Ecodistricts in Quilted Communities

COMMITTMENT SCALE

ecodistricts in “quilted” communities

ECODISTRICTS SUMMIT 12 NOVEMBER 2013, BOSTON CHRISTINE MONDOR, AIA, LEED AP Principal, evolveEA christine@evolveEA.com

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DEVELOPMENT

REQUIRED AC

FRED BROWN Associate Director Program Development, Kingsley Association fbrown@kingsleyassociation.org

SHORT TERM

can make strategic decisions to implement INDIVIDUAL long term projects and harness greater access to financial resources.

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WITH SUPPORT FROM PA Department of Environmental Protection Urbanlightbulbs Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh

BRIAN WOLOVICH Councilman, Millvale Borough brian.wolovich@gmail.com

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COMMITTMENT SCALE

www.evolveEA.com

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INFRASTRUCTURAL

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urban systems become resilient through place making around systems of:

urban communities become resilient when they have capacity in:

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COMMITTMENT SCALE

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engagement strategies MEASURE TO MANAGE

TRIBE BUILDING

KICKING THE TIRES

CREATING THE COMMONS

metrics + monitoring cultivate continuous learning + cycles of improvement. the community tracks its performance + it is motivated to move forward by seeing the results of its efforts.

cultivating authentic leadership + strengthening decision making mechanisms. supporting engagement + building a strong network of active + responsible residents.

place-based demonstrations to help organizations learn and build culture. creating small interventions in the built environment to educate and incentivize people.

developing legal structures to maintain equity + create financial resiliency. imagining new economic + social systems that can help both the community + its members to grow.

LARIMER

MILLVALE

project examples

project examples

Imagine Larimer software [Measure to Manage] The Imagine Larimer Software is a tool and curriculum designed to help educate and empower individuals and communities. The platform proactively engages participants in conversations about sustainability by quantifying and visualizing the impacts of community initiatives.

Millvale Gardens [Kicking the Tires] Millvale Gardens uses garden plots in formerly industrialized flood zones around Millvale to engage the community in urban agriculture focused on specialty food production, processing and distribution.

Over time, the program will foster the long-term creation of a food-centered economic development district in Millvale.

East End Youth Advisory Council [Tribe Building] The East End Youth Advisory Council facilitates youth input at local, national and international events; preparing them to assume leadership roles as a succession planning model supported through mentorship, coaching and experiential learning.

Community Library PV Array [Creating the Commons] Millvale plans to create a network of solar panels that will become part of a unified system with central hubs in the borough once the necessary legal structure is developed. Millvale’s new library is the first project to advance this vision for a self-reliant urban solar village.

Larimer describes itself as being in the midst of a positive transformation, one that is happening from the inside out and the ground up. The community is reshaping itself to bring equity to Ecodistrict systems. Projects in urban agriculture, energy reduction and production, and stormwater system upgrades are seen as opportunities for economic development that addresses indigenous needs while creating a welcoming community.

Millvale Borough describes itself as a “rural town in an urban setting” and there is a strong movement to shape the course of the community through urban farming, energy independence, and river/stream reclamation. While technically accurate, designations such as “low income community” or “food desert” do not describe the emerging identity of the community as a spirited town with ongoing accomplishments supporting their Ecodistrict identity.