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We are experiencing a paradigm shift, a fundamental change in the way we usually do things.
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We are intentionally choosing to see the silver lining opportunity arises.
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We can shine a light on the things that weren't working well on those things that weren't really working at all, we can regroup reevaluate and re-engineer it's time to explore new patterns and paradigms those that inspire us to rise above the chaos and explore how the conditions of today and take us to a better tomorrow patterns and paradigms the pattern podcast from Hudson Valley pattern for progress.
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You're listening to episode eight, building a strong regional economy with your host pattern, president and CEO, Jonathan Dropkin.
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We hope you enjoy it.
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Our special election day episode with dr.
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Gerald Benjamin and his daughter, Liz, the conversation rivaled the reality of 2020, which is hard to do these days.
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If you have any questions or comments, please send them to pattern for progress.org/podcast.
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And remember to subscribe to our podcast, which is available on Apple, Amazon music, Spotify, Google tune in and Stitcher, and this week's pattern and paradigms trend.
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We continue to focus on office space.
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The wall street journal this past weekend observed that tech startups are, are subletting space, breaking their leases in some cases and negotiating for lower rents.
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Manhattan's overall office leasing is on target to have the lowest volume.
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In the past 20 years, we asked trend or bubble, and we maintain that when this economic uncertainty ends, it will be in the middle.
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We don't go back to the office five days a week, not with remote work, but we also do not stay home all week long, not with a desire to get out of the house.
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This is going to require some creativity as workers and urban centers are needed customers for small businesses and passengers to make the economics of mass transit work.
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This week.
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Our guest is Laura K.
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Brown director and research associate professor at the university of Buffalo's regional Institute.
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The Institute is part of the school of architecture and planning.
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Laura is here to discuss their forthcoming report, which covers supporting stronger regional economies for all an issue near and dear to pattern for progress.
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The report has four core focus areas seeking improvements in the Buffalo region.
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Placemaking workforce sustainability and innovation.
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But before Laura let's ask patterns, Joe Chakka what's up, Joe,
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Thanks JD.
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Every day we get closer and closer.
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You may ask closer to what Joe, well, let me tell you next week, starting on November 16th pattern is kicking off our 13th annual housing forum.
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The forum gathers leaders and professionals from across the Hudson Valley in the fields of affordable housing, community development, real estate, government planning, and engineering and community lending together in a summit style to discuss current challenges, trends, and policies that impact the Hudson Valley region.
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We've been promoting this event on our website through social media, and I'm sure everyone has received many emails from us with the links to the event page.
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Our forum is totally virtual and has been designed to cover five major elements of housing and community development, including home ownership, multifamily housing, gentrification, with a balanced development, the real estate market and equity, diversity and inclusion.
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The virtual forum is hosted over five consecutive days with a two hour session.
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Each day.
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Each day session will have three components, a keynote, a panel in a solutions lounge.
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You may ask, Hey Joe, what's a solutions lounge.
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Well, I'm glad you asked.
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Let me tell you a little bit about, let me give you perhaps first a little context to this.
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What can we say in our fellow squares words, count and context matters at pattern.
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It is critical to our board and to us as staff, that when we examine an issue and prepare recommendations and strategies, we need to move the dial.
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What does that mean?
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Well, we measure our success by making a difference in our communities, or like I said, moving the dial forward.
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Typically at the end of a keynote address and a panel discussion forums usually have a few questions and answers and then everyone, well, they sorta go away.
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The goal of the solutions lounge is to take a deeper dive into the challenges identified in the panel discussions and look to answer the question.
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So what are we going to do about it?
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In other words, move the dial registrations from the forum.
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We'll have the ability to select what days they want to attend, or they may choose to attend the entire week.
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I want to talk a little bit about the speakers and the panelists.
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Let's start with Monday, Monday, we'll focus on chasing the American dream of home ownership.
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Karen Hoskins, national director of home ownership for NeighborWorks America will provide us with a state of homeownership discussing the impacts of COVID on homeowners and on housing organizations, depending foreclosure concerns for 2021 current challenges, including first time buyers looking into entering the market and existing owners trying to hold onto their home.
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These challenges have been exacerbated during today's economic crisis in the financial fallout for owners is staggering.
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How can we learn from the housing crash of 2008, a different economy, a different time in our history, but yet there will be solutions from what we've learned with real estate prices skyrocketing in the Hudson Valley, the American dream of owning your own home remains elusive for many residents.
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Karen will then join the panel for a conversation about the importance of home ownership and introduce potential solutions for the Hudson Valley region, which we can then carry forward into the solutions lounge with our panelists, Kevin O'Connor from Repko and Deena levy from New York state homes and community renewal.
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On Monday evening, the center for housing solutions is honored to host Diane[inaudible] CEO and president of the national low income housing coalition based in Washington, DC as keynote speaker, she will discuss housing from a national perspective.
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Diane has decades of experience working in housing and dedicating a large part of her career toward helping those in need.
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By being a strong advocate for housing policy on Tuesday, we will be joined by Ruth Ann[inaudible], she's the commissioner of New York Shea homes and community renewal, Ruth, and will provide us with an update on housing from, from the state in terms of programs, initiatives, and perhaps what to look for in 2021 Tuesday's panel will be moderated by Sady McEwen from the community preservation corporation.
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The panel includes Luis Aragon, commissioner of planning in new Rochelle, three developers working in affordable and market rate, housing development, Ken Carney of the Carney group, Lisa Kaseman from conifer and Jeffrey Nelson of RXR, Darren Scott from New York state homes and community renewal will also be joining us.
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The panel will discuss dynamics of the multifamily housing market in terms of finance, changing market demands, property management, and design, and the impact of the moratorium on evictions Wednesday's program.
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We'll dive into gentrification with balanced development investment in the revitalization of our urban centers without displacement has been a longstanding challenge in the Hudson Valley.
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Well, many of these improvements as an important evolution to their success or finding some well, let's say left behind and wondering how they fit into changing communities and how can they afford to remain the region is facing the challenges with balancing demographic shifts, balancing growth and balancing residents' needs.
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All of that will be discussed.
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Ed Poteat, president of Carthage advisors, adjunct professor at Columbia university, and an author will kick off the day's events as our keynote speaker.
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Our panel moderated by Graham troll stead will include guy Kent from Repko David garden of RXR and the mayors of beacon in Kingston, for which both cities are witnessing varying levels of gentrification on Thursday, we're going to be joined by the Hudson Valley real estate leaders for a real estate market update.
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Mike King Zella.
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The executive director of up for growth based out of Washington will deliver a keynote discussing impacts of housing inventory pricing, and the demographic shifts away from large urban centers to the surrounding suburban and rural areas.
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Mike will link these issues with economic development, housing, affordability, and balanced growth.
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We will hear from local and regional leaders in residential real estate market discussing demand supply value in lending.
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We will hear from two real estate attorneys, Paula Kay and William O'Keeffe.
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We will also have bill caldera from Ulster bank and Joe reign from Howard hand Howard Hannah random Realty.
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Joe's original expert in the real estate market and is an extremely dynamic participant on this panel.
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Friday's focus will be on race diversity, equity and inclusion in community development and housing.
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Our keynote speaker is dr.
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Don Trey hand jr.
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He's the director of, of race equity, diversity, and inclusion, what they call ready for NeighborWorks America, dr.
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Trey hin we'll we'll frame the conversation about ready and link each day's themes together to understand the implications of ready in community development in housing and on the impacts within the organizations working in this industry and other industries, dr.
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Dre, Trey Han will also lead us through a question and answer period, along with a real life practicum during the solutions lounge, as the country is faced with enormous challenges in health education, access to capital in the overall economy, the housing crisis is becoming even more difficult to solve the forum begins about five days away from today.
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So go online, go to our website and you'll see tickets are available.
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And I hope to see you there.
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The event is promised to be a great, great week.
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Hi, Laura, and welcome to the show.
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Um, this is patterns and paradigms and, uh, we're delighted to have you with us.
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Uh, tell us a bit about the Buffalo regional Institute.
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Thanks so much for having me.
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Uh, so the university of Buffalo regional Institute, we're a research center under the UV school of architecture and planning.
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Uh, there are about 14 of us, mostly urban planners, um, some lawyers and an architect on our team as well.
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Uh, we were founded more than 20 years ago, uh, by John Schaeffer, who was an assembly member who really wanted to study public policy in the region and really think about regional economies.
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And then we also were merged with, uh, Dean Robert Shipley's, uh, urban design project.
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So they had been doing really important work in the region, thinking about regional economy, uh, thinking about placemaking within the regional economy and the importance of it, uh, for many years.
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So we'd been, uh, I've been there 11 years and, uh, we've been both very focused on economic development in the region, uh, especially partnering with the regional economic development council here, uh, in the Western New York region.
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Um, so as a, as a person on the other side of the state, the three things that come to mind first, when you think about Buffalo are wings, uh, the bells who are good this year, um, and of course, snow, however, I'm going to have to admit to the fact that I was recently in Buffalo and said, you know, Buffalo, billion, other things that have been investment and people have been working on it and it was for my eyes.
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And so you can correct my eyes.
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Um, uh, the, the river, uh, the, the Lake, I guess it would be, uh, clearly look like, um, quite substantial investment people walking around, um, and that, uh, there was something different.
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And I'll also say since we do a lot of data work, you were starting to actually show an increase in, in a younger demographic.
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And, and I would say that to all the people that wanted to be a little snarky about Buffalo, you're wrong.
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What do you think?
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I hope that everyone feels that way.
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If they come back.
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I think people who haven't been here in a long time, I could see why your impressions would be different.
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Uh, I think the last 10 years especially has been a time of growth for us, new growth.
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Um, and that's not something we're used to here.
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Uh, and we did have a swing in demographics with more young people than ever.
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Um, and our economy was changing.
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We were, uh, we have to remember that we had to dig ourselves out of old holes for a long time, that decades of, you know, decline,
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Not just no, but actually economics,
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Right.
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Uh, you know, I think Buffalonians love their hometown.
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Uh, people in Western New York are very proud, but I think, uh, anyone who hasn't been here for a long time can see visible signs of progress.
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So we were always, there's always Buffalo boosters, people who love Buffalo, uh, nationally people do think of, you know, wings, bills and snow.
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Uh, but there's so much more to it.
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We have a very rich architectural history here.
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Uh, lots of beautiful buildings still in place.
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Uh, incredible, incredibly unique spaces.
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We have Olmsted parks here, thousands of acres, uh, you know, I think an incredible waterfront.
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So, um, I remember once I was in San Diego and I had a Buffalo shirt on it, it had sailboats on it.
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And someone from San Diego said, do you guys have water there?
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Uh, yeah, we're, I'm with Gary, uh, and the Niagara river.
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I mean just incredible assets that are very unique as well as the people.
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I mean, I think it's, it's a very warm place.
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Uh, people are very friendly here, but I think the progress that's been made in placemaking.
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So you have revitalization of places that had decades of decline.
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You have places like, um, you know, the Larkin district, uh, the downtown district is really revitalized over time.
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We're working on the East side of Buffalo.
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I think the waterfront is transformed.
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It is a dynamic place now.
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And I think, um, you know, it's still a work in progress, but it's, if you haven't been here for a long time, it's definitely time to come and check it out.
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Um, sort of I'm old enough to know Tim Russert and probably was the best cheerleader for Buffalo.
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Um, you know, if it's Sunday, meet the press and, uh, Tim always had a plug for, um, Buffalo in it.
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Uh, now the Institute itself, you guys are just incredibly busy and I think you're, it's in at least the draft stage, if not more, there's a whole report describing the kind of work that you have been doing.
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So let let's touch off on a couple of those broad areas, and then you can explain it in a deeper dive.
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So you talk about connecting the dots.
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And so what does that mean to you in the Institute and what does it mean for Buffalo?
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I think working with economists, we learn so much about how a regional economy really works and, um, what an ecosystem build really means.
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So you can't look at any of the pieces of the economy in a vacuum without realizing sort of the interdependencies of the different elements of, of an economy and how it works.
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I think a holistic approach to regional economy is, is really critical.
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So all the cylinders need to be firing at the same time and everyone needs to be moving in the same direction.
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And you have to understand how those things impact, uh, one another.
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And so building those foundations of the sort of, you know, ecosystem success, it means that you have to, you know, uh, not compete with one another.
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I think one of the things that was tough in Buffalo and the Western New York region was when you don't have resources, people really compete for every single dollar, every grant, every small opportunity that comes out there, people start to cannibalize each other, uh, just out of survival.
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It's like, you know, every not-for-profit every small government agency people really, um, you know, they wanted to survive.
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They felt the importance of their programs, uh, and what their institutions represented.
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And it's, you have to put egos aside.
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It would seem to me that, um, while that was always true, that COVID-19 and the lack of state and federal funding you're going to encounter more of this.
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Yeah.
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I think, I think the important element of realizing that you're part of a bigger ecosystem is really having more genuine conversations with one another about not competing against each other, building on your strengths and saying when w when resources are limited, rather than fighting each other for those few resources that you have a much better impact, if you can come together around those resources and build together, uh, we historically had trouble with that because of the limited resources.
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So when the regional economic development council concept came up, uh, with, uh, governor Cuomo, and they said, you know, as regions are competing, um, that forced us to come together as a region, uh, based on opportunity.
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Uh, so when things like COVID hit, we were already sort of in the mode of collaborating, uh, around a plan around, you know, um, United ideas, uh, that we were moving forward with.
