The lack of affordable, quality housing is a major threat to the quality of life and economic competitiveness of many of the nation’s small and midsize cities. The Housing Solutions Workshop is designed to help localities develop comprehensive and balanced housing strategies to better address affordability and other housing challenges.

Overview 

Four cities or counties with populations between 50,000 and 500,000 will be selected to attend the Housing Solutions Workshop, which has been developed by the NYU Furman Center’s Housing Solutions Lab, Abt Associates, and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Each delegation will consist of 5–6 members, including senior leaders from different departments and agencies in local government and external partners that are essential to the city’s housing strategy.  

The workshop is intended for cities or counties that are in the early stages of developing a comprehensive and balanced local housing strategy. Participants will: 

• Share their local housing challenges and policies with other participating localities and Housing Solutions Lab facilitators to obtain feedback 
• Participate in small group discussions with peers from other localities to share ideas for how to optimize each agency’s policy toolkit 
• Identify options for strengthening local housing strategies and improving coordination across departments and agencies 
• Learn about ways to use data to assess housing needs and track progress 
• Learn ways to engage the community to address housing challenges and advance equity 

There is no cost to cities or counties for participation in the Workshop.  

Course Format 

The Housing Solutions Workshop will include eight 90-to-120-minute virtual training sessions and be held from October 25 to November 18, 2021. Live online sessions will include a combination of group discussions and workshops designed to facilitate sharing among participating localities and to refine localities’ housing strategies. Outside of these sessions, participants are expected to complete assigned readings and watch short videos. In addition, individual sessions will be held with each locality with Housing Solutions Lab facilitators on topic(s) specific to each locality’s housing goals.

More Information 

The call for applications provides additional details about the workshop. For more information, contact HSW@abtassoc.com. 

Photo by benedek/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Watch the Recording

Public access to the waterfront and outdoor greenspaces is vital to the social fabric of a community and to individuals’ health and well-being. Ohio lakes and rivers provide space for recreation, social gatherings, and simply a place to cool off.

Yet, 90 percent of Cuyahoga County’s shoreline is inaccessible to everyone except for private businesses and residents privileged enough to live near the lake. Both social and physical barriers have prevented residents, especially in low-income communities, from interacting with our region’s greatest asset—the water. How can lakefront cities leverage development and land use policy to make waterfront access more for equitable for all?

Over the last several years, three Ohio cities – Euclid, Sandusky, and Cleveland – have taken steps to increase waterfront access: Euclid recently completed the first part of the city’s lakefront trail as part of its Waterfront Improvement Plan. Sandusky invested millions into the Jackson Street Pier and new bikeway. Cleveland transformed Edgewater Park, constructed the Whiskey Island Bridge, and plans to activate the riverfront at Irishtown Bend.

Join us in-person or virtually with Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail, Sandusky City Manager Eric Wobser, and Cleveland City Planning Director Freddie Collier as we discuss the challenges and opportunities in waterfront access.

This forum is presented in partnership with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. It is part of a series of discussions, held during the Lincoln Institute’s 75th anniversary year, exploring the role of land policy in addressing society’s most pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges. The Lincoln Institute is engaging in these discussions in Cleveland as part of the Legacy Cities Initiative, which supports a national network of community and government leaders working to create shared prosperity in cities transitioning from former industrial economies.

Presented in partnership with the City Club of Cleveland and Mansour Gavin.

Panelists: 
Freddy L. Collier, Jr., Director of City Planning, City of Cleveland 
Kirsten Holzheimer Gail, 14th Mayor of Euclid
Eric Wobser, City Manager, City of Sandusky

Moderated by:
Rick Jackson, Senior Host/Producer, Ideastream Public Media

Descripción

El curso es una primera aproximación a la gestión urbana para el desarrollo sostenible desde la perspectiva de la planificación como mecanismo de diagnóstico, predicción y resolución de conflictos. Se explican los conflictos urbanos en función del contexto, naturaleza del problema, y de los intereses y posición de las partes involucradas, a partir de lo cual se puede establecer procesos y estrategias de resolución aplicables a la planificación de la ciudad. Es decir, se aborda cómo la planificación puede convertirse en una instancia de mediación para la resolución de conflictos, y de qué manera esta herramienta puede favorecer condiciones sociales y ambientales que promueven el desarrollo sostenible.

Relevancia

La rápida urbanización que ha experimentado América Latina y el Caribe en las últimas décadas ha tenido como consecuencia el deterioro de recursos que dispone la ciudad y la disminución de la calidad de vida de sus habitantes. En esta situación se generan conflictos sobre asuntos territoriales, como disputas por los usos del suelo, falta de infraestructuras o condiciones de inequidad y vulnerabilidad, todo lo cual dificulta o impide el desarrollo sostenible. Un desafío importante de la gestión y planificación urbana es el diseño de procesos de colaboración que permitan mediar los intereses conflictivos; es decir, instancias donde se involucre a todas las partes interesadas, se pueda compartir información, puntos de vista, necesidades, y se propicie el aprendizaje mutuo. De esta manera, la gestión de conflictos urbanos puede contribuir a los objetivos de sostenibilidad en niveles locales, regionales y nacionales.

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