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Monday Mailing

Year 23 • Issue 28 17 April 2017 1. Free Webinar: Walking and Walkability in Rural Communities and Small Towns - Wed, May 10, 2017 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PDT 2. Causes of the Great Housing Shortage 3. New Hazards Related Web Resources 4. Sanctuary Cities Crackdown Threatens Government Shutdown 5. Mapping America's Intractable Homelessness Problem 6. Free Webinar: Introduction to Facilitating Groups: The Secretes of Facilitation - Thu, Apr 20, 2017 11:00 PM - 12:00 PM PDT 7. Trump Admin Moving to End Transit Construction Program and TIGER Immediately 8. Parking is a Commodity, Not an Experience 9. State of Place: An iPhone or Healthcare 10. Free Webinar: Community-driven Philanthropy = Vibrant Towns - Thu, April 20, 2017, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM PDT 11. Transportation and Growth Management Program 1. Free Webinar: Walking and Walkability in Rural Communities and Small Towns - Wed, May 10, 2017 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PDT Not all communities face the same opportunities and challengs in promoting walking and other forms of physical activity. Join America Walks as we look at walking and walkable communities in rural communities and small towns, exploring resources, toolkits and projects from walking champions working in this area. This webinar assumes a basic knowledge of issues related to walking and walkable communities.

Quote of the Week: “Everything that is made beautiful and fair and lovely is made for the eye of the one who sees.” ~Rumi Oregon Fast Fact: The state of Oregon is approximately 350 miles from east to west. Also, from north to south, which is from Washington to California, it is between 250 and 300 miles.

Attendees of this webinar will: -Explore tools and resources developed and used by rural communities and small towns to promote healthy communities -Hear from walking champions on the ground working to create rural walkable communities -Learn how to increase promotion of walking and walkable communities in their own communities To register for this webinar, click here.

2. Causes of the Great Housing Shortage The housing recovery is still incomplete. Even in the nation’s fast-growing metro areas, new construction is not keeping pace with demand. The lack of supply has created a housing shortage and is well known at this point.

What is less discussed are the reasons why we have under-built housing.

Given high rents and home prices, why haven’t we seen a stronger supply response to chase those profits? Our office has dug into 5 of the most commonly cited reasons. Our summary is below. A major H/T and thank you to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) economic team for their work on many of these issues.

Supply Constraint #1: Confidence

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Anecdotal reports and conversations suggest spec development is down. It is possible that builders and developers have lost some of their appetite for risk. If they wait to build until a contract is signed, or close to it, supply will continue to lag demand. However, as Mark said at City Club of Portland, a successful developer by their nature is optimistic. The NAHB Wells Fargo home builder sentiment index is all the way back to previous peaks. As such, it is unlikely that the lack of builder confidence is what is really holding back the market.

To access the full story, click here.

3. Hazards Related Web Resources Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network Sometimes it helps to start small before you go big. That’s the concept behind the Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network, which implements strategies for wildfire resilience in pilot communities and uses hub organizations to spread the word about how they worked. Whether you want to be a participant or just check out what they’ve learned, visit the Web site for more information, resources, and updates.

Beyond the Basics: Best Practices in Local Mitigation Planning If you’ve been procrastinating on putting together a hazard mitigation plan, there’s no time like the present—especially since this new Web site will walk you through it step by step. The site, which was created by the DHS Science and Technology Coastal Hazard Center of Excellence and the of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, also contains a self-assessment tool, sample community plans and place to share experiences and lessons learned. iRevolutions This blog features short thought pieces on how innovation and technology are revolutionizing the power of the individual by increasing self-sufficiency, self-determination, independence, survival, and resilience. Masterminded by Patrick Meier, it covers a wealth of topics such as big data, drones, humanitarian technology, disaster resilience, and crisis mapping.

Youth Creating Disaster Recovery & Resilience Youth experience disaster differently than adults and this Web site has collected a myriad of examples of the realities of that dynamic. Using art, video, and storytelling, young people affected by disasters such as the Calgary Flood, the Joplin Tornado, and the Slave Lake Wildfire identify what they need for recovery, challenges they have faced, and ways in which they can contribute to recover from disasters.

