CivicCon

“You need to give people a reason to believe that something can realistically happen in their own backyard,” said Lefkowitz on why he only looked at recently built buildings. “The goal of this project was, and remains, focused on forming an optimistic belief that we can still create great new places in America.” In 2023, Strong Towns wrote an article about our upcoming speaker, Coby L., who had just completed a year-long project to highlight the most inspiring new buildings in North America. Two years later, Coby continues his mission to build optimism about what we can achieve through thoughtful design. Click the link to read the full article and register for his event in Pensacola on Monday, April 14: https://lnk.bio/CivicCon

The City of Pensacola Government has published the results of its 2024 Resident Satisfaction Survey, conducted by the UWF Haas Center We’re honored that CivicCon was frequently mentioned as a preferred way residents receive information from the city. While we are not an official news source for the city, we take pride in being part of the diverse landscape of communication that keeps our community informed and engaged. View the full results from the 2024 Resident Satisfaction survey at this link: https://lnkd.in/gxFhYX2Z

We are grateful and proud to be among the inaugural class of the Pensacola State College Center for Nonprofit Excellence certification program! Thank you to all the donors who made the program possible, our board of directors and all our fellow students of the program. Throughout 2024, the Center for Civic Engagement—along with over 20 other nonprofits including the Studer Community Institute—went through a rigorous and engaging learning experience led by PSC faculty, nonprofit experts and community partners. CivicCon and the Center for Civic Engagement are dedicated to bringing best practices to Pensacola. To that end, we are dedicated to exemplifying best practices as an organization. Learn more about the PSC Center for Nonprofit Excellence and Philanthropy at the link: https://lnkd.in/gyNwEYTE

Join CivicCon as we host Coby Lefkowitz for a discussion on how our built environment has taken shape and what we can do to improve it. From zoning and building codes to small-scale development, we’ll explore why so many places look the same across the country—and how we can foster more unique, thoughtful design. Whether it’s planting a tree or taking on a development project, this talk will highlight practical steps anyone can take to make a difference, including examples of great projects that showcase what’s possible for the future of our communities. Coby Lefkowitz is the author of "Building Optimism", which explores why American communities look the way they do, and offers a series of concrete reforms to make them more beautiful, desirable and affordable through dozens of project vignettes. Trained as an Urban Planner at the University of Virginia, his work explores the intersection of development and urban design to promote more walkable, beautiful, dynamic and sustainable communities. This free event will be held on Monday, April 14, from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. at the Wesley Abbey building of First United Methodist Church (2 E. Wright Street). Click the link to register for free: https://bit.ly/4hg7l9u

It was a busy week for Land Development Code meetings! Between Rebekah Kik's Monday CivicCon presentation, her Tuesday morning workshop and Pensacola's LDC open house, the community got their fill of information about what the LDC is, how it affects every aspect of our built environment and how we can improve it. Educating and involving ourselves are the first steps to improving our quality of life! Hit the link to watch Rebekah's Monday night presentation: https://bit.ly/41gDdEL

Our next CivicCon event is this coming Monday, February 24 from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. at the Wesley Abbey building of First United Methodist Church (2 E Wright Street). Rebekah Kik, assistant city administrator for Kalamazoo, MI, will be sharing a free presentation, "Zoning for Opportunity: Planning for Affordable Housing Solutions". The land development code is one of the biggest factors influencing how and where housing is built. Come to this free event to learn how even small policy changes can increase affordability! Click the link to register for free: https://bit.ly/40NBQOJ

Did you know that Pensacola established a community land trust in 2023? Community land trusts make housing permanently affordable by retaining ownership of the land while allowing homeowners to purchase the home at an affordable price. Not only does the CLT model keep the same house affordable for future generations, but it also stabilizes neighborhoods, reduces displacement and creates more opportunities for families to achieve economic mobility. Click the link to read the full Pensacola News Journal guest view by Sam Young, CEO of Pensacola Habitat for Humanity: https://bit.ly/4i1MrLR

Revered urban planner, engineer, and parking policy expert Donald Shoup has passed away at the age of 86. CivicCon members may remember him as one of our earliest speakers in 2018 when he introduced us to the concept of "Pensacola Parking Syndrome" and shared best practices for improving downtown parking. We mourn the loss of this visionary thinker, whose teachings will continue to shape urban planning and inspire future generations. Click the link to watch Donald Shoup's 2018 CivicCon presentation: https://lnkd.in/em3xmkfS

A huge shoutout to our incredible CivicCon Volunteers! This dedicated group works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure our events run smoothly. Beyond supporting CivicCon, they generously give their time to other organizations around our community. We couldn’t raise our civic IQ without them, and we’re deeply grateful for their hard work!

On the latest episode of CivicCast, I speak with 2024 Equity Award winner Walter Arrington, MSW. We spoke about his background and reasons for getting into #community advocacy, the biggest challenges he faces in his work, and how we can change the narrative to build more empathy for our most vulnerable populations. Walter serves as Director of Advocacy at Community Health Northwest Florida, an organization with which he has also held other pivotal roles including Homeless Health Navigator and CORE Navigator. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Walter actively participates in various community organizations and task forces. His roles on boards such as the National Area Health Education Centers Organization, Emerald Coast Equality, and the Mental Health Taskforce of Northwest Florida reflect his commitment to building inclusive and supportive environments for all community members. Click the link to listen to the episode: https://lnk.bio/CivicCon