Brick by Brick

Every neighborhood should have “access to great schools, and strong family and community support systems” that will prepare kids for college and a career. That’s the vision of the Department of Education which funds nearly 50 so-called “Promise Neighborhoods.” Omega Community Development Corporation’s Hope Zone in Northwest Dayton is one of them and for decades it has been having success uplifting seventeen neighborhoods.  

Interview guests: Rev. Vanessa Ward, CEO RISE Northwest Development Corporation; Rachel Ward, president Omega CDC; Dawna Remencus, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Sinclair Liaison; Janiece Malone, maternal coach Omega CDC; Maleishia McIntosh, Hope Center Participant; Tanisha Burns-Martin, community development manager, RISE Northwest; Renata Waters, Fairview resident; Jenish Tidd, Fairview resident, Brittany Riese, Dayton resident; Jeffrey Hughes, Dayton resident.

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In this extended extra, Brick by Brick’s Emiko Moore sits down with researcher and physician Dr. Carley Riley, with Cincinnati Childrens’, to learn more about the Neighborhoods as Systems Toolkit. The free resource aims to empower residents to create systemic change at the local level. 

Guest Voices: Dr. Carley Riley, Cincinnati Childrens’ and Neighborhoodtoolkit.org, 

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In this season three premiere, the Brick by Brick team explores a Safe Sleep Lot, which Cincinnati Public Schools is using to support students (and their families) dealing with housing instability. The team also updates area housing and rental affordability and sits down with the creator of a free toolkit already empowering neighborhood change. It may be able to help your neighborhood too!

Guest Voices: Rebeka Beach, Project Connect, Dr. Carley Riley, Cincinnati Childrens’ and Neighborhoodtoolkit.org, Robi Simms, Charles Simms Development, Aja Cole, Safe Sleep Lot Client, Larry Woody, Local Resident, Lilly Shea, Local Resident, Alicia Joiner, Local Resident

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Brick by Brick discovered dozens of solutions in Season 2, that are working to solve a variety of problems. After many iterations, Cincinnati engineers created the perfect speed hump. The city has data showing traffic calming devices are slowing drivers down.  Meals on Wheels of Southwest Ohio and NKY is preparing to open a new headquarters that will more than double the annual meal production for seniors. People Working Cooperatively is  improving air quality through a pilot program. One homeowner says she is heathier and less stressed. We look back on these solutions and more.

Interview guests: Cecily Foster, nurse and gardener; Sharon Hawkins, founder and director of The Dayton Doula Initiative; Earl Crossland, architect and co-founder of Tiny Homes for Humanity; Jeff Demaree, teacher Cincinnati Public Schools; Dr. James Greenberg, co-founder Cradle Cincinnati; Amaha Sellassie, board president Gem City Market; Michael Beck chief production officer Meals on Wheels of Southwest Ohio and NKY; and Rosa Baker, food policy council manager Green Umbrella.

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Data from the U.S. Census Bureau finds nearly one in four Americans are vulnerable to extreme heat. Many of them are in urban areas where there isn’t enough shade. Disturbingly, we’re losing trees to commercial development, weather events and invasive insect species like the emerald ash borer. Cities are recognizing the need to plant more trees and are implementing urban forestry plans. This life-sustaining strategy is already proving successful in the health of its residents. Will the money and political will be there to expand it?

Interview guests: Jennifer Spieser, President and CEO Cincinnati Parks Foundation; Joe Boggs, Assistant Professor, OSU Entomology and OSU Extension, Hamilton County; Bryan Urban, City of Dayton Operations Supervisor Street Maintenance; Maddie Hall, CEO Living Carbon; Rahul Mishra, Chief Product Officer Living Carbon; Steve Fleegal, Executive Director Appalachia Ohio Alliance; Jaeydah Edwards, interim director Groundwork Ohio River Valley; Marisha Davis, member Equity Advisory Group; Dr. Aruni Bhatnagar, principal investigator Green Heart Project. 

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New government figures find that even before the Iran war, one in three households faced some form of energy insecurity. Not only did people have trouble paying their heating and cooling bills, but a separate study found the problem affected their mental health. Advocates like Diana Hernández are trying to bring energy insecurity to light and help those in need.  

Interview guest: Co-author of Powerless and Columbia University researcher Dr. Diana Hernández is the founding principal investigator of the Energy Equity, Housing and Health Program and the co-director of the Energy Opportunity Lab at the Center on Global Energy Policy.  

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 A recent survey finds only half of Hamilton County residents consider themselves thriving. And for a variety of reasons, an increasing number is suffering. Community leaders want to turn this around, and during a recent Cincinnati summit envisioned neighborhoods with more housing, investment and a greater sense of belonging. Organizers hope the entire region can learn from the event. 

Interview guests: Elizabeth Bartley, executive director Invest in Neighborhoods; Brandon Rudd, deputy director of the Office of Strategic Growth for the City of Cincinnati; Laura Castillo, interim chief Procurement Office for the City of Cincinnati; Ruth Anne Wolfe, founder Community Happens Here; Ezra Logan, intern Community Happens Here;  Andrea Jandricek, architect and co-founder The Changing Ground Project; Ed Mathis, vice president of Republic Commercial Real Estate; Macda Mulugeta, Ohio State University graduate;  Gerald Stewart, ToolBank coordinator; Luke Greiner, UC freshman, led Project CREATE; Chris Valesky, UC senior. 

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For the individual, research shows that the arts can boost memory, decrease depression and foster creativity. For a community, it can improve the quality of life and benefit the economy. Despite finances drying up - both nationally and locally - cities and counties are figuring out how to ramp up the arts because they see the benefits are increasingly worth it.  

Interview guests: Mary McDonald, Montgomery County Commissioner; Pete Metz, Cincinnati Regional Chamber Vice President of Civic Strategy and Policy; Stephanie Keinath, Executive Vice President Dayton Chamber of Commerce; Rodney Veal, Host of The Art Show and Inspired By; Andrita Pickens, teacher Cheviot Elementary; Ray Gargano, ArtsWave VP of Community Impact; Shelby Young, Cheviot Elementary Teacher Aide; Joe Wessels, Media Relations Associate CPS; Lisa Wagner, Executive Director Levitt Pavilion; Brooke Reinke, Director of Marketing Windsor Companies. 

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The Ohio Supreme Court is set to decide the fate of a handful of solar farm projects. This, as the state already leads the nation in the number of projects rejected while facing a need for affordable electricity. Cincinnati is seeing success with its solar farm, originally the largest among municipalities. But plenty of others are putting on the brakes, not wanting to give up fertile farmland.  

Interview guests: Ollie Kroner, Director of the Cincinnati Office of Environment & Sustainability; Cincinnati Energy Manager Rob McCracken; Rick Lohnes, Clark County Commissioner; Bill Agle, Clark County farmer and Adam Sokolski, EDF Renewables Director of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs.  

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Dayton and Montgomery County, like so many other places in the U.S., continue to face a shortage of low-income housing. For nearly 50 years the private nonprofit development corporation County Corp, has been creating generational wealth by adding new housing and working to revitalize neighborhoods. How is the organization doing it and can it be replicated?  

Interview guests: President of County Corp Steve Naas; County Corp Vice President of Housing Adam Blake; Homeowner Chris Voltz; Dayton YouthBuild Executive Director Dr. Jerry Farley; YouthBuild Instructor Mackenzie Johns; Greater Cincinnati Realtist Association President Felicia Bell; and Cora Diggs with Howard Hanna Realtors.  

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