Community Development Events

9:00 a.m.

Conference Tours

A Tour of Workforce Development Initiatives in Philadelphia’s Kensington Neighborhood

Take a tour of two innovative workforce development programs in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood. First, visit Impact Services Corporation, which, since 1974, has helped more than 24,000 veterans, ex-offenders, and others to find jobs through skills development and job creation. Next, visit the Energy Coordinating Agency of Philadelphia, which operates a green jobs training program in weatherization assistance, energy audits, and lead abatement.

A Tour of Economic Revitalization Efforts in Chester, Pennsylvania, a Small Industrial City

Can Class A office space, a soccer stadium, and a casino on the waterfront help reverse decades of decline, high unemployment, crime, and a failing school district? See Chester’s recent development projects, learn about their impact on the city, and find out what’s coming next.

12 Noon

Opening Lunch Plenary

• Theresa Singleton (Streaming video, 12:39), Vice President and Community Affairs Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
• Charles Plosser (Streaming video, 16:08), President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
• Jeremy Nowak (Streaming video, 40:10), President, William Penn Foundation, and Chairman, Board of Directors, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia

2:00 p.m.

Concurrent Workshops

Building a Job-Ready Workforce During a Time of High Unemployment (MP3 file, 47.7 MB, 1:44;23)

As high unemployment continues, the economic vitality of many cities will likely depend on their ability to better match labor force skills with available jobs. Panelists will discuss effective approaches to workforce development and will focus on populations with the highest levels of unemployment, such as African American males with low levels of education.

• Cheryl Feldman (19 pages, 563 KB), Executive Director, District 1199C Training & Upgrading Fund
• Laura Perna (12 pages, 159 KB), Professor, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania
• Moderator: Todd Greene (24 pages, 1.27 MB), Vice President, Community and Economic Development, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Changing Cultures, Changing Communities: Census 2010 (MP3 file, 39.1 MB, 1:25:27)

The 2010 decennial census confirmed what many cities already knew: City populations are changing dramatically. This session will provide a detailed look at changing demographics and highlight specific strategies that cities are using to embrace these changes.

• William Frey (71 pages, 5.46 MB), Senior Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program, Brookings Institution
• Joseph Salvo (29 pages, 15.2 MB), Director, Population Division, New York City Department of City Planning
• Moderator: Daniel Hartley, Research Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

Innovation with New Information (MP3 file, 46.0 MB, 1:40:38)

Governments are using technology to better understand challenges and create solutions to meet them. Residents are using technology to report problems to local government for quicker resolution. In this session, we explore how technology is changing the relationship between governments and their constituents and offering greater efficiency, transparency, and accountability in the process.

• Jason Kiesel (10 pages, 509 KB), Founder and CEO, CitySourced
• Steve Spiker , Director of Research & Technology, Urban Strategies Council
• Mjumbe Poe, Software Developer, OpenPlans
• Moderator: Lisa Locke, Community Development Specialist, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

What Is the Future for Smaller Industrial Cities? (MP3 file, 40.9 MB, 1:29:25)

Too often discussions about declining cities focus on what they have lost, rather than their quest to create a new 21st century identity. This session will focus on the assets of smaller industrial cities and how those assets can be leveraged to create new economic activity and innovation.

• Yolanda Kodrzycki (14 pages, 170 KB), Vice President and Director of the New England Public Policy Center, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
• Alan Mallach (19 pages, 479 KB), Senior Fellow, Center for Community Progress; Nonresident Senior Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program, Brookings Institution; and Visiting Scholar, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
• Hunter Morrison, Program Director, Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium
• Moderator: Erika Poethig, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

3:30 p.m.

Break

3:45 p.m.

Plenary Session

The Changing Role of Philanthropy (Streaming video, 1:02:14)

Philanthropic organizations are adopting new approaches and strategies in order to have a meaningful impact as the economic recovery continues. This session will explore how philanthropy is evolving and how foundations are redefining their methods and spheres of activity.

• Carol Goss, President and CEO, The Skillman Foundation
• Patrick McCarthy, President and CEO, Annie E. Casey Foundation
• Jeremy Nowak, President, William Penn Foundation, and Chairman, Board of Directors, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
• Moderator: Erika Poethig, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development, Office of Policy Development and Research, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

5:00 p.m.

Reception

7:45 a.m.

Breakfast Roundtables

8:30 a.m.