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So you have to remember when we started our regional economic development plan, that was in 2011.
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Uh, we do not have a regional body here, uh, for governing.
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So, uh, in a lot of ways, the regional Institute, you know, tries to keep the momentum going on regional strategy.
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Uh, and that's an important role for us to have here.
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Um, I think we, we were already, you know, we were in recovery mode as an economy to begin with, right.
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So we were digging ourselves out of big holes.
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Uh, we weren't, you know, how do you get to growth?
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Well, you know, people start to say the growth isn't enough.
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Well, we were lucky to get to growth.
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We had to, you know, build ourselves back up again, uh, to get to a moment where we said, okay, we're here.
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And now we want to, you know, capitalize and get to a new moment.
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So when jobs, wages and firms started to hit a new trajectory and started to say, we're, we're increasing when young people started to be increasing, those were big moments for us as a region.
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So, uh, now we're in another moment of recovery.
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Um, I think it's, but we're better poised as a region to think together and act together.
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I think, uh, to collaborate in an ecosystem build
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No to, to your, um, to your credit, the data points with regard to the attraction of a younger group of people were starting to show up.
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And they're obviously for your efforts or your efforts with a collaboration of others, uh, there's a lot of credit to be given for what was happening in Buffalo, you know, pre COVID.
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So, um, you value placemaking so entrepreneurs by defining for some of our listeners, what does it mean placemaking, and then maybe some examples of how you're doing it in Buffalo.
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So great places attract people, ed, uh, and companies.
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So in an economic development perspective, the better your places, the more attractive it is, the higher quality of life that you have.
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So that's great public spaces that are very accessible, uh, walkable places, uh, not sprawling.
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So we sprawled for decades here, even though we were, so our population was going down, but our hinges was coating up.
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Uh, and we really, uh, as a region, weren't acknowledging that.
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And, uh, I'd say the regional economic development council plan calling out smart growth, which sounds funny in our region, right?
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Smart growth without population growth.
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Sounds like why would you even have to think about it?
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Um, it's a no brainer when you actually draw it out on paper, but I think conceptually again, you get into that survival mode and people say any development is good development.
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Doesn't matter where it is.
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So that sprawl caused a lot of inequities.
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It caused a lot of, um, uh, you know, bad land use decisions.
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Um, and those are, those are costly over time obviously, and what it takes to keep those places up and to build the infrastructure out, um, and loss of farm land, and other, uh, other issues, big issues.
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So placemaking is creating great places.
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It's about concentrating where you, you put the jobs, uh, and where you sort of focus your investments on the economy.
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Um, water, when you have unique waterfront assets or unique, unique architecture, you want to build on those strengths and say, you know, you have the core of great places already, and you want to make sure that those are publicly assessable accessible in fabulous places.
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And that attracts young people for sure, uh, which is, which was a target goal of ours as well.
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So if you think about the demographics of economy, you have to have those 20 somethings, either staying or coming back, because they're the ones who are going to be working the longest, having families spending money on housing, uh, you know, had disposable income.
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We had an aging population here for a long time, which, you know, uh, it's, it's great.
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It's great to have any population, but I think, you know, they're on the back end of disposable income.
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They're not buying new houses.
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Uh, sometimes they move out of the area.
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So out migration is a very, you know, our, our migration is actually pretty typical, but in migration is what we really have to focus on and young people with our target.
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Sure.
00:25:09.250 --> 00:25:17.140
So do you have a certain project when you think of place-making that you're really proud of that you've been involved in or a couple?
00:25:18.490 --> 00:25:23.410
Yeah, I think we, uh, we were lucky enough to be involved in lots of place-making.
00:25:23.411 --> 00:25:26.019
That's sort of one of our core, uh, elements of mission.
00:25:26.470 --> 00:25:32.380
The, one of the ones that we're working on right now is imagined Lasell, which is actually the Ralph Wilson jr.
00:25:32.589 --> 00:25:35.259
Centennial park, uh, which is a waterfront park.
00:25:36.250 --> 00:25:48.700
Uh, some of the, the best Parkland that we have, uh, it's a city park and, uh, the Ralph Wilson jr foundation, um, committed$50 million to this park.
00:25:48.970 --> 00:25:54.369
So we've been involved in the, in the community engagement around that lots of partnership there, right?
00:25:54.371 --> 00:26:01.569
So you have the city of Buffalo, you have the Wilson foundation, um, and you have a community who's who embraces and loves this park.
00:26:02.559 --> 00:26:04.059
Um, but it's a new vision for it.
00:26:04.329 --> 00:26:12.460
It was an amazing thing to be part of because in Buffalo, we're used to sort of thinking about budget and thinking about the restrictions of that.
00:26:12.789 --> 00:26:22.180
So the reason it was called imagine Lasell was, uh, we wanted people to open up their imaginations and say, um, don't think about the price tag just yet.
00:26:22.509 --> 00:26:33.880
Let's imagine a new vision for ourselves, not limit ourselves, uh, in what that means, um, is to, to really sort of unlock the waterfront in a new way.
00:26:34.240 --> 00:26:48.809
Uh, and people were, we had thousands of people replying to, to, uh, surveys and participating, and we ha we were out there all summer, not this summer summers previous, and, um, you know, the engagement, wasn't incredible.
00:26:48.810 --> 00:26:56.819
There's a great international community, uh, lots of, um, uh, international population living in the surrounding neighborhoods.
00:26:56.820 --> 00:27:05.849
So we, we had, um, we had translated into eight languages for those services surveys, and it was just, uh, an amazing experience.
00:27:06.140 --> 00:27:15.240
And so we're still in the design phases working, uh, with, uh, Michael van Valkenburgh and associates, which is an incredible landscape architecture firm really world-class.
00:27:15.240 --> 00:27:18.240
So we were very lucky to be involved in something like that.
00:27:18.299 --> 00:27:25.109
And those waterfront spaces are, you know, the impact of those in the long-term is a measurable.
00:27:25.111 --> 00:27:29.460
So we're, you know, those kind of projects are once in a lifetime sort of projects.
00:27:30.329 --> 00:27:30.329
Um,
00:27:31.819 --> 00:27:32.150
All right.
00:27:32.151 --> 00:27:36.920
Let's, let's pivot a popular word, um, workforce development.
00:27:38.029 --> 00:27:59.240
Um, I think there, isn't a section of New York state that isn't thinking about, what do they need to do to upscale, rescale it, pick your word, there's any number of ways to describe it, but it sounds like you've settled on a number of strategies for improving the workforce there.
00:27:59.539 --> 00:28:05.960
And I wonder first, what were they and does COVID change any of your thinking about that?
00:28:07.819 --> 00:28:19.490
Uh, I'd say workforce is probably something that I'm pretty obsessed with and, and have been, because very early on in the, in the economic development work, it was so clear that labor drives everything.
00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:24.440
So businesses need workers, workers need jobs.
00:28:24.680 --> 00:28:27.230
That's how you get to economic growth for all right.
00:28:27.230 --> 00:28:36.799
So I think, um, and where those jobs are is again, the accessibility of those jobs and the training for those jobs becomes a really important question that we have to think about regionally too.
00:28:37.609 --> 00:28:41.599
I think the best path to self-sufficiency is good paying jobs.
00:28:41.601 --> 00:28:44.000
So how do we connect those things?
00:28:44.210 --> 00:29:01.519
What we kept uncovering every time we would do, you know, the research was the mismatch, and it's such a, it's such a strange mystery of why, why there's, you know, unemployment and all of these unfilled jobs, like what, what is missing in that equation?
00:29:01.910 --> 00:29:07.220
And we kept testing theories over and over again about why that was happening.
00:29:07.369 --> 00:29:14.420
Where was the gap who wasn't talking to each other in that equation, it's a very broken ecosystem and workforce development.
00:29:14.421 --> 00:29:26.779
And I've, you know, we've never really understood why, I think in the early stages of, um, Northland workforce training center, which is probably what I would talk about as sort of the epitome of our workforce strategy.
00:29:27.529 --> 00:29:30.289
It's like a workforce incubator or it's like it.
00:29:30.380 --> 00:29:30.680
Yeah.
00:29:31.579 --> 00:29:35.240
So we, it started with a conversation around manufacturing.
00:29:35.240 --> 00:29:45.849
So when we took a deep dive into what sectors, uh, what we had to think about in terms of workforce sectors, and we started to say, well, we can't solve the workforce problem, big picture, right?
00:29:46.119 --> 00:29:47.470
Like just too big.
00:29:47.829 --> 00:30:00.279
So, um, we, we started to look at our sectors and the sectors that mattered to our region and manufacturing has been a legacy, uh, sector for us for a long time that we used to be overdependent on it.
00:30:00.880 --> 00:30:03.970
Uh, that was one of our problems we needed to diversify our sectors.
00:30:04.990 --> 00:30:11.740
And I think in manufacturing, we saw these incredibly scary retirement cliffs coming.
00:30:12.339 --> 00:30:19.539
And, uh, we, we, you know, we were seeing 20,000 retirements coming up in the next 10 years and we thought, Whoa, who's, who's going to fill those jobs.
00:30:19.540 --> 00:30:21.309
Some of those are really good paying jobs.
00:30:21.549 --> 00:30:23.259
They have a very specific skillset.
00:30:24.190 --> 00:30:35.049
And when we started to dig into it, uh, we would, we would talk to companies and they'd say, uh, the training that we have now just does not, they're not teaching the right skills.
00:30:35.619 --> 00:30:40.839
And then you would go to the trainers and you'd say, well, industry says, you know, w we don't have the right skills.
00:30:40.840 --> 00:30:43.210
And they would say, well, they've never said that to us.
00:30:44.289 --> 00:30:52.180
We started, you know, we started having hard conversations with each other in the region to say, what, you know, have you just never changed?
00:30:52.181 --> 00:30:58.960
The curriculum has industry never given you good feedback, whereas where, you know, are the relationships broken?
00:30:58.961 --> 00:31:04.839
And we had tough conversations with each other and the, at Northland, it was a holistic approach.
00:31:04.869 --> 00:31:13.839
So we built it, uh, specifically on the East side, a hundred million dollars has been put into, uh, the restoration of a manufacturing corridor.
00:31:14.200 --> 00:31:28.690
And that whole idea of what it meant to do the Northland workforce training center was to say, you have to think about all of the needs around manufacturing, what the needs of industry are and what the needs of a new target population for manufacturing could look like.
00:31:28.990 --> 00:31:31.119
So intentionally built on the East side.
00:31:31.150 --> 00:31:32.980
So that was the place-making piece of it.
00:31:33.430 --> 00:31:42.279
Again, very accessible people from the neighborhood in the surrounding area can actually walk to this training, had to be accessible to everyone.
00:31:42.280 --> 00:31:45.190
It had to have, you know, a series of services.
00:31:45.329 --> 00:31:47.349
We thought about every barrier.
00:31:47.769 --> 00:31:54.670
So manufacturers or anyone in workforce development will say, Oh, well, you know, you have to think about childcare.
00:31:54.730 --> 00:31:58.180
You have to think about transportation wrap around services, right?
00:31:58.720 --> 00:32:05.650
Every, so every time a barrier would be brought up, we'd say, Oh, we got to have a solution because people will always use that excuse.
00:32:05.980 --> 00:32:10.150
And, and then we just can't, we just have to run out of excuses as a community.
00:32:10.900 --> 00:32:14.829
Uh, so building that training center, very collaborative process.
00:32:14.859 --> 00:32:23.559
So we had Catholic charities, we had Buffalo, urban league, we had Goodwill, uh, all working with us, um, to do the wraparound services aspect of it.
00:32:24.579 --> 00:32:33.819
Um, and you, you just wanted to eliminate any barriers and say, you know, how do we reach diversity in manufacturing and a new population and a new pipeline.
00:32:34.150 --> 00:32:43.369
That was the pipeline piece was the scariest, because we thought, how are we going to catch up to that gray tsunami that's coming, uh, with these very specific skills.
00:32:43.371 --> 00:32:47.269
So an industry came in and said, this is the curriculum that we need.
00:32:47.690 --> 00:32:52.430
So they, you know, it was a new conversation, but it took years to build that model.
00:32:52.549 --> 00:32:59.299
And then, you know, obviously we had the, we had the benefit of Buffalo billion, which gave us the resource to, to invest in it.
00:32:59.950 --> 00:33:11.829
So, um, manufacturing is become very, very topical right now in terms of, um, due to COVID, uh, we found supply chain, disruption.
00:33:12.430 --> 00:33:27.400
We have actually, if it's even remotely possible an issue that Democrats and Republicans can rally around, which is reassuring of manufacturing, or onshoring a slightly different take on it.
00:33:27.789 --> 00:33:48.490
But the notion that there's this sort of once in a lifetime opportunity to increase manufacturing here in the United States, um, which is, uh, a nice, you know, um, thought, but we're going to need a workforce and talking to many people out there, they're concerned about it.
00:33:48.819 --> 00:34:04.329
So pre COVID, um, a tech company like, um, Google used to go, I think they're up to 23% of their workforce is right out of high school.
00:34:05.589 --> 00:34:22.510
And over here, uh, Siemens, huge engineering company has, you know, I, I had conversations with them where they said, um, not always, but they often say, you know, we'd like to have them right out of high school, we'll finish the training.
00:34:23.199 --> 00:34:30.909
Where in the spectrum of workforce development, is it right out of high school?
