This year's program, called "Cincinnati Spring: Hearing Community Voices", is an opportunity for City officials, neighborhood organizations, and others interested in community and economic development to come together to discuss how best to meet the challenges we face as a City.
The day will lead off with a welcome from Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls and will be followed by presentations and group discussions on Plan Cincinnati, form-based codes, and the Core Change Cincinnati initiative.
Following lunch, breakout sessions will be available on the following topics:
- Strengthening Networks, Bridging Partnerships: Examines how neighborhoods can work across boundaries, as well as with institutions, churches, and non-profits.
- Community Engagement for Development: Focusing on redevelopment in Madisonville, this topic looks at how a bottom-up approach to community planning can bring local leaders together to mobilize resources and work toward a common vision.
- Greening Our Food Deserts: A look at how the local food movement can strengthen neighborhoods through community gardens and farmers' markets, presented by the Green Umbrella Food Task Team.
- Land Banking for Communities: A discussion of the new Hamilton County Land Reutilization Corporation, and how the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority will work with local community development corporations to return vacant and underutilized properties back to productive use.
- Rejuvenate With and Entertainment District: A panel of community stakeholders will discuss the advantages of creating vibrant community entertainment districts, such as those formed in Pleasant Ridge, East Price Hill, The Banks, Northside, and Over-the-Rhine.
- Broadening Representation of Community Groups: A discussion of the keys to getting neighborhood residents engaged and involved in community issues.
- Priority-Driven Budgeting: City Budget Director Lea Eriksen and Tuck Parris from The Novak Consulting Group discuss the new budget process and its progress, and solicit feedback for the 2013/2014 budget.
- Bring Youth Into Your Council: Fulton Jefferson of the Avondale Youth Council shares how his organization has engaged younger residents and has exposed them to the notion of service, and David Weaver of Public Allies and Bridges For a Just Community will discuss how to attract – and sustain – young peoples' interest.
- CDCs: Building Your Community: The ins-and-outs of community development corporations, their benefits, and how they're taking advantage of the new Back Office project by the CDC Association of Greater Cincinnati (CDCAGC).
- Progress Through Appreciative Inquiry: An introduction of the appreciative inquiry process and how it can help communities understand what resources are available to assist them in making their neighborhoods more vibrant.
The summit will close with a review of the day's activities and a look at how the lessons learned can be applied at the neighborhood level.
Registration is required, but it's free.* Check-in and breakfast takes place between 7:30 A.M. and 8:30 A.M., and free parking has been made available at the Court Street Center lot, southwest corner of Central Parkway and Elm Street.
In its tenth year, the annual Neighborhood Summit is presented by Invest in Neighborhoods, the City of Cincinnati, the Community Building Institute, Citizens for Civic Renewal, and the CDCAGC.
* NOTE: At this date, the complimentary boxed lunch can not be guaranteed. However, you can use the opportunity to visit one of Over-the-Rhine's many great restaurants, or check out the GO OTR 5K Run and Summer Celebration at 12th and Vine streets.
Previous reading on BC:
Five-day form-based code charrette begins Saturday (4/26/12)
Two days remain to comment on draft City master plan (4/19/12)
Comments sought on Plan Cincinnati (3/29/12)
Overhaul of Cincinnati development code ramps up today (3/6/12)
Registration for 2011 Neighborhood Summit now open (3/16/11)