4. Sanctuary Cities Crackdown Threatens Government Shutdown President Donald Trump’s budget director is urging congressional Republicans to take a hard line against sanctuary cities in a must-pass spending bill, complicating efforts to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month, according to officials in both parties.

Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s director of the Office of Management and Budget, is pressing lawmakers to include language to restrict federal funding grants for cities that do not enforce federal immigration policies. The goal is to bring the House Freedom Caucus on board with a government funding bill, according to Capitol Hill Republicans — or at least show that the administration is courting the support of the hard-right and pushing GOP leaders to adopt Trump's priorities.

But the effort by Mulvaney, a former conservative congressman from South Carolina, threatens to disrupt bipartisan negotiations on funding the government. Democrats are already calling a request for border wall money a “poison pill” that would shut down the government. An attempt to block Page 2 of 5

liberal cities from receiving federal funds if they ignore immigration guidance would similarly cause Democrats to flee. The budget bill will need Democratic votes to pass — at least eight in the Senate, but probably in the House as well.

To access the full story, click here.

5. Mapping America's Intractable Homelessness Problem America has an enduring homelessness problem, with incredible human and economic costs. When they’re acknowledged, homeless people are routinely shunned and criminalized, and often considered less than human. But even folks who want to help often find it hard to wrap their heads around the complex issue.

That’s where Gretchen Keillor’s new data project comes in. Keillor, an urban planner at the design firm Sasaki, wants to break the issue of homelessness down into simple, digestible parts through snazzy data visualizations. “As a planner, I think we should be taking a stronger responsibility in responding to this problem and integrating [homeless people] into the fabric of the city,” she says.

The first section of Keillor’s project presents the fundamentals of the issue. It gives a brief historical snapshot of homelessness in America, and contains answers to basic questions (who qualifies as a homeless person?) as well as more complex ones (what causes someone to become homeless?). By laying out this information in short lists and catchy infographics, Keillor hopes that concerned citizens, planners, and policymakers can dispel some common myths. “Homeless people aren’t this other demographic—they’re just people,” Keillor says. Contrary to what some may think, for example, it’s not laziness and lack of motivation that puts these people on the street, but usually a combination of systemic issues and bad luck. In fact, one of the biggest factors behind the phenomenon is the lack of affordable housing.

To access the full story, click here.

6. Free Webinar: Introduction to Facilitating Groups: The Secretes of Facilitation - Thu, Apr 20, 2017 11:00 PM - 12:00 PM PDT Even the most experienced executives, managers, and facilitators struggle with group dynamics in a room. They differ from session to session, making it difficult for you to predict your group’s chemistry. When opinions and ideas are flying around the room causing emotional distress and disagreement, how do you regain control and confidently lead your group to effective results?

In this FREE, 60-minute webinar with seasoned trainer and Certified Master Facilitator™ – Richard Smith – discover cutting-edge tools designed to elevate your group handling skills and help you achieve amazing team results.

You will walk away with:     

Tips for preparing for a successful session The 4-step process for starting with impact Proven methods for dealing with dysfunctional behavior Consensus-building tactics to gain buy-in Resources with more group facilitation tricks (plus a free article)

To register for this webinar, click here.

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7. Trump Admin Moving to End Transit Construction Program and TIGER Immediately After months of promises to invest a trillion dollars in infrastructure, President Trump’s 2018 budget request proposed eliminating the popular TIGER competitive grant program and ending the support for helping cities of all sizes build new transit lines, among other cuts.

This week, it’s become clear that the 2018 fiscal year (which begins this October) isn’t soon enough for the administration — they are now asking Congress to make most of the same cuts and changes in (the rest of) this year’s budget for 2017.

That’s what the Office of Management and Budget is requesting for the federal transit capital construction program, according to Jeff Davis’ Eno Transportation Weekly. That’s paired with a request to cut funding for transit construction by about $400 million for the rest of this fiscal year. Unlike the President’s recent proposal for the next fiscal year (2018), these cuts are proposed for the budget that Congress is negotiating now to keep the government operating through October.