00:34:31.690 --> 00:34:34.630
Is it the community college level?
00:34:35.289 --> 00:34:37.449
Is it the four year training?
00:34:37.780 --> 00:34:40.210
Where has your experience told you?
00:34:40.210 --> 00:34:41.170
We should be thinking,
00:34:41.920 --> 00:34:50.590
I think in the sort of middle skills category, which is maybe it's the maximum that you might need out of that is an associates degree.
00:34:50.739 --> 00:34:56.320
So it, at least in our sectors and in the needs of manufacturing, four year degree is not necessary.
00:34:56.500 --> 00:34:56.800
Right.
00:34:56.800 --> 00:35:02.530
So I think, uh, what we do at Northland is, uh, we partner with SUNY actually.
00:35:02.530 --> 00:35:06.699
So it's, uh, Alfred, uh, and Erie, SUNY Erie.
00:35:07.449 --> 00:35:18.190
Uh, so I think the community college model does make sense, uh, in this sort of skill building, um, and middle skills, uh, elements, I think in tech as well.
00:35:18.190 --> 00:35:27.880
So we are also working on a new tech Academy in our region, uh, capitalizing on the moment that that tech is a very powerful engine.
00:35:28.150 --> 00:35:36.789
We have, uh, M and T bank in our region, which is, um, has promised a lot of tech jobs right in our downtown core, which was a new commitment from them.
00:35:37.349 --> 00:35:47.489
And those opportunities represent an incredible, uh, resurgence of the sort of mid skills sort of category of, of workforce development.
00:35:47.550 --> 00:35:56.340
And that, you know, that's some training and sometimes an associates degree, but it's, it's short much shorter term than a, than a four-year degree.
00:35:56.670 --> 00:35:58.349
You know, there's still value in that, of course.
00:35:58.351 --> 00:36:06.179
And there always will be, but I, I think there are some shorter term goals that we could reach in workforce development in a much faster timeframe.
00:36:06.739 --> 00:36:24.710
Well, and I think also as, as, um, I was reading through your report equity and finding jobs for those people who, um, were maybe on a pathway to low-income, um, we have to think about this very differently right now we have that moment.
00:36:24.710 --> 00:36:32.960
We have this disruption, which is when you get to do the kind of thinking that you may have finally gotten to do when someone said here's a billion dollars.
00:36:33.489 --> 00:36:34.400
Right, right.
00:36:35.059 --> 00:36:35.690
Uh, yeah.
00:36:35.690 --> 00:36:37.579
What a unique opportunity to have.
00:36:37.581 --> 00:36:46.579
And I think that's part of why I felt so compelled to leverage all of those moments to say, we're never going to have a moment like this again.
00:36:46.581 --> 00:36:57.619
So how do we, as a community really embrace this and, uh, do all the hard thinking and all the hard collaborating that it takes to get to, you know, a unified plan around these things.
00:36:57.621 --> 00:37:05.269
I think the, the, it's a really important thing to think about, uh, the diversity and inclusion aspect of labor.
00:37:05.300 --> 00:37:10.340
And, um, again, it, so you can have lots of excuses of why it didn't work in the past.
00:37:10.369 --> 00:37:11.480
It really doesn't matter.
00:37:11.960 --> 00:37:13.639
We are where we are right now.
00:37:14.030 --> 00:37:28.070
And, um, the opportunities that you create as long as they're an accessible, either both accessible places and accessible timeframes for training, uh, and what it means to sort of, you know, do diff a different kind of community outreach around it.
00:37:28.070 --> 00:37:33.409
One of the things that Steven Tucker who's the leader of the Northland, uh, workforce training center has done.
00:37:33.411 --> 00:37:40.099
He went to every church, every small business in the community, uh, did a lot of personal outreach.
00:37:40.101 --> 00:37:45.139
He goes to every high school and talks about the, you know, the opportunity that manufacturing represents.
00:37:45.469 --> 00:37:50.329
We had a whole generation of parents telling kids, don't go, Oh, don't go into manufacturing.
00:37:50.510 --> 00:37:54.409
It's, you know, it's 30, it's, you know, yucky place to work.
00:37:54.500 --> 00:37:56.210
I want you to get a college education.
00:37:56.510 --> 00:38:02.119
So we, you know, we were not building the pipeline because we were pushing people away from sectors like that.
00:38:03.079 --> 00:38:05.150
And, uh, you know, that to our detriment, right?
00:38:05.150 --> 00:38:17.719
So then we, weren't building, you know, the backlog, this, you know, massive tsunami that's coming of, of retirement that people just, you know, if they don't want a missed opportunity, it could be because they are good paying jobs.
00:38:17.721 --> 00:38:27.679
And I think, I think there will be a focus of, of, uh, you know, a national focus on, on onshore manufacturing and what it means to keep it in the country.
00:38:27.681 --> 00:38:34.219
I think that's a real opportunity for a place that has had had a manufacturing legacy and has as many companies as we do.
00:38:34.670 --> 00:38:36.090
So, you know, I,
00:38:36.090 --> 00:38:44.050
I think, um, w I may have skipped over something, do you need to, we need to explain to our listeners, what was the Buffalo billion?
00:38:45.239 --> 00:38:54.780
So Buffalo billion was a commitment from governor Cuomo for$1 billion of economic development investment in the region.
00:38:55.409 --> 00:39:02.969
So in 2011, we had, we had done our, uh, Western New York regional economic development council strategy.
00:39:04.079 --> 00:39:09.329
We were one of the original winners out of the 10, uh, uh, councils.
00:39:10.260 --> 00:39:24.599
And, um, it wasn't, it was a moment where we came together as a community and in a way that I think, uh, made an impression, um, uh, the governor and his administration to say, Ooh, Western New York was able to pull together a good strategic plan.
00:39:25.230 --> 00:39:38.820
Uh, you had people like Bruce Katz, you know, great thinkers, uh, when thinking about regional economies, pushing for, you know, a big initiative that says, you know, how do you commit to a place in a way that gives them a unique opportunity?
00:39:38.820 --> 00:39:48.030
So, you know, they have this, this plan that they've unified around, how do we accelerate that plan and sort of, you know, put some real gasoline on it.
00:39:48.539 --> 00:39:56.349
So we were lucky that the governor, uh, chose to do Buffalo billion with a, B, I remember hearing the story.
00:39:56.351 --> 00:40:13.980
I was Howard Zemsky, who was, you know, the, the head of ESD later at the time, he was our regional economic development council chair, uh, and Christina Orsi, they, they had been, uh, in Albany for the announcement and they were in the car on the way back and they, and their, their cell phones were dying because they had talked to so many people.
00:40:14.519 --> 00:40:22.110
And I, and I was, I remember saying, did you say billion with a, B didn't seem possible?
00:40:22.949 --> 00:40:34.650
Uh, and then we had the incredible benefit of working with, uh, McKinsey and Brookings, and we were the sort of local partner, um, um, what it meant to build the plan for economic development around that.
00:40:35.969 --> 00:40:38.789
Um, the first round went well.
00:40:38.791 --> 00:40:42.989
And I think that the governor came back and made another$500 million commitment.
00:40:42.989 --> 00:40:44.909
So that was phase two, a Buffalo billion.
00:40:45.690 --> 00:41:03.539
Uh, so we were able to do a lot of the, uh, engage in a lot of the pieces of the original plan that we, you know, you do a billion is a lot, but you have a lot of ideas that come out of a strategy when you're working with, you know, powerhouses like McKinsey and Brookings, and the community was just so catalyzed by that moment.
00:41:04.590 --> 00:41:08.789
Um, and it, it, it made all the difference in the world to have a level of investment like that, to think about.
00:41:09.599 --> 00:41:09.599
Okay.
00:41:09.869 --> 00:41:20.010
Uh, well, I think it, you know, for all of us that were jealous myself included, um, I think it was the alliteration that worked for you, which was Buffalo billion.
00:41:20.699 --> 00:41:23.039
The Buffalo million never would have sounded nearly.
00:41:23.099 --> 00:41:23.099
Yeah,
00:41:24.389 --> 00:41:24.809
It's true.
00:41:24.811 --> 00:41:26.280
Thank God that we started with a B
00:41:28.800 --> 00:41:35.989
One of the things that I thought was really interesting in your, in your report was the name numbers in need.
00:41:37.099 --> 00:41:40.760
And I think that's a really, you know, we work with demographic numbers.
00:41:41.030 --> 00:41:49.460
We, we love playing with numbers, that pattern, but what does it mean for you and how do you use that to explain things to people?
00:41:51.190 --> 00:41:58.030
Yeah, so, uh, numbers in need is part of the John O'Shea foundations, uh, mobile safety net team initiative.
00:41:58.389 --> 00:42:03.400
So that grew out of, um, the, uh, the 2008 recession.
00:42:03.460 --> 00:42:07.449
They really wanted to focus on, uh, new people in poverty.
00:42:07.539 --> 00:42:14.650
So we, you know, when the recession happened, there were people who had no idea how to navigate a social services infrastructure.
00:42:14.920 --> 00:42:23.860
You had, uh, people, uh, new, you were finding new poverty and new places that, um, were unexpected, and they wanted to really explore that.
00:42:23.860 --> 00:42:25.809
So they chose 12 communities.
00:42:26.500 --> 00:42:35.469
Um, and again, there's sort of, you know, there's like a suburban, there's an urban, and there's a rural look at across those 12 communities to really say what's happening inside of those.
00:42:35.860 --> 00:42:38.500
And what, w w what is poverty really look like?
00:42:38.679 --> 00:42:40.599
Who is the face of poverty within that?
00:42:40.989 --> 00:42:57.099
So, um, when we thought about numbers in need, we wanted to have every tool to evaluate sort of, you know, what's happening in the social services infrastructure around those places where poverty is really popping up, or, you know, sustained over time.
00:42:58.150 --> 00:43:06.429
And that gives us a more informed decision decision on the economic development to say, decide to say where, where is growth really needed?
00:43:07.449 --> 00:43:09.460
Um, you know, where are services needed?
00:43:09.760 --> 00:43:17.110
Where should we be thinking about concentrating things like workforce development programs, again, how do you get to self-sufficiency it's good paying jobs.
00:43:17.469 --> 00:43:25.869
So I think, you know, really being able to pinpoint those moments together as a community and saying, where are the numbers concentrated?
00:43:25.871 --> 00:43:30.400
And what can we do about it, uh, is a really important exercise for us to stay involved in.
00:43:30.400 --> 00:43:39.909
It's easy to get caught off and say, Oh, things are going better, but, you know, there's always the acknowledgement of, of, of people who get left behind in these things.
00:43:39.911 --> 00:43:51.070
And I think, you know, we've consciously tried to, to focus on those, to say, we, we gotta keep looking at the numbers in need across the board to make sure we understand all the patterns that emerge
00:43:51.429 --> 00:43:51.760
Well.
00:43:51.760 --> 00:44:06.909
And I think, um, in light of the election, uh, some people may not have, uh, may not walk away with good feelings about numbers when it comes to polling, but demographics, um, and tell a big story.
00:44:06.911 --> 00:44:12.820
And we always think they, um, are, you know, they're there, if you they're there to help you.
00:44:12.820 --> 00:44:16.329
And it really sounds like that's what you're trying to do with numbers and needs.
00:44:16.331 --> 00:44:24.340
So I thought that was just a great way to try to explain to communities where are you, and then it helps you build on the future of where you can go.
00:44:25.269 --> 00:44:30.880
Um, sustainability is a word that is used in so many different contexts.
00:44:31.469 --> 00:44:35.219
And for you, what does sustainability mean?
00:44:36.710 --> 00:44:45.110
I think, um, it, it does have a lot of, uh, meanings too, and I think all of them are applicable when it comes to, uh, the economy.
00:44:45.110 --> 00:44:48.739
I think it's really about looking to solutions for the future.
00:44:48.860 --> 00:44:52.219
So I think that they're all futuristic things to be thinking about.
00:44:52.460 --> 00:44:54.199
Uh, but sustainability is
00:44:54.539 --> 00:44:55.159
That's okay.
00:44:55.161 --> 00:44:57.380
This is a show about looking into the future.
00:44:57.949 --> 00:44:58.550
That's fine.
00:44:59.480 --> 00:45:04.699
Uh, you know, we do a program called clean energy communities, uh, in partnership with other upstate regions.
00:45:04.730 --> 00:45:07.550
That's a nicer to funded, um, uh, initiative.
00:45:08.210 --> 00:45:14.690
And we want to, uh, we want to continuously understand the impacts of different scenarios and choices that we make.
00:45:14.719 --> 00:45:17.690
So sometimes it's municipalities that are making those choices.
00:45:17.690 --> 00:45:35.059
So in the case of clean energy communities, it's thinking about how do we gear ourselves more towards futuristic thinking and, um, think about the different scenarios and the choices and the impacts of those, uh, choices that we make both in the short end, the long-term, where is there cost savings?
00:45:35.061 --> 00:45:38.239
Where are we thinking about environmental key environmental issues?
00:45:39.079 --> 00:45:44.090
Uh, where does it make sense for us to sort of go deep on, uh, thinking about sustainability?
00:45:44.809 --> 00:45:49.969
Um, it also has to do with, you know, green space and public space, which is really more critical than ever.
00:45:49.969 --> 00:45:56.929
I think, uh, COVID really demonstrated the incredible value of public space, which was great for me.
