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| Responsible Community DevelopmentNews: Request for Proposals from New Orleans: the New Orleans Office of Recovery Management has recently released a Request for Proposals to Roosevelt regarding policy ideas for blighted properties in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It's an excellent opportunity for Roosevelt chapters, and also promises some exciting collaboration. To read more or become involved, visit the Blighted Properties page. Join Roosevelt's Delegation to the PolicyLink Regional Equity Conference in New Orleans, March 6th-8th: This March 5-7, Roosevelt is sending a delegation to the PolicyLink Regional Equity Expo in New Orleans.The expo will highlight development and equity issues in the region, and as a Roosevelt delegate you will have an an amazing opportunity to meet with professionals from business, government, academic, or non-profit organizations, see how they approach issues, network, and learn. Roosevelt is looking for a few dedicated members to represent us at what promises to be an interesting and exciting event. To apply to be a delegate, you must a) send in a submission to 25 Ideas and b) email danny.townsend@rooseveltinstitu Towards a New Progressive Citizenship: Roosevelt Challenge Conference at the University of Chicago: On Saturday, March 1st, students, professors, activists and elected officials will come together to examine the relationship between citizens and their government, particularly matters of voting and criminal justice. Presentations will include policy ideas from Roosevelt Institution students as well as outside analyses of related issues, from a wide range of organizations. To register, check out http://rooseveltinstitution.org/chicagoconf To join this group and begin working on the challenge, click "Participate," "Request to Join." (You must be logged in to do this.) If you would like more information about the Challenge, email Coordinator Danny Townsend. Submit policy pieces for the 25 Ideas Series addressing this challenge to submissions@rooseveltinstitution.org. Submission guidelines can be found here. The sooner you submit policy ideas, the more time you'll have to work with the editing team which increases your chances of being published. Contact your challenge coordinator for other available incentives such as travel to conferences, the Policy Expo, etc. The Challenge: promote responsible community development. Strong communities are central to the progressive vision of America. An individual can only develop through the diverse contributions of a whole community, including healthy physical, human, and economic landscapes; and without the opportunity to participate in and contribute back to the community the individual cannot be truly fulfilled. Check out the Community Development Advisory Board. Target Areas: The core of the community development challenge is how we deploy our physical resources in the service of our human resources -- how we create a natural and built environment that provides for our needs and enables the kind of social, political, and economic interactions that make our families prosperous, safe, and happy. In everyday efforts, community development means targeting work toward the development of specific areas that contribute to the vitality of any given locale.  Housing & Transportation:The core of any community is its residents. Where and how community members live affects both their quality of life and the opportunities they are given within the community. National housing costs have outpaced the average worker’s ability to pay. As communities tend away from mixed income levels, the disconnect between an area’s businesses and the workers they employ grows wider as well. The increased strain on our transportation systems that results costs billions of dollars in fuel and lost productivity, taking its toll both on the everyday commuter and on the environment. Economic Development:  In addition to the living spaces provided to their residents, communities are largely defined by the economic opportunities they present. Local businesses hire more local workers, increasing wage levels and decreasing wage inequality between neighbors. Good incentive systems can be created both to spark entrepreneurship and to bring new businesses into a community. Economic development within a community decreases the need for additional social services, and responsible development can ensure that neighborhoods become more robust without driving out current residents.  Health & Welfare:The prospect of community development hinges on the ability of its citizens to be happy, healthy, and engaged. This demands a certain level of infrastructure – hospitals and health clinics, schools and childcare centers, parks and public spaces. In many communities, these facilities are run-down; in others, they are inadequate for a growing population; in others still, they simply don’t exist. Health and welfare exist both on an individual level and on a community level – healthy, fulfilled individuals help to make healthy, fulfilling places to live. Goals: Within each of these areas, there are many possibilities for change. Part of the meaning of responsible community development is to ensure that the fruits of development are not isolated to one group or one generation of inhabitants, but that they are shared with all members of the community as part of the stable infrastructure of the area. Responsible community development works on the basis of the following principles: Sustainability: community development should create solutions and infrastructure that are self-sufficient. New infrastructure should not use excessive space, damage the environment, or rely on large and continuous funding from outside sources. Accessibility: a community should be open and accessible to all residents. Employment, housing, transportation, and other community infrastructure can be made inaccessible because of physical barriers such as distance, or because of social and economic barriers such as cost. Responsible development means maintaining and increasing accessibility. Equity: community development has the potential to reshape the physical and social features of a geographic area. As such, it is of the utmost importance to make sure this is done with fair regard to people of all ages, backgrounds, ethnicities, or income levels. Group members: |
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