An important part of a planner’s job is engaging all members of the community in the planning decisions that affect them. However, the ultimate beneficiaries of these decisions, the youth of our community, are often not involved in these discussions. Thus, I was honored by the opportunity to participate in Student U Durham’s annual Career Day for Summer Academy students, rising 6th through rising 10th grade Durham Public School students. Student U Durham is a college access organization for Durham Public School students, committed to the vision that all students are destined to succeed.
By now you’ve heard of the “retail apocalypse” and its effect on the once-hallowed institution of the American mall. According to Business Insider, more than 5,100 mall-based stores have announced they will close this year. With big-box retailers and mall anchors such as J.C. Penney, Sears, and Macy’s included in this number, the effect destabilizes smaller malls, often sending them into a death spiral. This could result in 25% of the malls in the United States being forced to close by 2022.
On September 8th, 2016 Renaissance Planning and Self-Help co-hosted and organized a listening and learning session with owners of the newly-launched Renaissance Community Cooperative (RCC) at the McGirt-Horton Branch Library in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Renaissance Planning founder and current Executive Director of the joint Pinellas Planning Council and Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Whit Blanton provides a set of important lessons to learn from the SunRail passenger rail system.
Renaissance's Amanda Douglas recounts her experience as an APA ambassador, a pilot program intended to promote the profession & inspire the next generation of planners
A fitting final post from our co-founder Whit Blanton.