00:45:56.931 --> 00:46:14.269
So I worked for the Olmsted, uh, Buffalo Olmsted parks Conservancy for seven years, and I think the power of public spaces and the democracy of those public spaces, um, w when there was a big public health crisis and people needed to be outside by those public spaces were more valuable than ever.
00:46:14.599 --> 00:46:26.750
And I think, um, what it means to have sustainability around, um, your, you know, the economy and the environment, those things all go hand in hand, there's almost always a triple bottom line when you really look for it.
00:46:27.440 --> 00:46:29.539
Uh, so we're always trying to think about those things.
00:46:29.541 --> 00:46:38.059
And I think when you, even in, uh, in terms of recovery, you know, there's an efficiency there that we should all be thinking about together in a sort of futuristic way.
00:46:38.900 --> 00:46:40.099
Are you a Buffalonian?
00:46:41.030 --> 00:46:42.860
I'm a native Buffalonian.
00:46:44.150 --> 00:46:48.469
Um, I moved to Boston for a couple of years, uh, and came back.
00:46:49.340 --> 00:46:51.829
I also come from a huge family.
00:46:51.831 --> 00:46:55.849
So I always joke that we're sort of, uh, poised to take over.
00:46:55.851 --> 00:46:57.230
I'm the youngest of nine.
00:46:57.320 --> 00:47:00.800
My father was from the Philippines and my mother was from Albany, New York.
00:47:01.070 --> 00:47:05.239
And they met, he came for med school and she was a nurse and he was a doctor.
00:47:05.240 --> 00:47:08.360
And, uh, they met in Albany and then had nine kids.
00:47:08.360 --> 00:47:09.949
I have 28 nieces and nephews.
00:47:10.039 --> 00:47:10.849
So lots of things,
00:47:11.690 --> 00:47:11.690
Eight.
00:47:12.170 --> 00:47:12.619
Yes.
00:47:12.829 --> 00:47:13.579
Well, wait a second.
00:47:13.581 --> 00:47:19.130
So I assume with Thanksgiving coming up, this is, this is not going to be the same for you,
00:47:19.699 --> 00:47:25.849
You know, um, we average 50 people at Thanksgiving, so obviously family,
00:47:26.030 --> 00:47:30.070
You're not the governor doesn't allow that we're
00:47:30.070 --> 00:47:32.559
Doing zoom Thanksgiving, for sure.
00:47:32.920 --> 00:47:39.159
We'll all be sort of eating our individual dinners and waving to each other on zoom.
00:47:39.219 --> 00:47:42.610
It's definitely a different scenario all summer long.
00:47:42.610 --> 00:47:46.840
It was a different scenario that this year has been family gatherings, very different.
00:47:47.500 --> 00:47:53.489
I, I I'm well aware, um, and I've left the best for last, which is innovation.
00:47:54.269 --> 00:47:59.699
Um, innovation is, it is the thing that sparks imagination.
00:47:59.701 --> 00:48:17.159
It's the thing that I think right now in the, the difficulties of COVID of social unrest of economic disruption, one of the things, and that's our theme is how we can use this period to get to a better place.
00:48:17.190 --> 00:48:30.960
Now you've been experimenting with invasion for years and, and it's, uh, um, it may be sometimes an overused word, but how can you overuse the idea of how can we be in a better place?
00:48:31.289 --> 00:48:32.639
So what are you working on?
00:48:33.960 --> 00:48:39.539
I think it's, it is critical to think about innovation in all of its constructs.
00:48:39.541 --> 00:48:46.860
I think the willingness to try things to risk, to experiment, to sometimes fail and learn.
00:48:47.489 --> 00:49:07.829
Uh, that's what, what I think about when it comes to innovation, our focus within the regional economic development work has been entrepreneurs and small businesses and what it means to, um, really have, um, a very competitive place for those, for people who want to start their own business, or who want to grow business as entrepreneurs.
00:49:08.760 --> 00:49:27.119
Um, how do you make a good match for the regional assets that you have and how do you make it a very constructive environment for small businesses and entrepreneurs, small businesses when it comes to workforce should not be overlooked, you know, it's, they employ a lot of people that are really important, uh, critical piece of the economy.
00:49:27.449 --> 00:49:40.409
I think it's, um, it's also really, when I think of innovation, I, we talk about best practices, a lot, which is really important, but one of the things that I think a lot about is context matters in innovation.
00:49:40.409 --> 00:49:52.860
So you'll hear this great idea, and we've worked with lots of great national people who brought good ideas, but when you look at the context of who funds it, who runs it, uh, what's the ecosystem that supports it.
00:49:52.889 --> 00:49:58.800
You have to look at your regional context and say, it might be a great idea, but how do we adapt it for our region?
00:49:59.460 --> 00:50:11.309
Um, sometimes you hear about these great programs and you realize it's funded by someone who's headquartered in that place, or, uh, a massive endowment, you know, with a foundation, you know, with resources that we don't have.
00:50:11.670 --> 00:50:20.460
So I think innovation means, you know, those are great ideas and you can bring those great ideas in, but it's really, how do you think about sustainability in your own region?
00:50:21.090 --> 00:50:28.849
I think, um, one of the things that we've worked really hard to do is leverage those moments like Buffalo billion, our local foundations and funders.
00:50:29.239 --> 00:50:32.329
So Eastside avenues, which is a really good example of that.
00:50:32.719 --> 00:50:37.039
So we had$65 million of capital hitting the street, uh, any side avenues.
00:50:37.489 --> 00:50:55.880
And we, we thought that was great, but we, we said, how do we do capacity building within the East side community-based organizations and within the residents of the community, uh, to make sure that that capital doesn't just mean great buildings without sustainable programs over time and capacity to sustain those programs over time.
00:50:56.269 --> 00:51:14.389
So we have 14 funders, six banks, uh, and the rest of them are foundations, uh, that are, that contributed more than$8 million to match that a$65 million capital commitment just dedicated to capacity building with community-based organizations on the East side.
00:51:14.391 --> 00:51:15.920
And it's a five-year initiative.
00:51:16.340 --> 00:51:22.280
So those are the moments of innovation where you say, um, we want to do an ecosystem build.
00:51:22.309 --> 00:51:24.980
We have this amazing moment in time.
00:51:25.639 --> 00:51:27.230
Uh, and those are risky things, right?
00:51:27.530 --> 00:51:30.409
It's experimental to do that level of collaboration.
00:51:30.411 --> 00:51:39.380
So 14 funders, you have, you know, state investments going on and you're looking at sort of, you know, where are the pivotal places within the East side to invest in?
00:51:39.380 --> 00:51:48.949
It's, you know, they're focused investments around commercial districts, small businesses, you know, teaching how, uh, residents, how to do real estate development.
00:51:49.250 --> 00:51:56.030
You know, these are, um, you know, innovative concepts that we have to try and sometimes learn from.
00:51:56.659 --> 00:51:59.570
Uh, but it's a level of collaboration that's unprecedented in our region.
00:51:59.570 --> 00:52:02.090
So I think it's really important to innovate in those ways too.
00:52:02.889 --> 00:52:23.500
It's, it's like a, I often try to explain to people that it's okay to fail if you're, if you're in the effort of trying to get to a better place, I don't think we ever would have landed on the moon if we didn't understand that failure is part of the process and not to demonize people that fail, but to say, you know, good tribe.
00:52:23.530 --> 00:52:24.820
What did we learn though?
00:52:24.909 --> 00:52:25.599
And so, okay.
00:52:25.869 --> 00:52:26.650
It's so true.
00:52:26.650 --> 00:52:32.710
I teach an, uh, economic development planning class and in the, at UBI, uh, within the planning department.
00:52:32.710 --> 00:52:35.619
And I, um, I always talk about optimism and urban planning.
00:52:35.621 --> 00:52:38.800
I'm actually starting to put some notes together for a book on it.
00:52:39.400 --> 00:52:50.320
I think it's so important to, you know, be thinking as urban planners to be thinking about how do we, how do we really evaluate and measure success as urban planners?
00:52:51.099 --> 00:52:56.889
Um, how do we, you know, capitalize on those unique opportunities that come up as a community.
00:52:57.309 --> 00:53:05.829
And, you know, I had this heard this great interview with a Rosamond Zander who said, you know, the power of positive thinking is different than optimism.
00:53:06.190 --> 00:53:09.610
You know, positive thinking is just like wishing and hoping it gets better.
00:53:09.849 --> 00:53:12.639
Optimism is working towards that collective goal.
00:53:13.000 --> 00:53:16.150
So I think that, you know, that's a very powerful moment for me.
00:53:16.159 --> 00:53:19.230
That's why I think it's, you know, I would love to write a book about it.
00:53:19.250 --> 00:53:20.590
I have some notes together on it.
00:53:20.590 --> 00:53:34.619
I think it's such an important thing, especially in dark moments to, you know, think about how you keep picking yourself up and dusting yourself off as communities and saying, how do we keep moving forward, even when things are tough.
00:53:34.679 --> 00:53:37.469
So those are important things to think about.
00:53:38.130 --> 00:53:40.079
I think that's a great place to leave it.
00:53:40.800 --> 00:53:41.880
Uh, Laura Kay Brown.
00:53:41.909 --> 00:53:44.190
Thank you so much for your time today.
00:53:44.670 --> 00:53:46.050
Uh, this is Jonathan Dropkin.
00:53:46.079 --> 00:53:48.329
This is patterns and paradigms.
00:53:49.039 --> 00:53:53.059
Thank you for tuning in to patterns and paradigms the pattern podcast.
00:53:53.480 --> 00:54:01.280
For more information about this episode, visit our website pattern for progress.org forward slash podcast.
00:00:03.540 --> 00:00:11.939
We are experiencing a paradigm shift, a fundamental change in the way we usually do things.
00:00:13.740 --> 00:00:19.920
We are intentionally choosing to see the silver lining opportunity arises.
00:00:22.710 --> 00:00:56.640
We can shine a light on the things that weren't working well on those things that weren't really working at all, we can regroup reevaluate and re-engineer it's time to explore new patterns and paradigms those that inspire us to rise above the chaos and explore how the conditions of today and take us to a better tomorrow patterns and paradigms the pattern podcast from Hudson Valley pattern for progress.
00:00:57.210 --> 00:01:06.030
You're listening to episode eight, building a strong regional economy with your host pattern, president and CEO, Jonathan Dropkin.
00:01:06.379 --> 00:01:07.400
We hope you enjoy it.
00:01:07.400 --> 00:01:10.219
Our special election day episode with dr.
00:01:10.221 --> 00:01:18.379
Gerald Benjamin and his daughter, Liz, the conversation rivaled the reality of 2020, which is hard to do these days.
00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:25.819
If you have any questions or comments, please send them to pattern for progress.org/podcast.
00:01:26.269 --> 00:01:39.980
And remember to subscribe to our podcast, which is available on Apple, Amazon music, Spotify, Google tune in and Stitcher, and this week's pattern and paradigms trend.
00:01:40.010 --> 00:01:43.370
We continue to focus on office space.
00:01:43.909 --> 00:01:55.159
The wall street journal this past weekend observed that tech startups are, are subletting space, breaking their leases in some cases and negotiating for lower rents.
00:01:56.209 --> 00:02:02.269
Manhattan's overall office leasing is on target to have the lowest volume.
00:02:02.271 --> 00:02:12.889
In the past 20 years, we asked trend or bubble, and we maintain that when this economic uncertainty ends, it will be in the middle.
00:02:13.370 --> 00:02:24.590
We don't go back to the office five days a week, not with remote work, but we also do not stay home all week long, not with a desire to get out of the house.
00:02:25.039 --> 00:02:36.740
This is going to require some creativity as workers and urban centers are needed customers for small businesses and passengers to make the economics of mass transit work.
00:02:38.210 --> 00:02:38.870
This week.
00:02:38.930 --> 00:02:41.180
Our guest is Laura K.
00:02:41.180 --> 00:02:47.719
Brown director and research associate professor at the university of Buffalo's regional Institute.
00:02:48.229 --> 00:02:52.219
The Institute is part of the school of architecture and planning.
00:02:52.849 --> 00:03:03.610
Laura is here to discuss their forthcoming report, which covers supporting stronger regional economies for all an issue near and dear to pattern for progress.
00:03:04.330 --> 00:03:10.060
The report has four core focus areas seeking improvements in the Buffalo region.
00:03:11.409 --> 00:03:15.159
Placemaking workforce sustainability and innovation.
00:03:15.699 --> 00:03:20.409
But before Laura let's ask patterns, Joe Chakka what's up, Joe,
00:03:21.659 --> 00:03:22.500
Thanks JD.
00:03:23.550 --> 00:03:25.620
Every day we get closer and closer.
00:03:26.099 --> 00:03:37.710
You may ask closer to what Joe, well, let me tell you next week, starting on November 16th pattern is kicking off our 13th annual housing forum.
00:03:38.490 --> 00:04:00.900
The forum gathers leaders and professionals from across the Hudson Valley in the fields of affordable housing, community development, real estate, government planning, and engineering and community lending together in a summit style to discuss current challenges, trends, and policies that impact the Hudson Valley region.
00:04:01.979 --> 00:04:12.750
We've been promoting this event on our website through social media, and I'm sure everyone has received many emails from us with the links to the event page.
00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:34.410
Our forum is totally virtual and has been designed to cover five major elements of housing and community development, including home ownership, multifamily housing, gentrification, with a balanced development, the real estate market and equity, diversity and inclusion.
00:04:35.550 --> 00:04:40.829
The virtual forum is hosted over five consecutive days with a two hour session.
