Implementing the Olmstead Vision One Mile Walk/Run and Workshop

The Olmstead Vision Advisory Board cordially invites you to particpate in the Implementing the Olmstead Vision One Mile Walk/Run and Workshop on April 19, 2008. The event will be held at McAlpine Park and Recreation Center, 115 Avenue F, Birmingham, AL 35218. Registration begins at 8:00am for the Run/Walk. The Run/Walk begins at 8:30am, and the Workshop begins at 10:00am. The purpose of the event Please RSVP to L'Tryce Slade at Lslade@sladeletp.com or 866-925-5742.
 
L'Tryce Slade from Slade Land Use, Environmental, and Transportation Planning is a member of the Environmental Leadership Program, which is a national Fellowship. Her firm will host a workshop to discuss strategies for implementing the Olmsted Vision for the Village Creek Area in the Ensley and Pratt Communities.  The Olmsted Brothers, who designed New York City's Central Park, envisioned a greenway for the Ensley and Pratt areas as part of their 1925 Park Master Plan Update for the City of Birmingham.  For various reasons, that greenway was never built, but the vision remained.  The purpose of the Workshop is to present housing strategies for the area near the park.  The strategies will look at demographics, previous surveys, market comparables, land use, parks, environmental, economic development, infrastructure, and fund raising.  Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and present suggestions.  They will be an important part of the process of shaping the future of Village Creek in the Ensley and Pratt Communities. 
 
Community members; city, county, state, and federal officials; development professionals; and business owners are invited to attend the Community Workshop.  The group will discuss:
 
-          Environmental
-          Financing
-          Parks, Land-Use, and Infrastructure
-          Housing
-          Economic Development
 
A presentation will explain the Olmsted Vision and show how the housing strategy will carry out that vision and revitalize the Village Creek area.  Participants will then split into break-out groups to discuss strategies for implementing housing as it relates to environmental, economic development, infrastructure, land use and parks. Furthermore, the groups will discuss increasing the value of housing along the proposed greenway, building a gabion wall to control flooding of the Village Creek, developing parks and walking trails for the enjoyment of the community, utilizing outdoor space to create unique educational opportunities for surrounding schools, raising and obtaining funds for the different phases of the plan, and coordinating the Plan with ongoing economic revitalization efforts.  This is an opportunity for everyone to express their opinions, ask questions, and offer suggestions.