[Durham INC] Durham Sustainable Communities Workshop May 4

[Blalock, Amy]

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

 

 

News Release

 

For Details, Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov

 

For Immediate Release:  May 3, 2010

 

 

Durham Hosts Partnership for Sustainable Communities Workshop for
Northeast Central Durham Initiative

Goal is to Align Local Vision with External Resources

 

DURHAM, N.C. - On Tuesday, May 4, 2010, beginning at 9 a.m.,
representatives from federal and state agencies will hear from City of
Durham staff and Northeast Central Durham stakeholders on how a
sustainable communities initiative could be demonstrated on the ground
in Durham.  

 

The workshop will be held at the City's Department of Neighborhood
Improvement Services, which is located inside the Golden Belt Facility
at 807 E. Main St., Building #2, 3rd Floor, Durham.  News media are
invited to attend this workshop.

 

The workshop is being hosted by the City of Durham's Department of
Neighborhood Improvement Services and the Durham City-County
Sustainability Office to discuss specifically how federal, state, and
local agencies can collaborate with community stakeholders to plan and
implement a sustainable community initiative in Northeast Central
Durham.  

 

The workshop is part of Durham's effort to participate in the
Partnership for Sustainable Communities, which is a new program that is
the direct result of an unprecedented agreement to coordinate federal
housing, transportation, and environmental investments, protect public
health and the environment, promote equitable development, and help
address the challenges of climate change.  Last June, the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Department of
Transportation, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
joined together to form the Partnership for Sustainable Communities.
Durham is the first community in North Carolina to respond on how to
create a sustainable and livable community in Northeast Central Durham.

 

According to Constance Stancil, director of the City's Department of
Neighborhood Improvement Services, the goals for tomorrow's meeting are
to share with these agencies the story of the Northeast Central Durham
community and the vision of the residents on what needs to be put into
place that will contribute to the long-term health and vitality of the
community.  "We will share with these external agencies our 'practical
vision chart' that will be based on input gathered at today's community
stakeholder meeting," Stancil said.  "The goal is to ensure we are
capturing the priorities and vision of the residents of the Northeast
Central Durham and how we can bring the 'Livability Principles' to life
in this community.  This is an exciting opportunity and we plan to walk
away from tomorrow's workshop with a concrete plan of action on how we
can proceed."

 

Tomorrow's workshop is a follow-up session from a meeting last month,
where several representatives from federal and state agencies joined
City and County staff in a site tour and discussion about how the
Sustainable Communities Initiative could be demonstrated in Northeast
Central Durham.  At tomorrow's workshop, these representatives as well
as representatives from the North Carolina Department of Transportation,
North Carolina Department of Commerce, and the North Carolina Department
Natural and Environmental Resources, will come back to Durham prepared
to discuss their agency's level of commitment and what their agency can
realistically contribute to this sustainability initiative.  

 

According to Stancil, the Partnership for Sustainable Communities
defines the "Livability Principles" as providing more transportation
choices; promoting equitable and affordable housing; increasing economic
competitiveness; supporting existing communities; leveraging federal
investment; and valuing communities and neighborhoods.

 

For more information about the City's efforts to bring the Partnership
for Sustainable Communities to Northeast Central Durham, contact Stancil
at (919) 560-1647, ext. 34247 or via e-mail at 
Constance.Stancil at DurhamNC.gov or contact Tobin Freid, sustainability
manager of the Durham City-County Sustainability Office, at (919)
560-7999 or via e-mail at tfreid at co.durham.nc.us. 

 

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