Tonia Hennington’s Post

Reflecting on our journey at the Local Infrastructure Hub, it's incredible to see the smaller communities we work with draw down funds and bring investment home to residents for safer streets, greater access to EV charging stations, and more.   The City of Clarkston, GA is one such example. The city recently secured a $1 million Safe Streets and Roads for All grant after working for months with our Local Infrastructure Hub team. This success, in a city of just 14,500 with lower median incomes, will translate to lowering the annual traffic-fatality rate, which is roughly double the national average.   We're on a mission to build the confidence of America's small towns and mid-size cities, encouraging them to seek and secure vital funds. When we started the Hub, researchers encountered doubt, with many believing this investment wasn’t meant for communities like theirs. Today, we're creating proof points, showing what's possible when cities of all sizes come home with these crucial funds.   Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Kresge Foundation, Emerson Collective, Ford Foundation, National League of Cities, United States Conference of Mayors, Results for America, Ballmer Group, Delivery Associates   More from Kea Wilson at Streetsblog USA ⤵ https://lnkd.in/ebiWM__N

WakeUP is excited to welcome Jon Blasco as a new board member this year. Jon’s been in the area for over 20 years having earned his Master’s degree from NC State. He is currently a Landscape Architect and Sr. Project Manager with WithersRavenel, working closely with municipal clients to deliver a wide range of projects, including parks & recreation, streetscapes, and public facilities. Before joining WakeUP’s board, he served on the Town of Garner's planning commission for 6+ years and coached his daughter’s soccer team. What keeps you living and investing in Wake County? My family. And the desire to see my community grow and develop into a great place to live. What is your favorite environmentally-friendly mode of transportation? My favorite, though not currently viable here, is light rail. Bikes are great, except the weather and transportation infrastructure in our region are unkind to them. What makes you most excited about being on WakeUP's board? I am excited about getting to know the other members and hearing different perspectives, contributing to the conversation about how we can do better, and providing a voice for the smaller communities. What is the connection between affordable housing, transportation, and land use on our future? We need to think about how our land use can promote diversity of living and transportation options that are equitable to all. Our current land use patterns and transportation network promote economic segregation. Affordable housing should not require long commutes or living in the bad part of town. Economically diverse neighborhoods with multi-modal access to work and play are stronger. What ways do you hope to inspire Wake County residents to be engaged in our future? I encourage our residents to learn how their governments work, whether that is learning about the different departments that make a town function, serving on various boards, attending public meetings, or having regular discussions with town officials. Once you understand how the process works, you can be more thoughtful and understanding in your approach to advocating for a better community. Why is WakeUP's work important for the Triangle? We need to take a holistic look at how the Triangle is growing and changing to ensure our growth is smart, equitable and positive. Growth is happening at such a rapid pace that I fear that we are losing sight of the forest from the trees. Development and growth needs to value creating/maintaining open space, accommodating a multi-modal transportation infrastructure, and providing quality and diverse housing options. We can help our municipalities and our developers expand their vision in order to create a great place to live and work. #wakeupwakecounty #boardspotlight #wakecounty #thrivingcommunities #beapartofthesolution #sustainablegrowth #urbandevelopment #growwithus #climatechange #landuse #affordablehousing #equity #environment

Awesome evidence for Optimism! Indeed, a bikable city with mixed use residential transit oriented development will be better than pushing EVs onto an unwilling consumer, yes Ev demand is dubious hybrid vehicles and bicycle incentives make more sense and less emissions! Logic should drive our methods of development, transportation, infrastructure and approach to adaptation to climate change and Cleveland can be and should be ahead of those curves… all three! #optimism #clevelandrealestate #cleveland #climatechangesolutions