To access the full story, click here.

8. Parking is a Commodity, Not an Experience Yesterday the Atlantic ran a piece on the Great Retail Meltdown of 2017 which, to summarize, tied the present culling of the retail herd to three phenomena: the rise of online shopping; a half century of overbuilding retail space; and the present shift in spending from goods to experiences.

In short, with people increasingly getting their everyday stuff online and valuing an interesting meal with friends over a trip to the mall to get a Hollister sweater, our overly abundant providers of commercial goods are taking a beating.

These are the kinds of trends that ripple out well beyond Retail Industry News. Their impacts can be felt across all levels of community. So my interest as I read it isn’t so much in the specifics of what’s happening as it is in the underlying threads that inform the phenomenon overall and how those threads might impact prospects for local placemaking.

To access the full story, click here.

9. State of Place: An iPhone or Healthcare Mariela Alfonzo has over 15 years of expertise in the field of urban design and behavior research. In 2014, Mariela was recognized as one of Urban Land Institute’s 40 under 40 best young land use professionals around the globe. In 2013, Dr. Alfonzo was awarded a Fulbright to examine walkability in China.

By Mariela Alfonzo (LinkedIn), State of Place “…Americans have choices. And they’ve got to make a choice. And so, maybe rather than getting that new iPhone that they just love and they want to go spend hundreds of dollars on that, maybe they should invest it in their own health care. They’ve got to make those decisions for themselves.” Congressman Jason Chaffetz.

I’ll leave that there for you for a minute, or two. To digest (or not) for a moment…

Obviously, there’s a LOT to unpack here. We (mostly) stay away from making overtly political statements. We’re going to confine our thoughts regarding this ill-conceived remark to how it pertains to placemaking and planning. Deep breath. Here goes.

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To access the full story, click here.

10. Free Webinar: Community-driven Philanthropy = Vibrant Towns - Thu, April 20, 2017, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM PDT Think philanthropy is just for the wealthy? Think again. Small cities and towns are finding that all residents can be philanthropists. Local wisdom and vision, it turns out, lead to positive change. On this call you’ll hear about effective strategies for encouraging a culture of local philanthropy that builds community vibrancy and prosperity.

Speakers: --Lisa Duran, executive director, Grassroots Grantmakers. Lisa has over 30 years of experience in social justice, community organizing and nonprofit work. She supports and connects community investors—mostly foundations—in partnering with residents to lead change.

--Don Macke, co-founder and director of entrepreneurial communities, Center for Rural Entrepreneurship. Don helps communities and regions throughout North America grow entrepreneur-focused economic development strategies. He works with strategic partners across the country to deliver customized economic development solutions. Don is also active in community development philanthropy, and conducted the first statewide Transfer of Wealth™ study in Nebraska in 2002. Don has nearly 40 years of community economic development and policy experience.

--Thom Harnett, mayor, Gardiner, Maine. Thom, now serving his third term as mayor of Gardiner, Maine, recently retired from the state Office of the Attorney General where he had served as an assistant attorney general, and established Civil Rights Teams in more than 220 schools statewide.

Thom was active in Gardiner’s Community Heart & Soul® project.

To register for this webinar, click here.

11. Transportation and Growth Management Program TGM Grants help local communities plan for streets and land use in a way that leads to more livable, economically vital, and sustainable communities and that increases opportunities for transit, walking and bicycling. TGM awards two types of grants:  Category 1 (PDF): Transportation System Planning, including TSP updates, to give Oregonians a range of transportation choices and meet requirements of the Oregon Transportation Planning Rule  Category 2 (PDF): Integrated Land Use & Transportation Planning, to promote compact, mixeduse development supported by improved pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and multi-modal street facilities TGM has funded over 700 grant projects. See the list of completed and active projects through 2016 (PDF).

TGM awards grants on an annual basis. Applications are due in June and awards are made in August.

All projects have a two-year period from award to completion. See the Grant Award Timeline for more information.

For more information about this funding opportunity, click here.

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