.

“How we plan communities and public space tends to isolate or bring people together.” I’ve always believed in this and that’s perhaps why much of my career has been focused on multi-family development, mixed income design and consciousness, and true community building. Let’s collaborate on your next development so that I can inject some of that friendly neighbour recipe into your community! . . #localerealestateinc #localerealestate #realestate #realestatedevelopment #realestatedeveloper #developer #housing #land #housingdevelopment #landdevelopment #realestateprofessional #consulting #engineering #salesadvisor #developmentmanagement #developmentconsulting #consultant #realestateconsultant #atlanticcanada #novascotia #newfoundland #architecturalengineering #consultingservices

Community Development professionals: Please read the comments, below. I am not automatically siding with the contractor or developer on this, and I've removed the jurisdictions name as a courtesy, but this is the perception of what we do in some jurisdictions and, whether it is right, wrong or even fair or not; perception is everything. Be cognizant of what you say and how you say it in all interactions with the public. The Scope of the post where these came from: 1. "Municipal extortion? What in the actual f.. is happening? This group of esteemed gentlemen from the City of _____, WA, demand a buttload of money a year after the project was finished, the certificate of occupancy issued, and the building changed hands. They are going after the contractor’s bond. A few minor warranty claims I can understand and happy to oblige.   But the attitude of “We're not here to negotiate, this is what we want…” is not a way to grow the city.   My favorite from the on-site meeting: “You have to remove crosswalk striping; it doesn’t meet our standards… we don't want people crossing here” and “Your ADA ramp also doesn’t meet code.”   “Okay,” I said, “but why would you require an ADA ramp and curb cut to the road where you do not have a crosswalk?”   “That’s what the code requires!” 🤯   To the question why wasn’t this inspected prior to the certificate of occupancy, the answer was that we “were so rushed to finish…”   No comment.   Oh, and put the cherry on top, we have to design something that wasn’t designed or permitted before, get it approved, and then build, while we are no longer the property owners. Why would any developer ever want to build anything there? What a waste of time and money!" 2. "I’m not a developer but am joining with one to build some ‘missing middle’ homes on the Eastside. I was able to join my first ever planning Zoom call and was appalled at how the city employees (one in particular) were treating the architect leading the call. It was actually hostile and I reported it to the city Mayor who said she would look into it… yet the lunacy continued with more unreasonable demands and changes to the rules after the plan approval. I now see first hand why housing is so expensive in this area. Yes, some cost is down to high demand and low supply (difficult to control) but a significant portion is down to out of control regulation and civic employees who lack civility (easy to control)! If you want affordable housing then be sure to vote for business friendly politicians next time and not activists who sound good but deliver the opposite results because they haven’t a clue what it takes to run a business or build a structure!" 3. "and then they wonder why housing is expensive. It takes years to get a permit after jumping through all kinds of hoops, and then you get them to demand things as they go along. It’s a power trip that hurts the community..." #communitydevelopment #codeofficial #developmentservices #construction #customerservice

Planning Tripod is super important! What does this tripod says? Do not plan for the people, never let the people plan for themselves, rather plan with the people. Community engagement is a cornerstone of effective urban planning. Involving local communities in the planning process ensures that the development projects reflect the needs and aspirations of the residents. This participatory approach leads to more inclusive and sustainable urban environments. By gathering input from diverse stakeholders, planners can address specific local challenges, such as housing affordability, transportation accessibility, and public safety. Moreover, community engagement fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility among residents, which can enhance the success and longevity of urban projects. Embracing community engagement not only empowers citizens but also results in more resilient and vibrant urban spaces.

Public spaces can boost access to wellbeing for entire communities. But not all public spaces provide social connectedness and safety for all. The Project for Public Spaces shares four approaches to creating great public spaces. A vital element of these approaches is the involvement of the community in the decision making processes. "Involving stakeholders in creating a space makes it more likely that programming will reflect members of the community." What recommendations do you have for involving communities in place-making? #BuiltEnvironment #PlaceMaking #PublicSpaces #CommunityEngagement #CenteringCommunity #SocialConnectedness

Creating vibrant living spaces transcends the mere construction of buildings; it’s about fostering a sense of belonging and enhancing the lives of those who call these places home. The mission is centered on social value, where each project is thoughtfully designed to improve the quality of life for residents. Events like street food gatherings are perfect examples of how residents can come together, fostering friendships and a strong sense of community. These moments not only create lasting memories but also strengthen the bonds between neighbours. Additionally, the natural areas surrounding our developments are invaluable resources that promote outdoor living. Encouraging residents to explore parks, trails, and green spaces leads to a healthier lifestyle and a deeper appreciation for the beauty of nature right at their doorstep. Community engagement plays a vital role in this process. Listening to residents’ needs and preferences helps shape future events and initiatives, ensuring that efforts resonate with the community. This feedback loop is essential for building a responsive and supportive environment. Ultimately, the goal is to create not just homes, but thriving communities where connections flourish and residents can truly enjoy the richness of life together.