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Sharing Solutions to Improve Our Spaces

FEATURES

Blackandurban founder, Byron Nicholas, partnered with Trajan Jones, Ahrehon Thompson, M.S., Vanessa Francis Gray, AICP, David N. Hunter, Sr. AICP and the American planning Association to share their experiences and stories as Black and brown planners. Learn more about their initiative, below:

The Bike & Walk Summit is New Jersey’s statewide meeting of bicycle and pedestrian advocates, elected officials and state, county, and municipal leaders, transportation and urban planners, bike shop owners and managers, cycling, walking, fitness and health enthusiasts and experts, recreation, trails and club leaders and others who are interested in making our state a better place to live.

Founder of blackandurban, Byron Nicholas, moderated a panel on Building Trust in Communities by Implementing Meaningful Engagement Strategies.

Please visit the New Jersey Bike and Walk Summit website for more information.

Featured
NYC Congestion Pricing: Could the MTA have done more to curb negative public opinion?  
NYC Congestion Pricing: Could the MTA have done more to curb negative public opinion?  

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) launched its Congestion Pricing Program aimed to relieve traffic in downtown and midtown Manhattan with toll revenue allocated to regional transit investments. A Siena College Poll found nearly two-thirds of New Yorkers opposed the Congestion Pricing Plan. Could the MTA have done more to curb negative public opinion? Here are Blackandurban’s key takeaways on how the MTA could have ]improved the public’s perception of New York State’s Traffic Mobility Act, which has set the stage for Congestion Pricing:

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Featured
Not all ‘Gated’ Communities Have Gates
Not all ‘Gated’ Communities Have Gates

The term gated communities largely refers to communities or planned developments, secluded from the rest of the urban form, but in this article, the term gated communities will also encompass what I define as large luxury infill developments with private amenities, inaccessible to the majority of its neighborhood’s residents due to financial/income barriers and psychological symbolism that is meant to keep low income and most people of color excluded.

Signs of Environmental Discrimination
Signs of Environmental Discrimination

Signs of Environmental Discrimination can be subtle while exacerbate inequities for Black and Brown low-income to middle class folks, compared to their White peers. Be aware of the discrimination from business services, transportation inequities, and healthy food deserts. - Black Urban Planning Therapy, Food For Thought.

Mutual Housing Associations: A Potential Solution To Slow Gentrification
Mutual Housing Associations: A Potential Solution To Slow Gentrification

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+ Sustainability + Habitation

Housing, Local Food System Planning and Resiliency

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Black Destinations, Travel Tips, and Curated Tours

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OPINION

Featured
Making Adjustments
Making Adjustments

During this pandemic, teachers are expected to be more transformational than ever. For some, what was once difficult, now seems impossible. Few know how to walk the line between social emotional learning and academic rigor, grading assignments and being flexible with due dates, and communicating with parents and families, while maintaining a healthy work/life balance. It's a lot.

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America: Welfare Queen
America: Welfare Queen

There's this methodology that if we give to the top (corporations), then they'll give to those at the bottom (employees). Time and time again we see corporate greed keep those funds at the top; salaries in the millions, bonuses in the millions, quarterly dividends worth a measly few dollars per share, insufficient medical plans, and let's not forget the move from pensions to 401ks.

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Planning for a Pandemic
Planning for a Pandemic

As we are facing an unprecedented pandemic in our lifetime, we are already learning a lot from other countries’ experiences. For one, a national plan of action is absolutely critical. Countries with strong centralized leadership to make life-altering decisions and allocate resources are proving themselves worthy of the challenge.

Regions all over the world are experiencing massive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions due to national government mandated stay-at-home and lock-down orders as traffic congestion is massively reduced.

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Registration and More Information Katherine Mella (Director of the Planning and Policy Lab at the Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative) will discuss her work coordinating the Bronx-wide Coalition, a group of community, faith, and labor organizat
We’ve created a repository for placemaking businesses in architecture, planning, urban design, engineering and other related fields whose work value equitable practices and solutions. Send us a comment or DM if you'd like to recommend a busine
Not all ‘Gated’ Communities Have Gates Luxury mixed-use and residential developments are usually built with a variety of private amenities solely accessible to those who can afford the luxury cost of living. Luxury apartment developers lu
The Hudson County Economic Development Corporation, the County of Hudson, and McManimon, Scotland & Baumann, LLC will present a three-part series of webinars from experts in the fields of planning, transportation, and municipal finance. "15
We're stronger as one! Stand Together Against Racism. Union Square Park, New York, NY #stopasianhate #stopaapihate✊🏻✊✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿
Checkout Design as Protest 2020 Yearbook via @designasprotest @Blackandurban is ready to further support and engage with the DAP Collective and its Planning + Policy group in 2021and beyond. #DesignasProtest #Blackandurban #BlackPlanners #Solution
Introducing the blackandurban job listings page. This page serves as a resource for public and private employers throughout the United States to reach the blackandurban network. Job listings vary from entry level to director level and considers var
As a #Throwbackthursday feature, we would like to highlight 'Old Benin City' in Nigeria. The city had features of urban planning, art, and civil engineering of its time, before being destroyed and looted by British Imperial forces in 1897. Unfort
Happy Black History Month! It is an honor to work with such a talented group of designers, architects and planners to influence positive changes in our spaces, environments and social justice policies. Please follow @designasprotest for more info
Tis the season of giving.🎁 @blackandurban legion is proud to partner with @madibaprep to co-sponsor goodie bags for students in need. Thank you to @frankii_franks and @tina_road2fit for taking the time to hand out our @blackandurban goodie bags.
The technique to “cap” highway overpasses is not a new transportation planning/engineering idea, but it should be emphasized as a solution to mitigate the effects of structural racism that has and continues to affect millions of African-A
Last month I presented at APA NY Metro Chapter's 2020 Conference on the link and growing trend between social entrepreneurship and urban planning. We've discussed ways the planning profession can help cultivate social entrepreneurs and provide the
Join @blackandurban and their well renowned panelists as we highlight three social entrepreneurs whose work help fill the public service delivery gap to improve the way we live, work, and play in our communities. The partnerships discussed are c
Black and Urban is now accepting submissions for its Sharing Solutions to Improve Our Spaces Initiative. The awardee will be selected by Blackandurban’s Advisory Committee and win $300 to assist with books and personal expenses for college. The
Participation...collaboration... and implementation... I look forward to engaging with you all very soon. Thanks to @thedee_p for creating this space!
The Seven Objectives for Black Planners. This would not have been possible without the help of @thedee_p and the Black Planner Collective's zoom meetings to solicit everyone's great comments and feedback. It is imperative that we work together to
Blackandurban has had a focus on writing and visual blogging as a form of communication since day one. Beginning in September 2018 as a pilot, Blackandurban’s blog was proved popular by people within and outside the urban planning realm. Going
In the latest Black and Urban Planning Therapy campaign, I talk about "Signs of Environmental Discrimination" and how they can be subtle but exacerbate inequities for Black and Brown low-income to middle class folks, compared to their White
Conversation, Organization, and Mobilization. Black planners, join us. This is a space for you. Created by @thedee_p thank you!