LISC WNY will be hosing their first ever Equitable Neighborhood Development Summit, which will take place virtually on Saturday, October 3, 2020 from 8:30 am – 4:00 pm. The summit is a discussion with community development partners and residents, exploring how neighborhoods can gain health and wealth through investment and development efforts in their communities, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“New investments are needed to get the economy moving and help people back to work. LISC believes that the voices of neighborhood residents and businesses can and should drive the decision making for those investments,” says Julie Barrett O’Neill, Executive Director of LISC WNY. “Before the election fully dominates the discussion, and state and federal officials finalize their 2021 platforms, there is time for neighborhoods to lift up neighborhood projects that are important to them.”
The event will on center racial equity and begin with an honoring of the ancestors who paved the way. The keynote speaker, Lauren Hood, is a native Detroiter who is experienced as a community developer and equity facilitator, holding space for difficult conversations. As a self- titled AfroUrbanist, she works at the intersection of Black aspiration and city change.
Three plenary sessions will include:
- Equity, Health, AfroUrbanism and Inclusive Recovery
- Neighborhood Opportunities for Building Health & Wealth
- Co-creating the Future of Our Neighborhoods
Three interactive breakout sessions will focus on development projects and initiatives happening in East Side and other neighborhoods. Breakout sessions will cover:
- Catalytic Neighborhood Projects
- Making the Most of Development Projects Locally
- Reinventing the Revitalization Process in Support of Racial Justice
Participants will actively review and add to a list of neighborhood projects, apply lessons learned in plenary sessions, and be empowered to see what an alternate future could look like.
The day will be interspersed with inspiration from local talent featuring local musicians, artists and storytellers. Attendees can expect to walk away with renewed perspectives on driving neighborhood development.
For registration, visit www.liscwny.eventbrite.com.