00:04:40.860 --> 00:04:41.490
Each day.
00:04:42.329 --> 00:04:47.430
Each day session will have three components, a keynote, a panel in a solutions lounge.
00:04:48.420 --> 00:04:52.170
You may ask, Hey Joe, what's a solutions lounge.
00:04:52.620 --> 00:04:54.149
Well, I'm glad you asked.
00:04:54.259 --> 00:05:01.319
Let me tell you a little bit about, let me give you perhaps first a little context to this.
00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:07.949
What can we say in our fellow squares words, count and context matters at pattern.
00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:19.529
It is critical to our board and to us as staff, that when we examine an issue and prepare recommendations and strategies, we need to move the dial.
00:05:20.220 --> 00:05:21.120
What does that mean?
00:05:21.870 --> 00:05:29.670
Well, we measure our success by making a difference in our communities, or like I said, moving the dial forward.
00:05:31.139 --> 00:05:42.629
Typically at the end of a keynote address and a panel discussion forums usually have a few questions and answers and then everyone, well, they sorta go away.
00:05:43.740 --> 00:05:53.220
The goal of the solutions lounge is to take a deeper dive into the challenges identified in the panel discussions and look to answer the question.
00:05:53.730 --> 00:05:56.339
So what are we going to do about it?
00:05:56.850 --> 00:06:01.670
In other words, move the dial registrations from the forum.
00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:09.379
We'll have the ability to select what days they want to attend, or they may choose to attend the entire week.
00:06:10.399 --> 00:06:13.910
I want to talk a little bit about the speakers and the panelists.
00:06:14.839 --> 00:06:20.810
Let's start with Monday, Monday, we'll focus on chasing the American dream of home ownership.
00:06:21.529 --> 00:06:48.019
Karen Hoskins, national director of home ownership for NeighborWorks America will provide us with a state of homeownership discussing the impacts of COVID on homeowners and on housing organizations, depending foreclosure concerns for 2021 current challenges, including first time buyers looking into entering the market and existing owners trying to hold onto their home.
00:06:49.430 --> 00:06:58.069
These challenges have been exacerbated during today's economic crisis in the financial fallout for owners is staggering.
00:06:58.970 --> 00:07:19.310
How can we learn from the housing crash of 2008, a different economy, a different time in our history, but yet there will be solutions from what we've learned with real estate prices skyrocketing in the Hudson Valley, the American dream of owning your own home remains elusive for many residents.
00:07:19.819 --> 00:07:42.050
Karen will then join the panel for a conversation about the importance of home ownership and introduce potential solutions for the Hudson Valley region, which we can then carry forward into the solutions lounge with our panelists, Kevin O'Connor from Repko and Deena levy from New York state homes and community renewal.
00:07:43.069 --> 00:08:00.019
On Monday evening, the center for housing solutions is honored to host Diane[inaudible] CEO and president of the national low income housing coalition based in Washington, DC as keynote speaker, she will discuss housing from a national perspective.
00:08:00.620 --> 00:08:08.149
Diane has decades of experience working in housing and dedicating a large part of her career toward helping those in need.
00:08:08.389 --> 00:08:38.929
By being a strong advocate for housing policy on Tuesday, we will be joined by Ruth Ann[inaudible], she's the commissioner of New York Shea homes and community renewal, Ruth, and will provide us with an update on housing from, from the state in terms of programs, initiatives, and perhaps what to look for in 2021 Tuesday's panel will be moderated by Sady McEwen from the community preservation corporation.
00:08:39.710 --> 00:09:02.250
The panel includes Luis Aragon, commissioner of planning in new Rochelle, three developers working in affordable and market rate, housing development, Ken Carney of the Carney group, Lisa Kaseman from conifer and Jeffrey Nelson of RXR, Darren Scott from New York state homes and community renewal will also be joining us.
00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:18.720
The panel will discuss dynamics of the multifamily housing market in terms of finance, changing market demands, property management, and design, and the impact of the moratorium on evictions Wednesday's program.
00:09:18.721 --> 00:09:31.649
We'll dive into gentrification with balanced development investment in the revitalization of our urban centers without displacement has been a longstanding challenge in the Hudson Valley.
00:09:32.340 --> 00:10:00.629
Well, many of these improvements as an important evolution to their success or finding some well, let's say left behind and wondering how they fit into changing communities and how can they afford to remain the region is facing the challenges with balancing demographic shifts, balancing growth and balancing residents' needs.
00:10:00.990 --> 00:10:02.669
All of that will be discussed.
00:10:03.480 --> 00:10:15.450
Ed Poteat, president of Carthage advisors, adjunct professor at Columbia university, and an author will kick off the day's events as our keynote speaker.
00:10:16.169 --> 00:10:39.809
Our panel moderated by Graham troll stead will include guy Kent from Repko David garden of RXR and the mayors of beacon in Kingston, for which both cities are witnessing varying levels of gentrification on Thursday, we're going to be joined by the Hudson Valley real estate leaders for a real estate market update.
00:10:40.350 --> 00:10:41.610
Mike King Zella.
00:10:41.970 --> 00:10:59.039
The executive director of up for growth based out of Washington will deliver a keynote discussing impacts of housing inventory pricing, and the demographic shifts away from large urban centers to the surrounding suburban and rural areas.
00:10:59.700 --> 00:11:05.879
Mike will link these issues with economic development, housing, affordability, and balanced growth.
00:11:06.870 --> 00:11:17.100
We will hear from local and regional leaders in residential real estate market discussing demand supply value in lending.
00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:22.440
We will hear from two real estate attorneys, Paula Kay and William O'Keeffe.
00:11:22.950 --> 00:11:32.009
We will also have bill caldera from Ulster bank and Joe reign from Howard hand Howard Hannah random Realty.
00:11:33.059 --> 00:11:39.509
Joe's original expert in the real estate market and is an extremely dynamic participant on this panel.
00:11:40.980 --> 00:11:47.940
Friday's focus will be on race diversity, equity and inclusion in community development and housing.
00:11:48.629 --> 00:11:50.250
Our keynote speaker is dr.
00:11:50.250 --> 00:11:51.899
Don Trey hand jr.
00:11:52.320 --> 00:12:00.789
He's the director of, of race equity, diversity, and inclusion, what they call ready for NeighborWorks America, dr.
00:12:00.791 --> 00:12:20.559
Trey hin we'll we'll frame the conversation about ready and link each day's themes together to understand the implications of ready in community development in housing and on the impacts within the organizations working in this industry and other industries, dr.
00:12:20.561 --> 00:12:47.230
Dre, Trey Han will also lead us through a question and answer period, along with a real life practicum during the solutions lounge, as the country is faced with enormous challenges in health education, access to capital in the overall economy, the housing crisis is becoming even more difficult to solve the forum begins about five days away from today.
00:12:47.350 --> 00:12:52.059
So go online, go to our website and you'll see tickets are available.
00:12:52.299 --> 00:12:53.769
And I hope to see you there.
00:12:53.860 --> 00:12:57.970
The event is promised to be a great, great week.
00:12:58.950 --> 00:13:01.590
Hi, Laura, and welcome to the show.
00:13:02.340 --> 00:13:07.200
Um, this is patterns and paradigms and, uh, we're delighted to have you with us.
00:13:07.980 --> 00:13:11.789
Uh, tell us a bit about the Buffalo regional Institute.
00:13:13.169 --> 00:13:14.549
Thanks so much for having me.
00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:21.360
Uh, so the university of Buffalo regional Institute, we're a research center under the UV school of architecture and planning.
00:13:22.590 --> 00:13:29.340
Uh, there are about 14 of us, mostly urban planners, um, some lawyers and an architect on our team as well.
00:13:30.570 --> 00:13:40.590
Uh, we were founded more than 20 years ago, uh, by John Schaeffer, who was an assembly member who really wanted to study public policy in the region and really think about regional economies.
00:13:41.039 --> 00:13:46.590
And then we also were merged with, uh, Dean Robert Shipley's, uh, urban design project.
00:13:46.830 --> 00:13:57.990
So they had been doing really important work in the region, thinking about regional economy, uh, thinking about placemaking within the regional economy and the importance of it, uh, for many years.
00:13:57.990 --> 00:14:10.919
So we'd been, uh, I've been there 11 years and, uh, we've been both very focused on economic development in the region, uh, especially partnering with the regional economic development council here, uh, in the Western New York region.
00:14:12.480 --> 00:14:44.039
Um, so as a, as a person on the other side of the state, the three things that come to mind first, when you think about Buffalo are wings, uh, the bells who are good this year, um, and of course, snow, however, I'm going to have to admit to the fact that I was recently in Buffalo and said, you know, Buffalo, billion, other things that have been investment and people have been working on it and it was for my eyes.
00:14:44.041 --> 00:14:46.200
And so you can correct my eyes.
00:14:46.679 --> 00:15:03.799
Um, uh, the, the river, uh, the, the Lake, I guess it would be, uh, clearly look like, um, quite substantial investment people walking around, um, and that, uh, there was something different.
00:15:03.801 --> 00:15:12.500
And I'll also say since we do a lot of data work, you were starting to actually show an increase in, in a younger demographic.
00:15:13.039 --> 00:15:18.980
And, and I would say that to all the people that wanted to be a little snarky about Buffalo, you're wrong.
00:15:19.580 --> 00:15:20.299
What do you think?
00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:24.159
I hope that everyone feels that way.
00:15:24.160 --> 00:15:25.000
If they come back.
00:15:25.000 --> 00:15:31.059
I think people who haven't been here in a long time, I could see why your impressions would be different.
00:15:31.809 --> 00:15:37.149
Uh, I think the last 10 years especially has been a time of growth for us, new growth.
00:15:37.659 --> 00:15:39.820
Um, and that's not something we're used to here.
00:15:40.210 --> 00:15:45.039
Uh, and we did have a swing in demographics with more young people than ever.
00:15:45.940 --> 00:15:47.740
Um, and our economy was changing.
00:15:47.740 --> 00:15:56.019
We were, uh, we have to remember that we had to dig ourselves out of old holes for a long time, that decades of, you know, decline,
00:15:56.409 --> 00:15:58.960
Not just no, but actually economics,
00:16:01.720 --> 00:16:01.720
Right.
00:16:02.500 --> 00:16:06.100
Uh, you know, I think Buffalonians love their hometown.
00:16:06.759 --> 00:16:14.320
Uh, people in Western New York are very proud, but I think, uh, anyone who hasn't been here for a long time can see visible signs of progress.
00:16:14.350 --> 00:16:22.450
So we were always, there's always Buffalo boosters, people who love Buffalo, uh, nationally people do think of, you know, wings, bills and snow.
00:16:23.049 --> 00:16:24.580
Uh, but there's so much more to it.
00:16:24.581 --> 00:16:28.000
We have a very rich architectural history here.
00:16:28.240 --> 00:16:30.399
Uh, lots of beautiful buildings still in place.
00:16:30.909 --> 00:16:33.490
Uh, incredible, incredibly unique spaces.
00:16:33.490 --> 00:16:39.340
We have Olmsted parks here, thousands of acres, uh, you know, I think an incredible waterfront.
00:16:39.370 --> 00:16:45.879
So, um, I remember once I was in San Diego and I had a Buffalo shirt on it, it had sailboats on it.
00:16:45.880 --> 00:16:48.970
And someone from San Diego said, do you guys have water there?
00:16:49.840 --> 00:16:53.470
Uh, yeah, we're, I'm with Gary, uh, and the Niagara river.
00:16:53.470 --> 00:16:58.029
I mean just incredible assets that are very unique as well as the people.
00:16:58.030 --> 00:17:00.730
I mean, I think it's, it's a very warm place.
00:17:01.210 --> 00:17:05.200
Uh, people are very friendly here, but I think the progress that's been made in placemaking.
00:17:05.410 --> 00:17:09.849
So you have revitalization of places that had decades of decline.
00:17:09.851 --> 00:17:17.859
You have places like, um, you know, the Larkin district, uh, the downtown district is really revitalized over time.
00:17:18.039 --> 00:17:19.900
We're working on the East side of Buffalo.
00:17:19.901 --> 00:17:22.420
I think the waterfront is transformed.
00:17:22.450 --> 00:17:24.279
It is a dynamic place now.
00:17:24.280 --> 00:17:30.819
And I think, um, you know, it's still a work in progress, but it's, if you haven't been here for a long time, it's definitely time to come and check it out.
00:17:32.440 --> 00:17:41.079
Um, sort of I'm old enough to know Tim Russert and probably was the best cheerleader for Buffalo.
00:17:41.650 --> 00:17:48.910
Um, you know, if it's Sunday, meet the press and, uh, Tim always had a plug for, um, Buffalo in it.
00:17:49.440 --> 00:18:04.380
Uh, now the Institute itself, you guys are just incredibly busy and I think you're, it's in at least the draft stage, if not more, there's a whole report describing the kind of work that you have been doing.
00:18:04.381 --> 00:18:11.339
So let let's touch off on a couple of those broad areas, and then you can explain it in a deeper dive.
00:18:11.340 --> 00:18:14.250
So you talk about connecting the dots.
00:18:14.880 --> 00:18:19.769
And so what does that mean to you in the Institute and what does it mean for Buffalo?
00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:31.400
I think working with economists, we learn so much about how a regional economy really works and, um, what an ecosystem build really means.
