On March 29th, 2017, about one hundred participants spanning academia, nonprofits, government, health, funders, business, and community-based organizations gathered for a day-long convening to explore how a more robust and strategic regional collaboration among public and private partners c
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Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY
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On May 2nd the American Farmland Trust speaker series on farms and food will continue with "Re-Imagining Local Grains." The talk will be given by Dr. Steve Jones, a professor, wheat breeder, and Director of the WSU Bread Lab.
When: Monday, May 2nd from 6 to 8pm.
Where: Stone Way Cafe (3510 Stone Way N, Seattle, WA)
Regional Challenges: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
(Example of a "high-complexity" street with greenery and a variety of facades. Photo Source: Tony Webster from San Francisco, CA.)
Regional Challenges: HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY
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By Sarah Titcomb
Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
The City Project is a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles, California that works on equal access to parks and green space, transportation, and related issues at the intersection of social justice, sustainable regional planning, and smart growth. The State of California requires county and city general plans as well as proposed new development projects to address environmental justice matters.
Regional Challenges: HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
By Sarah Titcomb
Urban sprawl follows a predictable pattern. As populations rise, the pressure to expand developed areas outside of the congested urban core and into the seemingly empty rural areas, also grows. In a dramatic role reversal earlier this week, 150 acres that had been previously platted and permitted for subdivision in Arlington, was actually developed into a farm.
Regional Challenges: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL EQUITY -
The Our Green/Duwamish Team has been very busy during the project’s Listening Phase. The Listening Phase represents the first steps in the three-phase process to develop a watershed strategy for the Green/Duwamish Watershed, connecting many ongoing efforts in a more comprehensive way. The Listening Phase has included focus groups, open houses, and an online survey.
Filed under: WATERRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, SOCIAL EQUITY -
Not only is our team joining the 2015 National APA Conference, we are excited to share that several of our partners and friends will be in attendance! Sunday morning will kick off with the opening keynote speech from Ron Sims, the Chair of the ROSS Executive Committee. We look forward to hearing his current perspective on sustainability and health - and we plan to arrive early to ensure we get a seat! The day begins at 8am on April 19th at the Washington State Convention Center.
Continue reading for the list of our other committee and task force members presenting or participating on panels during conference sessions.
Filed under: EDUCATIONRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
The American Planning Association's Annual National Conference is coming to Seattle this weekend and the ROSS team is excited to participate! Several of us will be in attendance and our very own Nancy Rottle from the University of Washington’s Green Futures Research and Design Lab will present the ROSS project to the planning community. Steve Whitney from the Bullitt Foundation, who provides leadership for the ROSS, organized and will moderate this session. Read more to learn about the session and our co-presenters from the Intertwine Alliance and the Georgia Strait Alliance.
We look forward to seeing other the conference attendees there!
Filed under: EDUCATIONRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
The Kitsap Forest & Bay Project is a landscape-level effort to conserve up to 6,700 acres of forest, wetlands and shoreline surrounding Port Gamble Bay in north Kitsap County. The Project is a once-in-history opportunity to help sustain our region's quality of life, environmental health, and economic vitality. It has the potential to shape the future of the entire Kitsap Peninsula and has been championed by a broad coalition of partners including Kitsap County, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, Suquamish Tribe, Great Peninsula Conservancy, Forterra, Pope Resources and the community at large.
Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
At our recent ROSS Project Leadership Team meeting we asked our participating partners what the most important developments in open space have been for their organizations in 2014 and what they are looking forward to in 2015. We were excited and inspired by the great strides that have been made to protect and enhance open space in the Central Puget Sound and beyond over the last year. We know that the efforts mentioned are just the tip of the iceberg for these organizations and the region. While there is much more work to do to ensure and protect open space, we are delighted to celebrate these great achievements and look towards the future. Join us!
Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
Have you seen this inspiring video from Green Duwamish/Central Puget Sound's Salmon Conservation and Restoration efforts? Watch "Green the Green" and be prepared to tap some deep local pride in this incredible green landscape we call home. A celebration of our open space benefits and a beautiful, compelling call to action, this 3 minute video reminds us of the important efforts we must invest in to clean and protect our watershed to maintain our rich cultural and natural heritage.
Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
The ROSS team is growing! With our great partnership with King County on the Green-Duwamish Watershed Strategy and upcoming launch of a Snohomish Watershed Open Space Strategy, we seek talented staff to lead and support this visionary, collaborative effort.
Filed under: WORKRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
We are delighted to share the great efforts of the Mountains to Sound Greenway, Stewardship Partners and their Snoqualmie Valley partners for their visionary planning in the watershed. This beautiful "report card" reflects the thoughtful work they are doing to create a robust watershed plan to protect and enhance their forests, farms and rural lands that make up 96% of their land and provide essential ecosystem services for the entire Puget Sound region.
Filed under: AESTHETIC, AIR, COMMUNITY, CULTURAL, DISASTER MITIGATION, EDUCATION, FOOD, MATERIALS, PLAY, SHELTER, TRANSPORT, WATER, WORKRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
Ryan Mello, Executive Director of the Pierce Conservation District and Tacoma City Councilman is our first guest contributor in a series that highlights 2014 successes in open space and visions for 2015. Among other things the PCD has more than 60 years of history of providing agricultural assistance in the Puyallup watershed – one of the biggest producers of food in our region.
Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, SOCIAL EQUITY -
Everyone can get excited about building new parks, but the formation of Seattle Parks District indicates that our region realizes the importance of maintaining the legacy of green space we’ve already invested in. This complements government agencies like Metro Parks Tacoma and donation-based partnerships like King County Parks Foundation in providing a more reliable stream of resources so managers of park systems can be more effective in maintaining existing assets or building anew. The ROSS is working with partners across the region to enhance our collective impact to ensure the portfolio of our investments in open space enhance nature’s benefits.
Regional Challenges: SOCIAL EQUITY -
Trees have a special place in our hearts and a productive place in our community. In urban areas, trees help us filter the air, manage heat island effects, and they are correlated with improved roadway safety and human health. Seattle ranks among those cities with a high percentage of urban tree canopy, but keys in on where there are major differences between neighborhoods. As we look at the link between open space and key regional challenges, the ROSS will investigate how different communities benefit from our natural system and how to address these disparities.
Regional Challenges: SOCIAL EQUITY -
It has been a busy summer for us here at the ROSS. Not only have we been hard at work on our open space services work and entering into an agreement with King County and the City of Seattle for the Green-Duwamish WOSS you may have read about earlier this month, we’ve also been developing a new website.
Filed under: AESTHETIC, AIR, COMMUNITY, CULTURAL, DISASTER MITIGATION, EDUCATION, ENERGY, FOOD, HEALTH, MATERIALS, PLAY, SHELTER, TRANSPORT, WASTE, WATER, WORKRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
Monday, September 9, marked a seminal moment in open space planning, as King County and the City of Seattle, in the presence of community groups, natural resource agencies and local news media, announced plans to develop a Green/Duwamish Watershed Strategy.
Filed under: AESTHETIC, AIR, COMMUNITY, CULTURAL, DISASTER MITIGATION, EDUCATION, ENERGY, FOOD, HEALTH, MATERIALS, PLAY, SHELTER, TRANSPORT, WASTE, WATER, WORKRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
We’re excited to share news of a new partnership with The Trust for Public Land. Our Ecosystem Services Committee and ROSS staff will be working with their award-winning GIS team and Climate Conservation Program to explore how to map our region-wide open space system as well as identify and assess areas where open space can address key regional challenges.
Filed under: EDUCATIONRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
The Bullitt Foundation and The Russell Family Foundation have once again stepped up to support the ROSS Initiative. The work focuses on two primary tracks:
Filed under: EDUCATIONRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY