RPIC Steering Committee meeting and Capacity Building Workshop

January meeting and workshop focused on Placemaking

Fort Plain, NY – The last week of January had the Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge Steering Committee planning ahead for Creative Resiliency in the Mohawk Valley during a meeting and workshop hosted by the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District (MVEDD) both held online and at the Fort Plain Museum.

During the Steering Committee meeting, village and town leaders developed a plan to reach out to residents to get feedback about where they live whether it be Fort Plain, Nelliston, Palatine Bridge or the Town of Minden.

Danny Lapin, AICP, Revitalization Specialist, Office of Planning, Development, and Community Infrastructure

Capacity Building Workshop

The first Creative Resiliency Capacity Building Workshop featured an informative presentation by Danny Lapin, Revitalization Specialist with the Office of Planning, Development, and Community Infrastructure. The presentation highlighted New York State programs that benefit area communities with opportunities for grants, planning assistance, and revitalization initiatives. Specific programs highlighted for the Creative Resiliency Program included

• Smart Growth Comprehensive Plan Grant Program which offers municipalities the opportunity to plan and zone for their community by addressing all aspects of Smart Growth,
• Brownfield Opportunity Area Program that provides assistance to develop area-wide, community-based plans to redevelop brownfields and abandoned sites into areas that revitalize neighborhoods and communities,
• Downtown Revitalization Initiative and New York Forward give communities a way to implement plans developed to transform downtown or neighborhood areas and stimulate economic development while encouraging diversity.

All of these programs facilitate robust public engagement to develop community planning processes with the goal of transforming local communities.