A few things to know this week: June 11, 2021
This week’s things to know:
Native American new urbanism: How the poorest county in America created a vision for the future of cities (Shareable)
I never cease to be amazed when I read or hear people-powered solutions in communities. Enter Porcupine, South Dakota, and the Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation. Their progression has taken them from a spiritual circle, which taught them to look inward and not outward for solutions to benefit their children, to the creation of a ceremony space, visioning, and finally the CDC itself. They've embarked on the creation of a multi-generational, income-diverse, mixed-use community of their own making. It all started with a straw bale house they built themselves, teaching construction trades to their younger generations. From there, additional energy-efficient houses were created around open space and community gardens. They created job opportunities and so much interest that over 70 other Indigenous communities have contacted them to learn more about how to replicate the idea. It's a moving story, a success story based on incrementalism and tactical strategy. -AJ
The White House said the Claiborne Expressway should go. It's not that simple (NOLA)
Between Mayor Pete riding bike share into work and increased weight behind freeway removal efforts, the new administration has made lots of headlines in regards to transportation and land use in the past six months. However, this article illustrates how advocates have to continue to work towards a common understanding with the general public on how to transform our transportation systems to be more sustainable and human-scale. In New Orleans, the Claiborne expressway was one of two freeway removal projects to be endorsed by the White House, yet other funding priorities like drainage and drinking water have been designated as priorities for federal funding from New Orleans government. These concerns can't be ignored, yet a broader understanding of how transportation impacts our drainage and drinking water is needed to move the conversation forward, along with a strategy to find new ways to get around so removal projects don't need to send drivers elsewhere. A project like a freeway removal may be awesome and do wonders to correct historical inequities, but advocates must first focus on the education that must be done to change transportation habits. -Tim
The Cities Where People of Color Can Walk to a Park (CityLab)
When the on-going health crisis had millions of Americans staying indoors and to themselves, parks and outdoor public spaces saw a rise in use. North Carolina Parks and Rec received an all-time visitors high in 2020 of 20 million, an increase of one million from the year prior. Cities also mobilized green spaces in the fight for community health, using them to distribute PPE, meals, and even as vaccination sites. On a ranking of the “most equitable parks” Dallas metro cities; Irving, Arlington, and Garland all rank in the bottom 10. From this time when parks and outdoor spaces have been some of the saving grace in a time that has rendered many indoor gathering spaces obsolete, what can these cities and others in the bottom ten learn from those in the top ten like Newark, NJ? -Ryan
Dallas City Council Votes Adopt Urban Forest Master Plan (Dallas City News)
Dallas City Council voted unanimously to approve a New Urban Forest Master Plan this past Wednesday.Mayor Johnson was quoted in saying that, “Dallas must strive to be a top city for families and a global leader in managing and mitigating the effects of climate change … This plan, which recognizes the importance of trees and green space to our vibrant city, can help us achieve both and will ensure that all of our communities can thrive in healthy, sustainable environments for years to come.” Johnson created the first-ever standalone Dallas City Council committee devoted to environment and sustainability issues and this plan furthers his attention to the preservation of the natural resources that the area has to offer. Dallas area trees are a natural resource valued at over $9 billion in benefits to the ecosystem and replacement cost, this coming from the “State of the Dallas Urban Forest” report put out by the Texas Trees Foundation in 2015. Dallas is consistently knocked by locals as being a mini concrete jungle, and from personal experience I think that those that knock it just don’t know about the parks and public spaces that the city has to offer. Are you from Dallas or live here now? What city green spaces do you frequently visit that others might not know about? Share with us! -Ryan
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