00:18:31.460 --> 00:18:41.359
So you can't look at any of the pieces of the economy in a vacuum without realizing sort of the interdependencies of the different elements of, of an economy and how it works.
00:18:41.900 --> 00:18:46.400
I think a holistic approach to regional economy is, is really critical.
00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:53.059
So all the cylinders need to be firing at the same time and everyone needs to be moving in the same direction.
00:18:53.539 --> 00:18:56.930
And you have to understand how those things impact, uh, one another.
00:18:57.440 --> 00:19:07.730
And so building those foundations of the sort of, you know, ecosystem success, it means that you have to, you know, uh, not compete with one another.
00:19:07.730 --> 00:19:24.799
I think one of the things that was tough in Buffalo and the Western New York region was when you don't have resources, people really compete for every single dollar, every grant, every small opportunity that comes out there, people start to cannibalize each other, uh, just out of survival.
00:19:24.829 --> 00:19:32.569
It's like, you know, every not-for-profit every small government agency people really, um, you know, they wanted to survive.
00:19:32.599 --> 00:19:37.309
They felt the importance of their programs, uh, and what their institutions represented.
00:19:37.940 --> 00:19:40.069
And it's, you have to put egos aside.
00:19:40.549 --> 00:19:52.789
It would seem to me that, um, while that was always true, that COVID-19 and the lack of state and federal funding you're going to encounter more of this.
00:19:53.720 --> 00:19:54.079
Yeah.
00:19:54.080 --> 00:20:21.380
I think, I think the important element of realizing that you're part of a bigger ecosystem is really having more genuine conversations with one another about not competing against each other, building on your strengths and saying when w when resources are limited, rather than fighting each other for those few resources that you have a much better impact, if you can come together around those resources and build together, uh, we historically had trouble with that because of the limited resources.
00:20:21.740 --> 00:20:35.420
So when the regional economic development council concept came up, uh, with, uh, governor Cuomo, and they said, you know, as regions are competing, um, that forced us to come together as a region, uh, based on opportunity.
00:20:35.990 --> 00:20:48.880
Uh, so when things like COVID hit, we were already sort of in the mode of collaborating, uh, around a plan around, you know, um, United ideas, uh, that we were moving forward with.
00:20:48.940 --> 00:20:55.359
So you have to remember when we started our regional economic development plan, that was in 2011.
00:20:56.769 --> 00:21:00.490
Uh, we do not have a regional body here, uh, for governing.
00:21:00.519 --> 00:21:06.819
So, uh, in a lot of ways, the regional Institute, you know, tries to keep the momentum going on regional strategy.
00:21:07.500 --> 00:21:10.029
Uh, and that's an important role for us to have here.
00:21:10.599 --> 00:21:18.099
Um, I think we, we were already, you know, we were in recovery mode as an economy to begin with, right.
00:21:18.101 --> 00:21:20.289
So we were digging ourselves out of big holes.
00:21:20.980 --> 00:21:23.079
Uh, we weren't, you know, how do you get to growth?
00:21:23.140 --> 00:21:26.410
Well, you know, people start to say the growth isn't enough.
00:21:26.680 --> 00:21:28.150
Well, we were lucky to get to growth.
00:21:28.151 --> 00:21:34.029
We had to, you know, build ourselves back up again, uh, to get to a moment where we said, okay, we're here.
00:21:34.030 --> 00:21:37.059
And now we want to, you know, capitalize and get to a new moment.
00:21:37.359 --> 00:21:48.789
So when jobs, wages and firms started to hit a new trajectory and started to say, we're, we're increasing when young people started to be increasing, those were big moments for us as a region.
00:21:48.790 --> 00:21:52.180
So, uh, now we're in another moment of recovery.
00:21:52.569 --> 00:21:57.490
Um, I think it's, but we're better poised as a region to think together and act together.
00:21:57.490 --> 00:22:00.250
I think, uh, to collaborate in an ecosystem build
00:22:01.289 --> 00:22:10.500
No to, to your, um, to your credit, the data points with regard to the attraction of a younger group of people were starting to show up.
00:22:10.500 --> 00:22:24.960
And they're obviously for your efforts or your efforts with a collaboration of others, uh, there's a lot of credit to be given for what was happening in Buffalo, you know, pre COVID.
00:22:24.990 --> 00:22:39.150
So, um, you value placemaking so entrepreneurs by defining for some of our listeners, what does it mean placemaking, and then maybe some examples of how you're doing it in Buffalo.
00:22:40.980 --> 00:22:46.079
So great places attract people, ed, uh, and companies.
00:22:46.259 --> 00:22:54.210
So in an economic development perspective, the better your places, the more attractive it is, the higher quality of life that you have.
00:22:54.211 --> 00:23:01.470
So that's great public spaces that are very accessible, uh, walkable places, uh, not sprawling.
00:23:01.471 --> 00:23:07.920
So we sprawled for decades here, even though we were, so our population was going down, but our hinges was coating up.
00:23:08.670 --> 00:23:12.150
Uh, and we really, uh, as a region, weren't acknowledging that.
00:23:12.210 --> 00:23:19.440
And, uh, I'd say the regional economic development council plan calling out smart growth, which sounds funny in our region, right?
00:23:19.441 --> 00:23:21.599
Smart growth without population growth.
00:23:21.960 --> 00:23:23.759
Sounds like why would you even have to think about it?
00:23:24.539 --> 00:23:34.319
Um, it's a no brainer when you actually draw it out on paper, but I think conceptually again, you get into that survival mode and people say any development is good development.
00:23:34.320 --> 00:23:35.400
Doesn't matter where it is.
00:23:35.730 --> 00:23:38.970
So that sprawl caused a lot of inequities.
00:23:39.000 --> 00:23:43.799
It caused a lot of, um, uh, you know, bad land use decisions.
00:23:44.490 --> 00:23:55.250
Um, and those are, those are costly over time obviously, and what it takes to keep those places up and to build the infrastructure out, um, and loss of farm land, and other, uh, other issues, big issues.
00:23:55.250 --> 00:23:57.799
So placemaking is creating great places.
00:23:58.130 --> 00:24:04.910
It's about concentrating where you, you put the jobs, uh, and where you sort of focus your investments on the economy.
00:24:06.019 --> 00:24:20.480
Um, water, when you have unique waterfront assets or unique, unique architecture, you want to build on those strengths and say, you know, you have the core of great places already, and you want to make sure that those are publicly assessable accessible in fabulous places.
00:24:20.539 --> 00:24:26.390
And that attracts young people for sure, uh, which is, which was a target goal of ours as well.
00:24:26.960 --> 00:24:43.579
So if you think about the demographics of economy, you have to have those 20 somethings, either staying or coming back, because they're the ones who are going to be working the longest, having families spending money on housing, uh, you know, had disposable income.
00:24:43.580 --> 00:24:49.009
We had an aging population here for a long time, which, you know, uh, it's, it's great.
00:24:49.460 --> 00:24:55.519
It's great to have any population, but I think, you know, they're on the back end of disposable income.
00:24:55.819 --> 00:24:57.650
They're not buying new houses.
00:24:58.099 --> 00:24:59.660
Uh, sometimes they move out of the area.
00:24:59.661 --> 00:25:08.210
So out migration is a very, you know, our, our migration is actually pretty typical, but in migration is what we really have to focus on and young people with our target.
00:25:08.410 --> 00:25:08.650
Sure.
00:25:09.250 --> 00:25:17.140
So do you have a certain project when you think of place-making that you're really proud of that you've been involved in or a couple?
00:25:18.490 --> 00:25:23.410
Yeah, I think we, uh, we were lucky enough to be involved in lots of place-making.
00:25:23.411 --> 00:25:26.019
That's sort of one of our core, uh, elements of mission.
00:25:26.470 --> 00:25:32.380
The, one of the ones that we're working on right now is imagined Lasell, which is actually the Ralph Wilson jr.
00:25:32.589 --> 00:25:35.259
Centennial park, uh, which is a waterfront park.
00:25:36.250 --> 00:25:48.700
Uh, some of the, the best Parkland that we have, uh, it's a city park and, uh, the Ralph Wilson jr foundation, um, committed$50 million to this park.
00:25:48.970 --> 00:25:54.369
So we've been involved in the, in the community engagement around that lots of partnership there, right?
00:25:54.371 --> 00:26:01.569
So you have the city of Buffalo, you have the Wilson foundation, um, and you have a community who's who embraces and loves this park.
00:26:02.559 --> 00:26:04.059
Um, but it's a new vision for it.
00:26:04.329 --> 00:26:12.460
It was an amazing thing to be part of because in Buffalo, we're used to sort of thinking about budget and thinking about the restrictions of that.
00:26:12.789 --> 00:26:22.180
So the reason it was called imagine Lasell was, uh, we wanted people to open up their imaginations and say, um, don't think about the price tag just yet.
00:26:22.509 --> 00:26:33.880
Let's imagine a new vision for ourselves, not limit ourselves, uh, in what that means, um, is to, to really sort of unlock the waterfront in a new way.
00:26:34.240 --> 00:26:48.809
Uh, and people were, we had thousands of people replying to, to, uh, surveys and participating, and we ha we were out there all summer, not this summer summers previous, and, um, you know, the engagement, wasn't incredible.
00:26:48.810 --> 00:26:56.819
There's a great international community, uh, lots of, um, uh, international population living in the surrounding neighborhoods.
00:26:56.820 --> 00:27:05.849
So we, we had, um, we had translated into eight languages for those services surveys, and it was just, uh, an amazing experience.
00:27:06.140 --> 00:27:15.240
And so we're still in the design phases working, uh, with, uh, Michael van Valkenburgh and associates, which is an incredible landscape architecture firm really world-class.
00:27:15.240 --> 00:27:18.240
So we were very lucky to be involved in something like that.
00:27:18.299 --> 00:27:25.109
And those waterfront spaces are, you know, the impact of those in the long-term is a measurable.
00:27:25.111 --> 00:27:29.460
So we're, you know, those kind of projects are once in a lifetime sort of projects.
00:27:30.329 --> 00:27:30.329
Um,
00:27:31.819 --> 00:27:32.150
All right.
00:27:32.151 --> 00:27:36.920
Let's, let's pivot a popular word, um, workforce development.
00:27:38.029 --> 00:27:59.240
Um, I think there, isn't a section of New York state that isn't thinking about, what do they need to do to upscale, rescale it, pick your word, there's any number of ways to describe it, but it sounds like you've settled on a number of strategies for improving the workforce there.
00:27:59.539 --> 00:28:05.960
And I wonder first, what were they and does COVID change any of your thinking about that?
00:28:07.819 --> 00:28:19.490
Uh, I'd say workforce is probably something that I'm pretty obsessed with and, and have been, because very early on in the, in the economic development work, it was so clear that labor drives everything.
00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:24.440
So businesses need workers, workers need jobs.
00:28:24.680 --> 00:28:27.230
That's how you get to economic growth for all right.
00:28:27.230 --> 00:28:36.799
So I think, um, and where those jobs are is again, the accessibility of those jobs and the training for those jobs becomes a really important question that we have to think about regionally too.
00:28:37.609 --> 00:28:41.599
I think the best path to self-sufficiency is good paying jobs.
00:28:41.601 --> 00:28:44.000
So how do we connect those things?
00:28:44.210 --> 00:29:01.519
What we kept uncovering every time we would do, you know, the research was the mismatch, and it's such a, it's such a strange mystery of why, why there's, you know, unemployment and all of these unfilled jobs, like what, what is missing in that equation?
00:29:01.910 --> 00:29:07.220
And we kept testing theories over and over again about why that was happening.
00:29:07.369 --> 00:29:14.420
Where was the gap who wasn't talking to each other in that equation, it's a very broken ecosystem and workforce development.
00:29:14.421 --> 00:29:26.779
And I've, you know, we've never really understood why, I think in the early stages of, um, Northland workforce training center, which is probably what I would talk about as sort of the epitome of our workforce strategy.
00:29:27.529 --> 00:29:30.289
It's like a workforce incubator or it's like it.
00:29:30.380 --> 00:29:30.680
Yeah.
00:29:31.579 --> 00:29:35.240
So we, it started with a conversation around manufacturing.
00:29:35.240 --> 00:29:45.849
So when we took a deep dive into what sectors, uh, what we had to think about in terms of workforce sectors, and we started to say, well, we can't solve the workforce problem, big picture, right?
00:29:46.119 --> 00:29:47.470
Like just too big.
00:29:47.829 --> 00:30:00.279
So, um, we, we started to look at our sectors and the sectors that mattered to our region and manufacturing has been a legacy, uh, sector for us for a long time that we used to be overdependent on it.
00:30:00.880 --> 00:30:03.970
Uh, that was one of our problems we needed to diversify our sectors.
00:30:04.990 --> 00:30:11.740
And I think in manufacturing, we saw these incredibly scary retirement cliffs coming.
00:30:12.339 --> 00:30:19.539
And, uh, we, we, you know, we were seeing 20,000 retirements coming up in the next 10 years and we thought, Whoa, who's, who's going to fill those jobs.
00:30:19.540 --> 00:30:21.309
Some of those are really good paying jobs.
00:30:21.549 --> 00:30:23.259
They have a very specific skillset.
00:30:24.190 --> 00:30:35.049
And when we started to dig into it, uh, we would, we would talk to companies and they'd say, uh, the training that we have now just does not, they're not teaching the right skills.
00:30:35.619 --> 00:30:40.839
And then you would go to the trainers and you'd say, well, industry says, you know, w we don't have the right skills.
00:30:40.840 --> 00:30:43.210
And they would say, well, they've never said that to us.
00:30:44.289 --> 00:30:52.180
We started, you know, we started having hard conversations with each other in the region to say, what, you know, have you just never changed?
00:30:52.181 --> 00:30:58.960
The curriculum has industry never given you good feedback, whereas where, you know, are the relationships broken?
00:30:58.961 --> 00:31:04.839
And we had tough conversations with each other and the, at Northland, it was a holistic approach.
00:31:04.869 --> 00:31:13.839
So we built it, uh, specifically on the East side, a hundred million dollars has been put into, uh, the restoration of a manufacturing corridor.
00:31:14.200 --> 00:31:28.690
And that whole idea of what it meant to do the Northland workforce training center was to say, you have to think about all of the needs around manufacturing, what the needs of industry are and what the needs of a new target population for manufacturing could look like.
00:31:28.990 --> 00:31:31.119
So intentionally built on the East side.
00:31:31.150 --> 00:31:32.980
So that was the place-making piece of it.
00:31:33.430 --> 00:31:42.279
Again, very accessible people from the neighborhood in the surrounding area can actually walk to this training, had to be accessible to everyone.
00:31:42.280 --> 00:31:45.190
It had to have, you know, a series of services.
00:31:45.329 --> 00:31:47.349
We thought about every barrier.
00:31:47.769 --> 00:31:54.670
So manufacturers or anyone in workforce development will say, Oh, well, you know, you have to think about childcare.
00:31:54.730 --> 00:31:58.180
You have to think about transportation wrap around services, right?
00:31:58.720 --> 00:32:05.650
Every, so every time a barrier would be brought up, we'd say, Oh, we got to have a solution because people will always use that excuse.
00:32:05.980 --> 00:32:10.150
And, and then we just can't, we just have to run out of excuses as a community.
00:32:10.900 --> 00:32:14.829
Uh, so building that training center, very collaborative process.
00:32:14.859 --> 00:32:23.559
So we had Catholic charities, we had Buffalo, urban league, we had Goodwill, uh, all working with us, um, to do the wraparound services aspect of it.
00:32:24.579 --> 00:32:33.819
Um, and you, you just wanted to eliminate any barriers and say, you know, how do we reach diversity in manufacturing and a new population and a new pipeline.
00:32:34.150 --> 00:32:43.369
That was the pipeline piece was the scariest, because we thought, how are we going to catch up to that gray tsunami that's coming, uh, with these very specific skills.
00:32:43.371 --> 00:32:47.269
So an industry came in and said, this is the curriculum that we need.
00:32:47.690 --> 00:32:52.430
So they, you know, it was a new conversation, but it took years to build that model.
00:32:52.549 --> 00:32:59.299
And then, you know, obviously we had the, we had the benefit of Buffalo billion, which gave us the resource to, to invest in it.
00:32:59.950 --> 00:33:11.829
So, um, manufacturing is become very, very topical right now in terms of, um, due to COVID, uh, we found supply chain, disruption.
00:33:12.430 --> 00:33:27.400
We have actually, if it's even remotely possible an issue that Democrats and Republicans can rally around, which is reassuring of manufacturing, or onshoring a slightly different take on it.
00:33:27.789 --> 00:33:48.490
But the notion that there's this sort of once in a lifetime opportunity to increase manufacturing here in the United States, um, which is, uh, a nice, you know, um, thought, but we're going to need a workforce and talking to many people out there, they're concerned about it.
00:33:48.819 --> 00:34:04.329
So pre COVID, um, a tech company like, um, Google used to go, I think they're up to 23% of their workforce is right out of high school.
00:34:05.589 --> 00:34:22.510
And over here, uh, Siemens, huge engineering company has, you know, I, I had conversations with them where they said, um, not always, but they often say, you know, we'd like to have them right out of high school, we'll finish the training.
00:34:23.199 --> 00:34:30.909
Where in the spectrum of workforce development, is it right out of high school?
00:34:31.690 --> 00:34:34.630
Is it the community college level?
00:34:35.289 --> 00:34:37.449
Is it the four year training?
00:34:37.780 --> 00:34:40.210
Where has your experience told you?
00:34:40.210 --> 00:34:41.170
We should be thinking,
00:34:41.920 --> 00:34:50.590
I think in the sort of middle skills category, which is maybe it's the maximum that you might need out of that is an associates degree.
00:34:50.739 --> 00:34:56.320
So it, at least in our sectors and in the needs of manufacturing, four year degree is not necessary.
00:34:56.500 --> 00:34:56.800
Right.
00:34:56.800 --> 00:35:02.530
So I think, uh, what we do at Northland is, uh, we partner with SUNY actually.
00:35:02.530 --> 00:35:06.699
So it's, uh, Alfred, uh, and Erie, SUNY Erie.
00:35:07.449 --> 00:35:18.190
Uh, so I think the community college model does make sense, uh, in this sort of skill building, um, and middle skills, uh, elements, I think in tech as well.
00:35:18.190 --> 00:35:27.880
So we are also working on a new tech Academy in our region, uh, capitalizing on the moment that that tech is a very powerful engine.
00:35:28.150 --> 00:35:36.789
We have, uh, M and T bank in our region, which is, um, has promised a lot of tech jobs right in our downtown core, which was a new commitment from them.
00:35:37.349 --> 00:35:47.489
And those opportunities represent an incredible, uh, resurgence of the sort of mid skills sort of category of, of workforce development.
00:35:47.550 --> 00:35:56.340
And that, you know, that's some training and sometimes an associates degree, but it's, it's short much shorter term than a, than a four-year degree.
00:35:56.670 --> 00:35:58.349
You know, there's still value in that, of course.
00:35:58.351 --> 00:36:06.179
And there always will be, but I, I think there are some shorter term goals that we could reach in workforce development in a much faster timeframe.
00:36:06.739 --> 00:36:24.710
Well, and I think also as, as, um, I was reading through your report equity and finding jobs for those people who, um, were maybe on a pathway to low-income, um, we have to think about this very differently right now we have that moment.
00:36:24.710 --> 00:36:32.960
We have this disruption, which is when you get to do the kind of thinking that you may have finally gotten to do when someone said here's a billion dollars.
00:36:33.489 --> 00:36:34.400
Right, right.
00:36:35.059 --> 00:36:35.690
Uh, yeah.
00:36:35.690 --> 00:36:37.579
What a unique opportunity to have.
00:36:37.581 --> 00:36:46.579
And I think that's part of why I felt so compelled to leverage all of those moments to say, we're never going to have a moment like this again.
00:36:46.581 --> 00:36:57.619
So how do we, as a community really embrace this and, uh, do all the hard thinking and all the hard collaborating that it takes to get to, you know, a unified plan around these things.
00:36:57.621 --> 00:37:05.269
I think the, the, it's a really important thing to think about, uh, the diversity and inclusion aspect of labor.
00:37:05.300 --> 00:37:10.340
And, um, again, it, so you can have lots of excuses of why it didn't work in the past.
00:37:10.369 --> 00:37:11.480
It really doesn't matter.
00:37:11.960 --> 00:37:13.639
We are where we are right now.
00:37:14.030 --> 00:37:28.070
And, um, the opportunities that you create as long as they're an accessible, either both accessible places and accessible timeframes for training, uh, and what it means to sort of, you know, do diff a different kind of community outreach around it.
00:37:28.070 --> 00:37:33.409
One of the things that Steven Tucker who's the leader of the Northland, uh, workforce training center has done.
00:37:33.411 --> 00:37:40.099
He went to every church, every small business in the community, uh, did a lot of personal outreach.
00:37:40.101 --> 00:37:45.139
He goes to every high school and talks about the, you know, the opportunity that manufacturing represents.
00:37:45.469 --> 00:37:50.329
We had a whole generation of parents telling kids, don't go, Oh, don't go into manufacturing.
00:37:50.510 --> 00:37:54.409
It's, you know, it's 30, it's, you know, yucky place to work.
00:37:54.500 --> 00:37:56.210
I want you to get a college education.
00:37:56.510 --> 00:38:02.119
So we, you know, we were not building the pipeline because we were pushing people away from sectors like that.
00:38:03.079 --> 00:38:05.150
And, uh, you know, that to our detriment, right?
00:38:05.150 --> 00:38:17.719
So then we, weren't building, you know, the backlog, this, you know, massive tsunami that's coming of, of retirement that people just, you know, if they don't want a missed opportunity, it could be because they are good paying jobs.
00:38:17.721 --> 00:38:27.679
And I think, I think there will be a focus of, of, uh, you know, a national focus on, on onshore manufacturing and what it means to keep it in the country.
00:38:27.681 --> 00:38:34.219
I think that's a real opportunity for a place that has had had a manufacturing legacy and has as many companies as we do.
00:38:34.670 --> 00:38:36.090
So, you know, I,
00:38:36.090 --> 00:38:44.050
I think, um, w I may have skipped over something, do you need to, we need to explain to our listeners, what was the Buffalo billion?
00:38:45.239 --> 00:38:54.780
So Buffalo billion was a commitment from governor Cuomo for$1 billion of economic development investment in the region.
00:38:55.409 --> 00:39:02.969
So in 2011, we had, we had done our, uh, Western New York regional economic development council strategy.
00:39:04.079 --> 00:39:09.329
We were one of the original winners out of the 10, uh, uh, councils.
00:39:10.260 --> 00:39:24.599
And, um, it wasn't, it was a moment where we came together as a community and in a way that I think, uh, made an impression, um, uh, the governor and his administration to say, Ooh, Western New York was able to pull together a good strategic plan.
00:39:25.230 --> 00:39:38.820
Uh, you had people like Bruce Katz, you know, great thinkers, uh, when thinking about regional economies, pushing for, you know, a big initiative that says, you know, how do you commit to a place in a way that gives them a unique opportunity?
00:39:38.820 --> 00:39:48.030
So, you know, they have this, this plan that they've unified around, how do we accelerate that plan and sort of, you know, put some real gasoline on it.
00:39:48.539 --> 00:39:56.349
So we were lucky that the governor, uh, chose to do Buffalo billion with a, B, I remember hearing the story.
00:39:56.351 --> 00:40:13.980
I was Howard Zemsky, who was, you know, the, the head of ESD later at the time, he was our regional economic development council chair, uh, and Christina Orsi, they, they had been, uh, in Albany for the announcement and they were in the car on the way back and they, and their, their cell phones were dying because they had talked to so many people.
00:40:14.519 --> 00:40:22.110
And I, and I was, I remember saying, did you say billion with a, B didn't seem possible?
00:40:22.949 --> 00:40:34.650
Uh, and then we had the incredible benefit of working with, uh, McKinsey and Brookings, and we were the sort of local partner, um, um, what it meant to build the plan for economic development around that.
00:40:35.969 --> 00:40:38.789
Um, the first round went well.
00:40:38.791 --> 00:40:42.989
And I think that the governor came back and made another$500 million commitment.
00:40:42.989 --> 00:40:44.909
So that was phase two, a Buffalo billion.
00:40:45.690 --> 00:41:03.539
Uh, so we were able to do a lot of the, uh, engage in a lot of the pieces of the original plan that we, you know, you do a billion is a lot, but you have a lot of ideas that come out of a strategy when you're working with, you know, powerhouses like McKinsey and Brookings, and the community was just so catalyzed by that moment.
00:41:04.590 --> 00:41:08.789
Um, and it, it, it made all the difference in the world to have a level of investment like that, to think about.
00:41:09.599 --> 00:41:09.599
Okay.
00:41:09.869 --> 00:41:20.010
Uh, well, I think it, you know, for all of us that were jealous myself included, um, I think it was the alliteration that worked for you, which was Buffalo billion.
00:41:20.699 --> 00:41:23.039
The Buffalo million never would have sounded nearly.
00:41:23.099 --> 00:41:23.099
Yeah,
00:41:24.389 --> 00:41:24.809
It's true.
00:41:24.811 --> 00:41:26.280
Thank God that we started with a B
00:41:28.800 --> 00:41:35.989
One of the things that I thought was really interesting in your, in your report was the name numbers in need.
00:41:37.099 --> 00:41:40.760
And I think that's a really, you know, we work with demographic numbers.
00:41:41.030 --> 00:41:49.460
We, we love playing with numbers, that pattern, but what does it mean for you and how do you use that to explain things to people?
00:41:51.190 --> 00:41:58.030
Yeah, so, uh, numbers in need is part of the John O'Shea foundations, uh, mobile safety net team initiative.
00:41:58.389 --> 00:42:03.400
So that grew out of, um, the, uh, the 2008 recession.
00:42:03.460 --> 00:42:07.449
They really wanted to focus on, uh, new people in poverty.
00:42:07.539 --> 00:42:14.650
So we, you know, when the recession happened, there were people who had no idea how to navigate a social services infrastructure.
00:42:14.920 --> 00:42:23.860
You had, uh, people, uh, new, you were finding new poverty and new places that, um, were unexpected, and they wanted to really explore that.
00:42:23.860 --> 00:42:25.809
So they chose 12 communities.
00:42:26.500 --> 00:42:35.469
Um, and again, there's sort of, you know, there's like a suburban, there's an urban, and there's a rural look at across those 12 communities to really say what's happening inside of those.
00:42:35.860 --> 00:42:38.500
And what, w w what is poverty really look like?
00:42:38.679 --> 00:42:40.599
Who is the face of poverty within that?