Concurrent Workshops

Anchors Aweigh: Why Do Anchor Institutions Matter? (MP3 file, 40.7 MB, 1:29:02)

Many cities, including those that are small and mid-size, are home to institutions of higher education, medical centers, and companies that have long histories and strong connections to the area. These organizations can make commitments to the cities themselves as much as to the products or services they provide. This session highlights how anchor institutions are leading cities’ revitalization efforts.

• David Angel (5 pages, 512 KB), President, Clark University, Worcester, MA
• Eugenie Birch (9 pages, 472 KB), Co-Director, Penn Institute for Urban Research, and Lawrence C. Nussdorf Professor of Urban Research and Education, University of Pennsylvania
• Teresa Lynch (5 pages, 109 KB), Senior Vice President and Director of Research, Initiative for a Competitive Inner City
• Moderator: Prabal Chakrabarti, Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

At the Forefront of Foreclosure Prevention (MP3 file, 38.3 MB, 1:23:51)

You heard about the creation of the Philadelphia Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion program at the last Reinventing conference. Now hear an evaluation of its results and learn about another promising foreclosure prevention mediation model from Nevada. Panelists will present data and findings on what works in foreclosure prevention and discuss reforms to better serve the at-risk population.

• Rachel Blake (15 pages, 221 KB), Staff Attorney, Regional Housing Legal Services
• Ira Goldstein (27 pages, 1.41 MB), Director of Policy Solutions, The Reinvestment Fund
• Verise Campbell (14 pages, 180 KB), Deputy Director, Nevada Foreclosure Mediation Program
• Moderator: John Bendel, Director, Community Investment, Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh

Bankruptcy or Bust: How Local Governments Are Managing the Fiscal Crisis (MP3 file, 38.6 MB, 1:24:27)

Plagued with diminishing local tax bases, state and federal budget cuts, increased pension costs, and increasing demand for services, many cities are struggling to survive. This session will explore strategies for addressing fiscal challenges, including bankruptcy.

• Phil Batchelor (26 pages, 1.19 MB), Consultant and Former City Manager, Vallejo, CA
• Robert Inman, Richard King Mellon Professor of Finance, University of Pennsylvania
• Anthony Williams, Senior Strategic Advisor & Independent Consultant, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP
• Moderator: Joseph Firschein, Deputy Associate Director and Community Affairs Officer, Division of Consumer and Community Affairs, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

Building a Strong Small Business Sector in the Global Economy (MP3 file, 42.0 MB, 1:31:44)

Businesses with fewer than 50 employees make up the majority of businesses in America’s small cities and provide most of the new jobs. In this workshop we will discuss who these small business owners are, why they are important to a community’s growth, and what they need to succeed.

• Karen Black (23 pages, 826 KB), President and CEO, May 8 Consulting
• Ana Patricia Muñoz (14 pages, 274 KB), Senior Policy Analyst, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
• Maria Meyers (27 pages, 1.22 MB), Director, U.S. SourceLink
• Moderator: Claire Kramer, Staff Director, Federal Reserve Bank of New York

10:00 a.m.

Break

10:15 a.m.

Concurrent Workshops

Investing in Communities: A Changing CRA (MP3 file, 41.6 MB, 1:31:03)

The subprime mortgage crisis has led to a number of changes to law and policy designed to better protect consumers and to provide financial institutions with more opportunities to lend and invest as they fulfill their CRA obligation to low- and moderate-income people and communities. This session will explore how these new or proposed regulations will benefit consumers and communities.

• Kenneth Benton (29 pages, 213 KB), Senior Specialist, Consumer Regulations, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
• Theresa Stark, Senior Project Manager, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
• Moderator: Paul Kaboth, Vice President and Community Affairs Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

Land Recycling: Exciting New Uses for Brownfields and Vacant Land (MP3 file, 39.4 MB, 1:26:10)

Many industrial cities are finding new uses for once-thriving manufacturing sites that now stand vacant. This session will focus on successful, large-scale, and innovative uses for brownfields and other vacant land. Speakers will discuss new strategies and their on-the-ground implementation.

• Frank Alexander (10 pages, 529 KB), Sam Nunn Professor of Law and Founding Director, Center for the Study of Law and Religion, Emory University, and General Counsel, Center for Community Progress
• John Callahan (71 pages, 4.33 MB), Mayor, Bethlehem, PA
• Elliott Laws (12 pages, 702 KB), Trustee, Racer Trust
• Moderator: Paul Brophy, Principal, Brophy & Reilly, LLC

Revitalizing Textile Cities: A Tale of Two Cities (MP3 file, 41.0 MB, 1:29:45)

Faced with their dominant industries shrinking and jobs moving overseas, many cities are attempting to create new economies. This session will contrast two cities that lost their textile employment base and will look at the decisions that allowed one to thrive while the other has struggled.

