Civic Planning and Collaboration

Advance Northeast Ohio
http://www.theplus.us/en/Advance/About.aspx
The diverse Northeast Ohio region is unifi ed by a shared economic future. In the global economy, the ability to increase jobs, grow incomes and attract investments is determined at the regional level. That means the fate of each community in Northeast Ohio is intertwined with the future of every other community across the region. This interdependence demands a shared economic competitiveness agenda. Guided by both broad public engagement and economic research, the Fund for Our Economic Future collaborated with partners in the public, business and civic sectors to develop that agenda: Advance Northeast Ohio.

Supported by more than 80 partners, Advance Northeast Ohio establishes a vision for the region; promotes the regional values and beliefs that guide how we act in Northeast Ohio; and sets the strategic economic priorities and goals to create a globally competitive region.

Center for Community Solutions
http://www.communitysolutions.com
Community Solutions is a non-profit organization that addresses issues that affect the health, social, and economic conditions of the NEO community. They are a think tank, and change agent—turning our reliable research into good ideas and, finally, into action.   Regional Prosperity Initiative (RPI) is working with the Center for Community Solutions and Cleveland State to take a first step in the data collection and development of cultural understanding of the region that would be required to embark on truly comprehensive regional planning.

Cleveland-Youngstown-Pittsburgh Regional Learning Network
http://regionallearningnetwork.org/   
The Network is a collaborative effort of many partners from the three cities led by Neighborhood Progress, Inc. in Cleveland, the Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative and the Raymond John Wean Foundation in Youngstown/Warren, and Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development in Pittsburgh.  The Network held its 2010 conference in Youngstown with the theme "Rebuilding the Cities that Built America."

Greater Ohio /Rebuild Ohio /Brookings
http://www.greaterohio.org/
Greater Ohio Policy Center is the state’s smart growth organization, undertaking research, public education and grassroots advocacy.  Greater Ohio supports policies and programs that revitalize Ohio’s urban cores and regions, promote regional cooperation and protect Ohio’s open space, natural resources and farmland.    Greater Ohio recently collaborated with the Brookings Institution to author "OHIO’S CITIES AT A TURNING POINT: FINDING THE WAY FORWARD" - recommendations for policy changes applied to shrinking cities.  Greater Ohio also sponsored ReBuild Ohio, a statewide vacant property redevelopment coalition.

Mahoning River Consoritum
http://mrci.ysu.edu  
Housed at the Youngstown State University Center for Urban and Regional Studies, the Mahoning River Corridor Initiative is a regional brownfield and urban development collaboration of nine municipalities, Youngstown State University and four non-profit corporations in the Mahoning Valley of northeast Ohio. Among its goals are promoting the opportunities for economic development that exist in the river corridor communities

NEFCO
www.uptuscwatershed.org/NEFCO/What_is_NEFCO.pdf
The Northeast Ohio Four County Regional Planning and Development Organization (NEFCO) was formed in 1974 as a council of governments by the elected officials within Portage, Stark, Summit and Wayne Counties. NEFCO was created as a voluntary organization to enable local officials to discuss problems facing the Region and to develop strategies to cope with them. NEFCO also serves as a forum through which local, state and federal planning programs can be more effectively coordinated.

Northeast Ohio City Council Association
http://noccassoc.org/
Realizing the need for a unified voice, the Northeast Ohio City Council Association (NOCCA), formerly Greater Cleveland Suburban Council Association, was formed in 1989 as a voluntary membership organization dedicated to the preservation of the values and integrity of local government and democracy.

Regional Prosperity Initiative
http://www.neo-rpi.org/
The Regional Prosperity Initiative (RPI) proposes a structure for coordinated, regional land use planning and new growth tax base sharing in the 16-county Northeast Ohio region.

Reimagining a More Sustainable Cleveland
http://reimaginingcleveland.org/
In 2008, Neighborhood progress, Inc. (NPI) led community stakeholders, the City of Cleveland, and the Kent State Urban Design Center and 30 other partner organizations in a study on vacant land and strategies for sustainable land reuse.  With funding from a variety of sources, Reiumagining Cleveland is implementing a pilot land reuse demonstration initiative. The program is providing grants to grassroots neighborhood groups, churches, schools and individuals to carry out vacant land reclamation projects developed in the Re-Imagining a More Sustainable Cleveland Plan and Pattern Book publications.

Sustainable Cleveland 2019
http://www.gcbl.org/planning/city-sustainability/q-a-with-andrew-watterson                                              
Sustainable Cleveland 2019 is envisioned as a 10-year process with annual summits where the community comes together to report on progress and set goals.  At the 2010 summit, efforts will be focused on generating momentum on current efforts and promoting job creation.  The City of Cleveland employs a Sustainability Programs Manager who helps the city develop innovative, environmentally friendly ways to save money, create jobs, and improve public health.

The Public Services Institute of Lorain County Community College
http://www.lorainccc.edu/Business+and+Industry/PSI/
The Public Services Institute and Joint Center for Policy Research are a division of Lorain County Community College providing a link between higher education and governments, non-profit organizations, and civic leadership through education, training and expert facilitation of group and community processes.

Western Reserve Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D)
http://www.oh.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/rcd/westernreservehome.html
Western Reserve RC&D is a nuts-and-bolts organization made up of county commissioners, soil and water district board members, and at-large members in 9 counties of Northeast Ohio. They have launched the Countryside Program, which provided local government support for planning and zoning across the region starting in 1996, and created the regional Farmland Center in 1998. RC&D has been involved in work to establish local farming among hispanic communities in the area.

Trumbull-Mahoning Green Pact
http://www.eastgatecog.org/Sustainability/TrumbullMahoningGreenPact/tabid/4134/Default.aspx                                                                                                An outgrowth of the environmental planning efforts of the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, the Green Pact is an affirmation by community leaders of Trumbull & Mahoning Counties, Ohio, that it is in the best interest of residents, business community and natural environment to take practical steps that protect air and water, preserve natural resources, increase green space, reduce consumption of raw materials and increase recycling.

Youngstown 2010 Plan
http://www.cityofyoungstownoh.com/about_youngstown/youngstown_2010/plan/plan.aspx                                                                                                                                            http://www.gcbl.org/planning/youngstown-shrinking-city 
The Youngstown 2010 Plan is seen as a landmark in American planning history in that it proposes planned shrinkage of the city.  The Plan proposes: 1) Accepting that Youngstown is a smaller city; 2) Defining Youngstown's role in the new regional economy; 3) Improving Youngstown's image and improving the quality of life; and 4) Proving a call to action by the city's leaders and citizens.

 If you know of an initiative that should be listed on this page, please download the NEO Initiative Submission Form.doc located at the bottom of "Regional Initiatives" page.