00:42:40.989 --> 00:42:57.099
So, um, when we thought about numbers in need, we wanted to have every tool to evaluate sort of, you know, what's happening in the social services infrastructure around those places where poverty is really popping up, or, you know, sustained over time.
00:42:58.150 --> 00:43:06.429
And that gives us a more informed decision decision on the economic development to say, decide to say where, where is growth really needed?
00:43:07.449 --> 00:43:09.460
Um, you know, where are services needed?
00:43:09.760 --> 00:43:17.110
Where should we be thinking about concentrating things like workforce development programs, again, how do you get to self-sufficiency it's good paying jobs.
00:43:17.469 --> 00:43:25.869
So I think, you know, really being able to pinpoint those moments together as a community and saying, where are the numbers concentrated?
00:43:25.871 --> 00:43:30.400
And what can we do about it, uh, is a really important exercise for us to stay involved in.
00:43:30.400 --> 00:43:39.909
It's easy to get caught off and say, Oh, things are going better, but, you know, there's always the acknowledgement of, of, of people who get left behind in these things.
00:43:39.911 --> 00:43:51.070
And I think, you know, we've consciously tried to, to focus on those, to say, we, we gotta keep looking at the numbers in need across the board to make sure we understand all the patterns that emerge
00:43:51.429 --> 00:43:51.760
Well.
00:43:51.760 --> 00:44:06.909
And I think, um, in light of the election, uh, some people may not have, uh, may not walk away with good feelings about numbers when it comes to polling, but demographics, um, and tell a big story.
00:44:06.911 --> 00:44:12.820
And we always think they, um, are, you know, they're there, if you they're there to help you.
00:44:12.820 --> 00:44:16.329
And it really sounds like that's what you're trying to do with numbers and needs.
00:44:16.331 --> 00:44:24.340
So I thought that was just a great way to try to explain to communities where are you, and then it helps you build on the future of where you can go.
00:44:25.269 --> 00:44:30.880
Um, sustainability is a word that is used in so many different contexts.
00:44:31.469 --> 00:44:35.219
And for you, what does sustainability mean?
00:44:36.710 --> 00:44:45.110
I think, um, it, it does have a lot of, uh, meanings too, and I think all of them are applicable when it comes to, uh, the economy.
00:44:45.110 --> 00:44:48.739
I think it's really about looking to solutions for the future.
00:44:48.860 --> 00:44:52.219
So I think that they're all futuristic things to be thinking about.
00:44:52.460 --> 00:44:54.199
Uh, but sustainability is
00:44:54.539 --> 00:44:55.159
That's okay.
00:44:55.161 --> 00:44:57.380
This is a show about looking into the future.
00:44:57.949 --> 00:44:58.550
That's fine.
00:44:59.480 --> 00:45:04.699
Uh, you know, we do a program called clean energy communities, uh, in partnership with other upstate regions.
00:45:04.730 --> 00:45:07.550
That's a nicer to funded, um, uh, initiative.
00:45:08.210 --> 00:45:14.690
And we want to, uh, we want to continuously understand the impacts of different scenarios and choices that we make.
00:45:14.719 --> 00:45:17.690
So sometimes it's municipalities that are making those choices.
00:45:17.690 --> 00:45:35.059
So in the case of clean energy communities, it's thinking about how do we gear ourselves more towards futuristic thinking and, um, think about the different scenarios and the choices and the impacts of those, uh, choices that we make both in the short end, the long-term, where is there cost savings?
00:45:35.061 --> 00:45:38.239
Where are we thinking about environmental key environmental issues?
00:45:39.079 --> 00:45:44.090
Uh, where does it make sense for us to sort of go deep on, uh, thinking about sustainability?
00:45:44.809 --> 00:45:49.969
Um, it also has to do with, you know, green space and public space, which is really more critical than ever.
00:45:49.969 --> 00:45:56.929
I think, uh, COVID really demonstrated the incredible value of public space, which was great for me.
00:45:56.931 --> 00:46:14.269
So I worked for the Olmsted, uh, Buffalo Olmsted parks Conservancy for seven years, and I think the power of public spaces and the democracy of those public spaces, um, w when there was a big public health crisis and people needed to be outside by those public spaces were more valuable than ever.
00:46:14.599 --> 00:46:26.750
And I think, um, what it means to have sustainability around, um, your, you know, the economy and the environment, those things all go hand in hand, there's almost always a triple bottom line when you really look for it.
00:46:27.440 --> 00:46:29.539
Uh, so we're always trying to think about those things.
00:46:29.541 --> 00:46:38.059
And I think when you, even in, uh, in terms of recovery, you know, there's an efficiency there that we should all be thinking about together in a sort of futuristic way.
00:46:38.900 --> 00:46:40.099
Are you a Buffalonian?
00:46:41.030 --> 00:46:42.860
I'm a native Buffalonian.
00:46:44.150 --> 00:46:48.469
Um, I moved to Boston for a couple of years, uh, and came back.
00:46:49.340 --> 00:46:51.829
I also come from a huge family.
00:46:51.831 --> 00:46:55.849
So I always joke that we're sort of, uh, poised to take over.
00:46:55.851 --> 00:46:57.230
I'm the youngest of nine.
00:46:57.320 --> 00:47:00.800
My father was from the Philippines and my mother was from Albany, New York.
00:47:01.070 --> 00:47:05.239
And they met, he came for med school and she was a nurse and he was a doctor.
00:47:05.240 --> 00:47:08.360
And, uh, they met in Albany and then had nine kids.
00:47:08.360 --> 00:47:09.949
I have 28 nieces and nephews.
00:47:10.039 --> 00:47:10.849
So lots of things,
00:47:11.690 --> 00:47:11.690
Eight.
00:47:12.170 --> 00:47:12.619
Yes.
00:47:12.829 --> 00:47:13.579
Well, wait a second.
00:47:13.581 --> 00:47:19.130
So I assume with Thanksgiving coming up, this is, this is not going to be the same for you,
00:47:19.699 --> 00:47:25.849
You know, um, we average 50 people at Thanksgiving, so obviously family,
00:47:26.030 --> 00:47:30.070
You're not the governor doesn't allow that we're
00:47:30.070 --> 00:47:32.559
Doing zoom Thanksgiving, for sure.
00:47:32.920 --> 00:47:39.159
We'll all be sort of eating our individual dinners and waving to each other on zoom.
00:47:39.219 --> 00:47:42.610
It's definitely a different scenario all summer long.
00:47:42.610 --> 00:47:46.840
It was a different scenario that this year has been family gatherings, very different.
00:47:47.500 --> 00:47:53.489
I, I I'm well aware, um, and I've left the best for last, which is innovation.
00:47:54.269 --> 00:47:59.699
Um, innovation is, it is the thing that sparks imagination.
00:47:59.701 --> 00:48:17.159
It's the thing that I think right now in the, the difficulties of COVID of social unrest of economic disruption, one of the things, and that's our theme is how we can use this period to get to a better place.
00:48:17.190 --> 00:48:30.960
Now you've been experimenting with invasion for years and, and it's, uh, um, it may be sometimes an overused word, but how can you overuse the idea of how can we be in a better place?
00:48:31.289 --> 00:48:32.639
So what are you working on?
00:48:33.960 --> 00:48:39.539
I think it's, it is critical to think about innovation in all of its constructs.
00:48:39.541 --> 00:48:46.860
I think the willingness to try things to risk, to experiment, to sometimes fail and learn.
00:48:47.489 --> 00:49:07.829
Uh, that's what, what I think about when it comes to innovation, our focus within the regional economic development work has been entrepreneurs and small businesses and what it means to, um, really have, um, a very competitive place for those, for people who want to start their own business, or who want to grow business as entrepreneurs.
00:49:08.760 --> 00:49:27.119
Um, how do you make a good match for the regional assets that you have and how do you make it a very constructive environment for small businesses and entrepreneurs, small businesses when it comes to workforce should not be overlooked, you know, it's, they employ a lot of people that are really important, uh, critical piece of the economy.
00:49:27.449 --> 00:49:40.409
I think it's, um, it's also really, when I think of innovation, I, we talk about best practices, a lot, which is really important, but one of the things that I think a lot about is context matters in innovation.
00:49:40.409 --> 00:49:52.860
So you'll hear this great idea, and we've worked with lots of great national people who brought good ideas, but when you look at the context of who funds it, who runs it, uh, what's the ecosystem that supports it.
00:49:52.889 --> 00:49:58.800
You have to look at your regional context and say, it might be a great idea, but how do we adapt it for our region?
00:49:59.460 --> 00:50:11.309
Um, sometimes you hear about these great programs and you realize it's funded by someone who's headquartered in that place, or, uh, a massive endowment, you know, with a foundation, you know, with resources that we don't have.
00:50:11.670 --> 00:50:20.460
So I think innovation means, you know, those are great ideas and you can bring those great ideas in, but it's really, how do you think about sustainability in your own region?
00:50:21.090 --> 00:50:28.849
I think, um, one of the things that we've worked really hard to do is leverage those moments like Buffalo billion, our local foundations and funders.
00:50:29.239 --> 00:50:32.329
So Eastside avenues, which is a really good example of that.
00:50:32.719 --> 00:50:37.039
So we had$65 million of capital hitting the street, uh, any side avenues.
00:50:37.489 --> 00:50:55.880
And we, we thought that was great, but we, we said, how do we do capacity building within the East side community-based organizations and within the residents of the community, uh, to make sure that that capital doesn't just mean great buildings without sustainable programs over time and capacity to sustain those programs over time.
00:50:56.269 --> 00:51:14.389
So we have 14 funders, six banks, uh, and the rest of them are foundations, uh, that are, that contributed more than$8 million to match that a$65 million capital commitment just dedicated to capacity building with community-based organizations on the East side.
00:51:14.391 --> 00:51:15.920
And it's a five-year initiative.
00:51:16.340 --> 00:51:22.280
So those are the moments of innovation where you say, um, we want to do an ecosystem build.
00:51:22.309 --> 00:51:24.980
We have this amazing moment in time.
00:51:25.639 --> 00:51:27.230
Uh, and those are risky things, right?
00:51:27.530 --> 00:51:30.409
It's experimental to do that level of collaboration.
00:51:30.411 --> 00:51:39.380
So 14 funders, you have, you know, state investments going on and you're looking at sort of, you know, where are the pivotal places within the East side to invest in?
00:51:39.380 --> 00:51:48.949
It's, you know, they're focused investments around commercial districts, small businesses, you know, teaching how, uh, residents, how to do real estate development.
00:51:49.250 --> 00:51:56.030
You know, these are, um, you know, innovative concepts that we have to try and sometimes learn from.
00:51:56.659 --> 00:51:59.570
Uh, but it's a level of collaboration that's unprecedented in our region.
00:51:59.570 --> 00:52:02.090
So I think it's really important to innovate in those ways too.
00:52:02.889 --> 00:52:23.500
It's, it's like a, I often try to explain to people that it's okay to fail if you're, if you're in the effort of trying to get to a better place, I don't think we ever would have landed on the moon if we didn't understand that failure is part of the process and not to demonize people that fail, but to say, you know, good tribe.
00:52:23.530 --> 00:52:24.820
What did we learn though?
00:52:24.909 --> 00:52:25.599
And so, okay.
00:52:25.869 --> 00:52:26.650
It's so true.
00:52:26.650 --> 00:52:32.710
I teach an, uh, economic development planning class and in the, at UBI, uh, within the planning department.
00:52:32.710 --> 00:52:35.619
And I, um, I always talk about optimism and urban planning.
00:52:35.621 --> 00:52:38.800
I'm actually starting to put some notes together for a book on it.
00:52:39.400 --> 00:52:50.320
I think it's so important to, you know, be thinking as urban planners to be thinking about how do we, how do we really evaluate and measure success as urban planners?
00:52:51.099 --> 00:52:56.889
Um, how do we, you know, capitalize on those unique opportunities that come up as a community.
00:52:57.309 --> 00:53:05.829
And, you know, I had this heard this great interview with a Rosamond Zander who said, you know, the power of positive thinking is different than optimism.
00:53:06.190 --> 00:53:09.610
You know, positive thinking is just like wishing and hoping it gets better.
00:53:09.849 --> 00:53:12.639
Optimism is working towards that collective goal.
00:53:13.000 --> 00:53:16.150
So I think that, you know, that's a very powerful moment for me.
00:53:16.159 --> 00:53:19.230
That's why I think it's, you know, I would love to write a book about it.
00:53:19.250 --> 00:53:20.590
I have some notes together on it.
00:53:20.590 --> 00:53:34.619
I think it's such an important thing, especially in dark moments to, you know, think about how you keep picking yourself up and dusting yourself off as communities and saying, how do we keep moving forward, even when things are tough.
00:53:34.679 --> 00:53:37.469
So those are important things to think about.
00:53:38.130 --> 00:53:40.079
I think that's a great place to leave it.
00:53:40.800 --> 00:53:41.880
Uh, Laura Kay Brown.
00:53:41.909 --> 00:53:44.190
Thank you so much for your time today.
00:53:44.670 --> 00:53:46.050
Uh, this is Jonathan Dropkin.
00:53:46.079 --> 00:53:48.329
This is patterns and paradigms.
00:53:49.039 --> 00:53:53.059
Thank you for tuning in to patterns and paradigms the pattern podcast.
00:53:53.480 --> 00:54:01.280
For more information about this episode, visit our website pattern for progress.org forward slash podcast.