• Michael G. Dougherty (16 pages, 1.06 MB), Economic Development Director, Eden, NC
• Keri Allman (22 pages, 1.86 MB), Director, R3 Center, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College
• Kimberly Zeuli (14 pages, 193 KB), Vice President and Community Development Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
• Moderator: David L. Carlton, Associate Professor of History, Vanderbilt University

Urban Education: Models That Work (MP3 file, 42.0 MB, 1:31:47)

For decades this country has been embroiled in a debate about how to improve schools in low-income communities to enhance education levels and improve job readiness. While we continue to debate the merits of vouchers versus charter schools, let’s look at reforms that have worked.

• Will Dobbie (26 pages, 257 KB), Ph.D. Candidate in Public Policy, Harvard University
• Alison Fraser (20 pages, 213 KB), Curriculum and Instructional Resource Development Specialist, Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational-Technical High School
• Scott Gordon (23 pages, 511 KB), CEO, Mastery Charter Schools, Philadelphia
• Moderator: Carolyn Adams, Department of Geography and Urban Studies, Temple University

12 noon

Plenary Lunch

Introduction

Milissa Tadeo (Streaming video, 44:28), Senior Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia

Keynote address

Shaun Donovan (Streaming video, 44:28), Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Respondents’ Panel: What Makes Cities Resilient? (Streaming video, 1:00:48)

Leaders of American cities are working hard to move their cities forward during a time of significant change. Panelists will explore how cities are using planning, adaptable policies, and strategic investment to ensure their resilience over time.

• John Callahan, Mayor, Bethlehem, PA
• Tamar Shapiro, Senior Director, Urban and Social Policy, The German Marshall Fund
• Susan Wachter, Co-Director, Penn Institute for Urban Research, Richard B. Worley Professor of Financial Management, and Professor of Real Estate and Finance, University of Pennsylvania
• Moderator: Richard Walker, Senior Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

2:15 p.m.

Break

2:30 p.m.

Concurrent Workshops

The Creative Economy: Arts and Culture as Economic Development (MP3 file, 38.2 MB, 1:23:34)

Artists, as well as art museums, concert venues, and other cultural centers, can play a leading role in fueling the local economy. This session will explore how arts and culture can be used as an economic development tool to attract investment, residents, and visitors to smaller cities.

• Barbara Ciampini (27 pages, 2.64 MB), Planning Director, Greensburg, PA
• Catherine Creamer (32 pages, 1.83 MB), Executive Director, ArtPrize
• William Renzulli (36 pages, 3.03 MB), Artist, Paducah Artist Relocation Program
• Moderator: Mark Stern, Kenneth L. M. Pray Professor of Social Policy, School of Social Policy & Practice, and Co-Director, Urban Studies Program, University of Pennsylvania

Tomorrow’s Leaders: Attracting Young Professionals and Businesses Seeking Their Talent (MP3 file, 43.6 MB, 1:35:23)

Young, educated professionals bring new skills, innovation, and optimism to the places they call home. This session explores opportunities to attract young professionals and businesses that value their skills and leadership.

• Gilles Duranton (7 pages, 52 KB), Professor of Economics and Noranda Chair in Economics and International Trade, Department of Economics, University of Toronto
• Allison Lamey (17 pages, 740 KB), Director of Community Development, Lowell, MA
• Abby Wilson (52 pages, 2.48 MB), Co-founder, Great Lakes Urban Exchange, and Director, Public Sector & NPO Relations, LUMA Institute
• Moderator: Jeremiah Boyle, Managing Director, Economic Development, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Urban Agriculture: Growing in America’s Cities (MP3 file, 40.9 MB, 1:29:25)

Cities across the country are looking at ways to encourage urban agriculture and access to fresh local food within their borders. They are seeking to put vacant land to use, create jobs, and improve the health and well-being of residents. This session will discuss actions that expand a city’s ability to produce and distribute fresh, healthy local food and eliminate “food deserts.”

