[CPEO-BIF] Community Day at the 2011 Florida Brownfields Conference

[Lenny Siegel <Lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Community Day at the 2011 Florida Brownfields Conference

summarized by Lenny Siegel
November 15, 2011

Tuesday, November 15 was Community Day at the 2011 Annual Conference  
of the Florida Brownfields Association, and I had the honor of  
facilitating the Community Caucus in the morning and the  
Environmental Justice Listening Session in the early afternoon.  
Nearly 30 people attended the two sessions, representing local  
government, the private sector, non-profits, academia, and U.S. EPA.  
A majority of the participants were African-Americans. Nearly half  
were from city and county agencies.

...

In summary, community-based brownfields redevelopment, coupled with  
targeted job training, is a valuable tool for improving living  
conditions and job opportunities in high-unemployment, medically  
underserved, food-desert neighborhoods in some of Florida's major  
cities. Success of such ventures depends on community unity, the  
formation of partnerships with multiple agencies and institutions,  
raising funds from numerous sources, and patience in each of those  
efforts. No project is too small, because beyond its immediate  
benefits it builds trust and empowers the community. And developments  
established by empowered communities build pride, and in turn proud  
communities protect those projects from vandalism and blight.

To download the 2-page, 76 KB PDF report, go to
http://www.cpeo.org/pubs/FBACaucusReport2011.pdf

--

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org

_______________________________________________
Brownfields mailing list
Brownfields@lists.cpeo.org
http://lists.cpeo.org/listinfo.cgi/brownfields-cpeo.org