The Hudson River Park, a remarkable 500-acre development extending 4 miles along Manhattan's waterfront, stands as the largest park project in Manhattan since Central Park. Created on a previously neglected and perilous area, this park has revitalized the Hudson River estuary, safeguarded maritime commerce, and provided recreational opportunities to millions, significantly boosting tourism and the city's reputation. Additionally, it has spurred economic redevelopment in neighboring districts. However, the park's future faces uncertainty without continued community engagement and a focus on public benefit. Its inception followed the collapse of the Westway project—an ambitious $2.3 billion initiative proposed in 1974 to replace deteriorating infrastructure and introduce commercial and residential spaces topped with a park. The project's failure led to a more community-focused redevelopment process starting in 1986, culminating in the establishment of the Hudson River Park by the 1998 Hudson River Park Act. Despite the initial public investment and creation of the Hudson River Park Trust to manage the park, subsequent leadership, including mayors Giuliani and Bloomberg, shifted focus towards commercial real estate development, often neglecting the park's funding needs. This approach was exemplified by the Trust's strategy to enforce self-sufficiency for the park, further endangering its financial sustainability. The Friends of Hudson River Park, a nonprofit formed in 1999, has played a crucial role in advocating for the park, raising funds, and ensuring its preservation and enhancement. Yet, recent leadership changes and legislative amendments have intensified pressures to commercialize the park, risking its integrity and public accessibility. As the park approaches its 25th anniversary amidst these challenges, there is a pressing need to reestablish a dedicated funding mechanism, such as a park improvement district, to ensure its long-term maintenance and benefit to the community. This will require renewed civic engagement and governmental commitment to protect and prioritize this vital public space. #HudsonRiverPark #ManhattanWaterfront #CommunityEngagement #PublicSpaces #UrbanGreenSpace #EnvironmentalProtection #NYCRecreation https://lnkd.in/etg8qy5R

Godspeed to Lansing on its second application to the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods grant program, another impactful outcome from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. "The federal funds seemed tailor-made for Lansing. But our application in 2022 was not successful. The pool of money available then was modest – about $188 million. The requests nationally were far greater – totaling $2 billion. And so remains the demand. Undeterred, we have reapplied." - Andy Schor There are so many neighborhoods like this in the state, and not a one of them was an accident. Hopefully we'll see continued investment in this program and future support for neighborhoods like Roosevelt Park in Grand Rapids (cc - Amy Brower). Michigan received two of the first six awards for capital construction: 🛣 $12 million for the $25 million project: Reconnecting Communities Pilot Project for Kalamazoo and Michigan Avenues. 60-years ago MDOT imposed a one-way street system on the east-west street corridor in the Central Business District, redlining a physical barrier between the City’s Northside, predominantly Black neighborhood and the central business district core with its business and commercial development. 🛣$21 million for the $44 million project: Bridging I-696: Connecting Oak Park, which will reconstruct a freeway cap over Interstate 696 in suburban Detroit at a point which bisects the Orthodox Jewish community of Oak Park into two halves. #sustainability #greencities #mobility #locallivingeconomies https://lnkd.in/gtAMcRb6

It's nearly a year late, and it's easily the least visionary planning document I think I've seen in a decade. Today, 11 months after it was supposed to be published, City of Seattle's Office of Planning and Community Development dropped what may the most feckless and visionless comprehensive plan update in the state's history. Even the City of Bellevue, Washington's comp plan update is planning for significantly more housing (and they're half the area with far less infrastructure in place). Despite overwhelming comments from the public for a more affordable, walkable, visionary and climate-forward comp plan - the mayor's plan doubles down on today's unsustainable status quo where renters and #affordablehousing are limited to narrow swaths of the city on toxic and dangerous arterials and freight routes. I guess it's 'One Seattle' for the wealthy, and another for those who aren't. Impressively, the plan also figured out how to blunt Jessica Bateman's #HB1110, aka the #missingmiddle bill. It effectively makes it possible to only build poorly planned 3- and 4-pack townhomes - and would eliminate the possibility for functional 5- and 6-plexes. If you liked preserving #trees, this plan might not be for you - it will result in the destruction of a lot of green space and trees. So much for mitigating the #urbanheatisland. I'll have lots more to say on this in the coming weeks... Incredibly, everything my book says we should be doing for more #livablecities, and more #climateadaptation, and better #publichealth outcomes - Mayor Harrell's comp plan explicitly tries to avoid. It even juices displacement and gentrification. All while missing our #climateaction goals, too. I shouldn't be surprised, but it's incredible how visionless and underwhelming this plan is. Seattle deserves better. More details in The Urbanist piece below. #urbanplanning #housingcrisis #stadtplanung #citiesforpeople #affordablehousing #development