• Holly Freishtat (22 pages, 1.70 MB), Director, Baltimore City Food Policy
• Randell McShepard (19 pages, 1.006 B), Founding Partner, Cleveland Rid-All Green Partnership
• Barry Seymour (25 pages, 2.66 MB), Executive Director, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
• Moderator: Domenic Vitiello (5 pages, 563 KB), Assistant Professor, Department of City & Regional Planning, University of Pennsylvania School of Design

2:30 p.m.

Waterfront Revitalization Tour

Cruise the Delaware River and learn about exciting efforts to revitalize both the Philadelphia and Camden sides of the waterfront. Tom Corcoran, president, Delaware River Waterfront Corporation, Philadelphia, and Anthony J. Perno III, CEO, Cooper’s Ferry Partnership, Camden, will share the behind-the-scenes details on key projects designed to provide new amenities for residents, businesses, and tourists.

7:45 a.m.

Breakfast Roundtables

8:30 a.m.

Concurrent Workshops

Embracing Economic Inclusion, Welcoming New Immigrants (MP3 file, 40.9 MB, 1:29:31)

Because of changing demographics, many cities have had to rethink how to create an environment that welcomes immigrants and enables all residents to have access to economic advancement and other opportunities. This session will focus on successful strategies to encourage economic inclusion and to embrace immigration in cities across the country.

• Ramón Borges-Méndez (10 pages, 528 KB), Associate Professor of Community Development & Planning, and Coordinator, Community Development & Planning Program, Clark University
• Scot Spencer (15 pages, 599 KB), Associate Director for Advocacy and Influence, Annie E. Casey Foundation
• Thomas Wahlrab (16 pages, 291 KB), Former Executive Director, Human Relations Council, Dayton, OH
• Moderator: Anne O’Callaghan, President Emeritus, Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians

How Good Is Going Green? A Reality Check (MP3 file, 39.9 MB, 1:27:14)

Businesses and governments are adopting sustainable initiatives at an unprecedented pace. This session will attempt to answer the question: When is environmental sustainability a cost-effective business model that can support revitalization efforts in cities and spur job growth?

• Katherine Gajewski, Director of Sustainability, Philadelphia
• Mark Wolfe, Executive Director, National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association and Energy Programs Consortium
• Catherine Tumber, Independent Scholar and Journalist
• Moderator: Alicia Williams, Vice President, Community Development and Policy Studies, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Road to Resilience: Using Transportation to Revitalize Cities (MP3 file, 37.6 MB, 1:22:19)

High-speed rail and stimulus money for road improvements may have made the headlines over the past year, but many other transportation improvements have been playing a leading role in revitalizing older communities. In this session we explore the role transportation plays in expanding access to jobs and affordable housing, as well as attracting new development and amenities to the areas it serves.

• John Robert Smith (46 pages, 3.25 MB), President and CEO, Reconnecting America, and four-term mayor of Meridian, MS
• Lee Sheehy (14 pages, 1.25B), Program Director, Region and Communities, McKnight Foundation
• Moderator: Richard Voith, Senior Vice President and Principal, Econsult Corporation

Where Does Manufacturing Fit Now? (MP3 file, 41.6 MB, 1:30:59)

Today’s manufacturing sector is creating jobs that require different workforce skills. This session will explore manufacturing’s potential to strengthen city economies.

• Barry Bluestone (41 pages, 1.33 MB), Dean, School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs, and Director, Kitty and Michael Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy, Northeastern University
• Steven Cochrane (17 pages, 1.46 MB), Managing Director, Moody’s Analytics
• Brian Coleman (29 pages, 2.41 MB), CEO, Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center
• Moderator: Joseph Houldin, CEO, Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center

10:00 a.m.

Break

10:15 a.m.

Plenary Session

Meeting with the Mayors (Streaming video, 1:32:06)

Join us for a conversation with several of America’s mayors. These city leaders will share with us the key challenges they face and the innovative strategies they are employing to meet the changing needs of their cities.

• J. Richard Gray, Mayor, Lancaster, PA
• Scott W. Lang, 37th Mayor, New Bedford, MA
• Michael A. Nutter, Mayor, Philadelphia, PA
• Moderator: Sandra Braunstein, Director, Division of Consumer and Community Affairs, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

12 Noon

Keynote Address and Closing Lunch

Introduction

Theresa Singleton, Vice President and Community Affairs Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia

Keynote Address (Streaming video, 50:33)

Edward Glaeser (51 pages, 2.41 MB), Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics, Harvard University, and Director, Taubman Center for State and Local Government and the Rappaport Institute