444 Westminster

It's not goodbye, it's see you later! On our season finale, we chat with Director of Providence Planning's Division of Housing and Community Development, Emily Freedman. Ever wonder what CDBG, HOME, ESG, HOPWA, and/or HUD stand for? You've come to the right place. These acronyms represent just a few of the programs and agents that help allocate funding to organizations that provide services to our low- and moderate-income community members. Emily explains these, what it means to be an "e...

This week, we talk to Providence City Planning's own Tim Shea, as he discusses his role as our Community Liaison. Don't let his soft tone fool you: Tim is a fierce advocate for the Providence community. On this episode, we talk about building and maintaining relationships between City Planning and community members, reducing barriers to participation and information, as well as establishing meaningful responsiveness and building trust.Please rate, subscribe and review, and follow us on our so...

Climate change is an ever-growing consideration of everything we do in City Planning. On our eighth episode, we talk to Emily Koo, Providence’s Director of Sustainability, about centering racial equity in the City’s Climate Justice Plan, weaving sustainable thinking and practices into built environments, and upcoming climate-resilient infrastructure investments in Providence’s public spaces. ♻For the latest news from the Department of Sustainability, visit https://www.providenceri.gov/sustain...

Happy Pride everyone! On today's Pride-ful episode, our host Tim Rondeau and guest, the City of Providence's Director of Real Estate Amanda DeGrace discuss their respective experiences as queer people and their ideas on the meaning of Pride. From there, we discuss Redevelopment generally, forming catalytic, neighborhood-scale development strategies within the Providence Redevelopment Agency (PRA), and the PRA's upcoming five year strategic plan.Please rate, subscribe and review, and foll...

After a brief, mid-season hiatus, we're back! On this week's episode, we have not one but two guests. The City of Providence's own Lizzie Araujo, Director of Art, Culture + Tourism and Theresa Agonia, Chief of External Affairs join the pod to discuss Event Planning and all things PVDFest! We chat about public art's place at PVDFest, how the public can work with the city to host an event, and why we think everyone gets so hyped up about the city's annual festival.PVDFest is a FREE festival tha...

Plot twist! Our fifth episode is a special one, the first in our Spotlight Series, which will focus on a city department outside of City Planning, but that still has incredibly important ties to planning a city. Today we do a deep dive into Providence's Healthy Communities Office with its director, Laurie Moise Sears. We discuss addressing disparities in healthcare accessibility amongst BIPOC community members, navigating health solutions and advocacy during a pandemic, launching a behavioral...

Episode 4 of 444! Tune in for our guest Alex Ellis, Principle Planner in the Special Projects Department of Providence City Planning, as we discuss what makes a street "complete." On this episode, we talk about Providence's Great Streets Plan and the results it has yielded thus far, our Green and Complete Streets Ordinance and Advisory Committee, and why dense, urban-focused planning is part of the solution.Please rate, subscribe and review, and follow us on our socials!Twitter/Facebook: @Pro...

Third episode's a charm! Liza Farr, Curbside Administrator for the City of Providence, joins us to discuss Curbside Management. Didn't know that was a thing? You're not alone. On this episode we talk about Curbside Management as an "invisible force that affects everyone," the environmental and economic benefits of reimagining curb use, and how e-bike/e-scooter shares positively contribute to more effective use of our curb space.For more information about Curbside Management in Providenc...

Hello again, listeners! On our second episode, we're discussing comprehensive plans, or comp plans, as guiding documents for city planning. Jess Lance, AICP and Principle Planner for the City of Providence joins us to define what a comp plan is (listen for her apt tree metaphor), describe how comp plans provide guidance for other important planning initiatives, and give some insight as to why we should engage in helping update Providence's plan.Please rate, subscribe and review, and follow us...

Welcome! On our first episode, we discuss the realm of public art in Providence with none other than local legend Gina Rodriguez-Drix, Deputy Director of Art, Culture + Tourism for the City. We discuss what constitutes "public art," some amazing upcoming installations to look out for, and a decades old ordinance that served as a catalyst for the robust program that helps the Creative Capital earn its title.Please rate, subscribe and review and follow us on our socials!Twitter: @ProvPlanning, ...