Imagine winning $20.5 million to transform your community with grant funding! A stellar example of a successful story regarding funding is Louisville, Kentucky. The city received $20.5 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation as part of the Rebuilding America Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program. The funding is directed towards two major projects: a $15.5 million implementation grant to fund the design finalization and construction of the Reimagine 9th Street Project and a $5 million planning grant to fund design work for Broadway Street. Both projects will enhance connectivity and economic development, improving efficiency and safety. The projects also include enhancing sustainability in the proposed target areas by encouraging and offering different modes of transportation. Here are links to Louisville’s winning applications: • Broadway All The Way: https://hubs.li/Q02k2Vff0 • Reimagine 9th Street : https://hubs.li/Q02k2Srl0 As of last year, multiple cities and agencies nationwide are transforming their communities with grant funding. Turn your grant dreams into a reality - we are here to help! #RoadSafety #GrantFunding #SustainableCities #FutureMobility

Reknitting communities that have been divided by infrastructure is not just about removing or capping a highway. To ultimately be successful, this work requires an intentional focus not just on physical infrastructure, but on social outcomes — efforts that demonstrate tangible improvements to people’s lives. This includes projects that create places and programs that connect people and neighborhoods to each other, and rebuild the critical civic infrastructure destroyed when highways were built. Check out how 3 Reimagining the Civic Commons partner cities are doing exactly that. https://lnkd.in/eHykrD_d #akron #macon #miami #civicinfrastructure #publicspace #equity U.S. Department of Transportation Shammas Malik Tonja Khabir, MPH City of Akron, Ohio Downtown Akron Partnership Ohio and Erie Canalway Coalition Macon-Bibb County Consolidated Government Macon Bibb Urban Development Authority Bike Walk Macon NewTown Macon Community Foundation of Central Georgia City of Miami The Miami Foundation Knight Foundation THE JPB FOUNDATION The Kresge Foundation William Penn Foundation

The San Francisco Central Freeway, like many other freeways built in the 1950s, displaced existing residents and divided neighborhoods, causing significant cultural, economic, and health impacts on community members for generations. Since 2019, Multistudio has been collaborating with BADINER URBAN PLANNING INC, BASE Landscape Architecture, and Arup to spark conversations in various forums around the many potential opportunities for the future of the Central Freeway. Most recently, we hosted interactive events to understand attendees’ interest in reconnecting the communities around the Central Freeway to foster more equitable and resilient neighborhoods. The US Department of Transportation's Reconnecting Communities Pilot Grant Program application is open and due September 30. The grant is for community-based planning and feasibility studies. Please read our report on our initial gathered feedback and consider signing the petition letter to urge Caltrans, the State of California, and the City of San Francisco to support and collaborate with local, diverse community non-profit organizations to apply for this grant and other funding that would make robust community engagement the next step in imagining the future of the Central Freeway. Read more below.👇 #TogetherMultistudio

In crowded urban areas, it takes innovative problem-solving to find affordable, available land for future housing communities. Here at Wendover, we explore partnership opportunities with hospitals, airports, and other large companies to develop any unused land they may have. But sometimes, the solution is to build up. ⬆️ Crowded cities like Chicago and New York are even transforming the space above public libraries into affordable housing communities. Learn more about this creative solution to America’s housing crisis: nyti.ms/4dkW5Ht #WendoverHousingPartners #affordablehousing #housing #libraries #housingcrisis #housinggap