Grow Smart Rhode Island

PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND QUALITY OF PLACE; EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ON GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT POLICY OPTIONS.

OUTREACH AND COMMUNCATION1) GROW SMART RI CONTINUED ITS STEPPED UP COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY FOR TWO OVERRIDING PURPOSES A.) TO SUPPORT AN EXPANDED FUNDRAISING CAPACITY, AND B.) TO INCREASE GROW SMART'S INFLUENCE WITH TARGETED OPINION LEADERS, DECISION MAKERS AND THE PUBLIC.2) STAFF INITIALLY ENGAGED THE SERVICES OF THE JAI COMMUNICATIONS GROUP (JAI CG) OF PROVIDENCE IN FEBRUARY, 2015 TO HELP US DEVELOP AND EXECUTE A COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY TO MAXIMIZE OUR VISIBILITY AND INFLUENCE. OUR STRATEGIES NOW INCLUDE EARNED MEDIA, SOCIAL MEDIA (INCLUDING DIGITAL STORY-TELLING AND ADVERTISING), EMAIL MARKETING,EVENTS AND PAID ADVERTISING.3) EARNED MEDIA: EARNED SIGNIFICANT FREE MEDIA IN 2021 RESULTING FROM PUBLIC POSITIONS THAT GROW SMART RI TOOK IN FAVOR OF STRONGER FOREST CONSERVATION MEASURES, IN OPPOSITION TO POLICIES THAT ENCOURAGE SITING OF LARGE SOLAR PROJECTS ON FORESTED LAND, IN SUPPORT OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECENTLY ADOPTED BOLD, VISIONARY TRANSIT MASTER PLAN FOR RI ALONG WITH INCREASED FUNDING FOR BIKE AND PED INFRASTRUCTURE, AND IN SUPPORT OF A TRANSIT RIDER FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVE TO AN ILL ADVISED PROPOSAL TO SUBSTITUTE MULTIPLE SMALL TRANSIT HUBS IN DOWNTOWN PROVIDENCE FOR ONE CENTRALIZED HUB WITH A CRITICAL MASS OF BUS BERTHS, AMENITIES AND EASY TRANSFER OPPORTUNITIES.4) EMAIL MARKETING: GROW SMART RI HAS BEEN UTILIZING CONSTANT CONTACT SINCE 2003 TO PRODUCE AND DISTRIBUTE NEWSLETTERS, EVENT INVITATIONS (AND RSVP'S), ACTION ALERTS, SURVEYS AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS TO A LARGE LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS, NOW TOTALING APPROXIMATELY 6,000. 5)POWER OF PLACE SUMMIT: GROW SMART RI HELD ITS 10TH ANNUAL SMART GROWTH AWARDS PROGRAM VIRTUALLY ON MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021. THE SMART GROWTH AWARDS PROGRAM IS AN IMPORTANT WAY TO CELEBRATE AND PROMOTE AWARENESS OF THOSE ADVANCING SMART GROWTH ON THE GROUND, INSPIRE OTHERS TO JOIN THE MOVEMENT AND RAISE MONEY TO SUPPORT GROW SMART RI'S WORKPLAN.U.S. SENATOR TOM CARPER, CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE ENVIRONMENT & PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE, DELIVERED THE KEYNOTE ADDRESS "BRINGING AMERICA'S TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE INTO THE 21ST CENTURY". SENATOR CARPER'S COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP POSITION AND CLOSE ASSOCIATION WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN MAKE HIM ONE OF THE NATION'S MOST INFLUENTIAL VOICES ON THE WIDE RANGE OF FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROPOSALS. HIS TALK WAS FOLLOWED BY A DISTINGUISHED PANEL DISCUSSION FEATURING RHODE U.S. SENATOR SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, XAYKHAM KHAMSYVORAVONG, CHAIR OF GOVERNOR MCKEE'S TRANSITION TEAM SUB-GROUP ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE, AND BETH OSBORNE, DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION FOR AMERICA, A PROGRAM OF SMART GROWTH AMERICA. THE PANEL WAS MODERATED BY NBC10'S ALISON BOLOGNA.AWARDS WERE ISSUED IN THE CATEGORIES OF SMART GROWTH PLANS, SMART GROWTH PROJECTS AND SMART GROWTH LEADERS. THE GROW SMART RI BOARD ADOPTED A NEW STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE ORGANIZATION AT A SPECIAL BOARD MEETING ON JULY 29, 2021. THE FULL PLAN IS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.GROWSMARTRI.ORG WE ORGANIZED MONITORING AND IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORKS FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN, AND ESTABLISHED A STRATEGIC PLAN MONITORING TEAM OF 3 BOARD MEMBERS AND ONE STAFFER.

