444 Westminster

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Latest Episodes:

Community Development 101 Jul 28, 2022

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 "entitlement city" in terms of predictability and stability of funding, and some exciting, brand-new initiatives that will help serve our most vulnerable residents.
For more info on the Community Development Division of Providence Planning visit: www.providenceri.gov/planning/community-development/
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Twitter/Facebook: @ProvPlanning
Instagram: @providenceplanning

Community Liaising 101 Jul 14, 2022

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 socials!

Twitter/Facebook: @ProvPlanning
Instagram: @providenceplanning

Sustainability in Urban Development 101 Jun 30, 2022

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/sustainability/newsletter/

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Twitter/Facebook: @ProvPlanning
Instagram: @providenceplanning

Redevelopment 101 (+ Happy Pride!) Jun 16, 2022

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 follow us on our socials!
Twitter/Facebook: @ProvPlanning
Instagram: @providenceplanning

Event Planning 101 (PVDFest Edition!) Jun 01, 2022

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 that will take place in Downtown Providence June 10-12, 2022. Follow PVDFest on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for all of the latest updates leading up to and during the festival weekend.
Please rate, subscribe and review, and follow us on our socials!
Twitter/Facebook: @ProvPlanning
Instagram: @providenceplanning

Spotlight: Healthy Communities Office May 05, 2022

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 health crisis program, and everyone's favorite Rhode Islander, Viola Davis.
For more information about Healthy Communities in Providence, visit www.providenceri.gov/healthy-communities and www.facebook.com/HealthyCommunitiesPVD
Please rate, subscribe and review, and follow us on our socials!
Twitter/Facebook: @ProvPlanning
Instagram: @providenceplanning

Complete Streets 101 Apr 21, 2022

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: @ProvPlanning
Instagram: @providenceplanning

Curbside Management 101 Apr 07, 2022

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 Providence, visit: https://www.providenceri.gov/public-works/parking-main/
Please rate, subscribe and review, and follow us on our socials!
Twitter/Facebook: @ProvPlanning
Instagram: @providenceplanning

Comprehensive Plans 101 Mar 24, 2022

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 on our socials!
Twitter/Facebook: @ProvPlanning
Instagram: @providenceplanning

Public Art 101 Mar 10, 2022

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, @ProvidenceACT
Facebook: @ProvPlanning, @ProvACT

Welcome to 444 Westminster Feb 17, 2022

At Providence City Planning, our goal is to serve as many people as well as we can by providing equitable, just, sustainable City infrastructure and systems. Each episode of this podcast will provide you with short, digestible interviews with subject matter experts about a wide variety of Planning topics that maybe you never even knew you were interested in. Ever wonder what blight is? How about zoning laws? Or how commissions work? Public art anyone? Look no further.
Join us every other Thursday for a new episode, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook (@ProvPlanning).

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