EDUCATIONON FEBRUARY 24, 2021, GROW SMART RI HOSTED A PANEL DISCUSSION ON THE INTERSECTION OF FOOD ACCESS AND TRANSPORTATION AS PART OF THE URI FOOD SUMMIT. THE PANEL, WHICH ATTRACTED ABOUT 150 PARTICIPANTS, FEATURED GROW SMART RI DEPUTY DIRECTOR JOHN FLAHERTY, SCOTT AVEDISIAN OF RIPTA, AND PROFESSOR MUNDORF FROM URI. IN 2021 AFTER EXTENSIVE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE AQUIDNECK LAND TRUST (ALT) AND THE VAN BEUREN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, WE WERE AWARDED A GRANT TO DELIVER A "CITIZEN PLANNING 101" SERIES OF FOUR WORKSHOPS COVERING ALT'S LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT REPORT ALONG WITH THE BASICS OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT REGARDING LAND USE ISSUES. THE FIRST WORKSHOP, WITH A FOCUS ON MIDDLETOWN, WAS HELD ON JULY 21, 2021 THE SECOND WORKSHOP, WITH A FOCUS ON NEWPORT, WAS HELD ON AUGUST 31, 2021.THE FINAL TWO WORKSHOPS THAT GROW SMART RI PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AQUIDNECK LAND TRUST (ALT) WERE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 (PORTSMOUTH) AND OCTOBER 20, 2021 (ISLAND-WIDE). PRESENTERS INCLUDED VOLUNTEER PROFESSIONAL PLANNERS, PLUS GROW SMART RI STAFFERS JOHN FLAHERTY, AND SCOTT MILLAR.

PUBLIC POLICYWE ORGANIZED OUR POLICY AND PROGRAM WORK IN 2021 UNDER THE GOALS DISCUSSED BELOW:A) REVITALIZE MAIN STREETS AND DOWNTOWNS SPECIFIC 2021 DELIVERABLES /OUTPUTS ON THIS FRONT HAVE INCLUDED: 1. EXTENSION AND RECAPITALIZATION AT THE $ 20 MILLION LEVEL OF A SIGNATURE GROW SMART RI POLICY INITIATIVE, THE STATE HISTORIC TAX CREDIT PROGRAM, A PROGRAM WHICH HAS INCENTIVIZED HUNDREDS OF HISTORIC REHABS, REPRESENTING BILLIONS OF INVESTMENTS, LARGELY IN RHODE ISLAND'S URBAN AND TOWN CENTERS AND MAIN STREET CORRIDORS. THIS REPRESENTS THE FIRST NEW STATE FUNDING COMMITMENT FOR THE STATE HISTORIC TAX CREDIT IN 8 YEARS.2. A STATE COMMITMENT OF AN ADDITIONAL $ 30 MILLION FOR THE REBUILD RI PROGRAM THAT WE AND OUR DEVELOPER ALLIES HAVE HELPED RESHAPE INTO A RELATIVELY USER-FRIENDLY TOOL FOR HISTORIC REHAB.3. INITIAL CAPITALIZATION OF THE RI MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT PROGRAM THAT GROW SMART RI SPEARHEADED IN 2018 TO CATALYZE LOCAL ECONOMIC AND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION. 4. PASSAGE WITHIN THE STATE BUDGET OF A MULTIFAMILY HOUSING PRODUCTION INCENTIVE BASED ON A SIMILAR PROGRAM IN MASSACHUSETTS KNOWN AS 40S. WE HELPED COMMERCE RI ADAPT AND ADVOCATE FOR THIS INCENTIVE. 5. APPOINTMENT BY SPEAKER SHEKARCHI OF GROW SMART RI EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SCOTT WOLF TO THE HOUSE COMMISSION ON THE LOW MOD INCOME HOUSING ACT. 6. FORMATION OF A MAIN STREET RI STEERING COMMITTEE TO GUIDE THE DEVELOPMENT AND FUNDING OF A STATE MAIN STREET COORDINATING PROGRAM HOUSED AT GROW SMART RI.B) EXPAND AND ENHANCE TRANSPORTATION CHOICESSPECIFIC 2021 DELIVERABLES /OUTPUTS ON THIS FRONT HAVE INCLUDED:1. ADOPTION BY THE CITIES OF PROVIDENCE AND NEWPORT OF COMPREHENSIVE GREEN AND COMPLETE STREETS ORDINANCES, BOTH OF WHICH WE HELPED SHAPE.2. CREATING THE DISTINCT POSSIBILITY OF THE HIGHLY FLAWED RIDOT MULTI HUB TRANSIT PLAN BEING SHELVED IN FAVOR OF A MUCH MORE TRANSIT AND DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION FRIENDLY CENTRAL HUB ON DORRANCE STREET IN THE JEWELRY DISTRICT . 3. STRENGTHENING THE ARGUMENTS AND COALITION FOR MAJOR INCREASES IN STATE FUNDING OF BIKE AND PED INFRASTRUCTURE.C) REFORM LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICIES AND PRACTICESSPECIFIC 2021 DELIVERABLES /OUTPUTS ON THIS FRONT HAVE INCLUDED:1. ENACTMENT OF THE FOREST CONSERVATION ACT, WHICH GSRI STAFFER SCOTT MILLAR WROTE AND SHEPHERDED TO PASSAGE.2. INCREASED STATE GOVERNMENT EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT OF SOLAR PROJECTS WITHIN DEVELOPED AND DISTURBED AREAS. 3. DEVELOPMENT BY SCOTT MILLAR OF A POTENTIAL MODEL STATEWIDE CONSERVATION DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE FOR THE TOWN OF CHARLESTOWN. 4. CREATION OF A STATE LAND USE REFORM COMMISSION THAT WE HOPE CAN BE A MAJOR VEHICLE FOR ALLOWING SUBSTANTIALLY MORE TRANSIT ORIENTED AND MULTIFAMILY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN APPROPRIATE SMART GROWTH LOCATIONS, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY PROTECTING OUR OUTSTANDING BUT FRAGILE NATURAL RESOURCES.