Good Works Columbus: July 22, 2024
Public Hearings on Zoning and Complete Streets, Why Climate Justice Matters
Intro
Hi everyone, happy Monday! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and hope some of you got the chance to go to Matter News’ event last week on Homelessness in our community. It was inspiring and showed how your time and actions at the local level can really make a difference. If you’re wondering how to get involved check out Heer to Serve, FIRST Collective, J.U.S.T, Food Not Bombs, and be sure to continue to check out this space here.
If you have an upcoming event or a link you’d like to share for the newsletter, feel free to send suggestions.
Things you can do in person
Zoning Public Meeting -
(Wednesday, July 24 5:30 PM Council Chambers, City Hall - 2nd Floor90 W. Broad St.)
Following the first reading of the proposal, Council President Pro Tem Rob Dorans, chair of the Zoning Committee, and Council President Shannon Hardin will host a fourth public hearing on this topic. This hearing will cover the final proposed Zone In legislation, including changes to the proposal based on public feedback. You can now view the changes to the proposed legislation at www.columbus.gov/zoningupdate.Any resident wishing to speak during the hearing should email Kevin McCain at kbmccain@columbus.gov. Members of the public can also sign up to speak in person at the hearing. Each speaker will be limited to remarks lasting no longer than three minutes.
Written testimony must be received by 3:00 pm on the day of the hearing and should be emailed to Kevin McCain at kbmccain@columbus.gov - please include “written testimony” in the subject line of your email.
Complete Streets Public Hearing
(Friday, July 26 2:00 PM Council Chambers, City Hall - 2nd Floor90 W. Broad St.
Why Climate Justice Matters 🌎
(Saturday, July 27 2-4:00pm: 905 Mt. Vernon Ave Columbus, OH)
Come join us for a thought-provoking discussion on the importance of climate justice at 905 Mt Vernon Ave. Our event aims to raise awareness about the impact of climate change on marginalized communities and the urgent need for equitable solutions.Listen to inspiring speakers, engage in interactive workshops, and connect with like-minded individuals passionate about creating a more sustainable future for all. Let's come together to explore why climate justice matters and how we can make a difference!
Columbus Youth Climate Action Fund 🌎
This new micro grant program is now accepting applications for youth-led climate projects that support environmental justice and meeting our Columbus Climate Action Plan goals. A project can receive up to $5,000 from the grant and applications will be accepted through 8/2. For more details on the program, including how to apply, check the link here.MORPC/GOhio commute Summer Commute Challenge (July 1-August 31) 🚍
Do you ever carpool or vanpool, take transit, bike, walk, or ride an e-scooter to work? Have you thought about trying one of these sustainable transportation modes? With Gohio Commute's Make Your Miles Matter: Summer Challenge, you can earn rewards for simply logging the trips that you already take!Join our July-August Commuting Challenge by logging trips between July 1 – August 31, 2024 and you will be automatically entered for a chance to win one of two $50 gift cards. Registration & contest details can be found at GohioCommute.com/MORPC. Please contact the Gohio Commute team at Gohio@morpc.org with any questions you may have.
Things you can do online
[Project Sidewalk] 👩🏽🦽Help map out sidewalk accessibility issues in Columbus! Check out the link here to help map out the rest of Columbus.
What is Project Sidewalk?Roughly 30.6 million individuals in the US have physical disabilities that affect their ambulatory activities; nearly half of those individuals report using an assistive aid such as a wheelchair, cane, crutches, or walker. Despite comprehensive civil rights legislation for Americans with disabilities, many city streets, sidewalks, and businesses remain inaccessible. The problem is not just that street-level accessibility affects where and how people travel in cities but also that there are few, if any, mechanisms to determine accessible areas of a city a priori.
This project describes a two-pronged vision: first, to develop scalable data collection methods for acquiring sidewalk accessibility information using a combination of crowdsourcing, computer vision, and online map imagery, and second, to use this new data to design, develop, and evaluate a novel set of navigation and map tools for accessibility. Our overarching goal is to transform the ways in which accessibility information is collected and visualized for every sidewalk, street, and building façade in America.
[National] Ask your U.S. Senator to support the EXPLORE Act.
This historic legislation will significantly improve and expand access to outdoor recreation opportunities across America’s public lands.
The EXPLORE Act will support and grow outdoor recreation opportunities across the country so all Americans can get outside and enjoy our public lands. The bill includes provisions to streamline permitting processes to support bike guides and outfitters, identify new long-distance bike trails, increase recreation access for underserved communities, and more.
Other Stuff
Bikes For All People (934 Parsons Ave. Columbus, OH 43206) are seeking bicycle trailers for their patrons that need to transport goods. If you have a child or pet trailer that you aren’t using please consider donating.
In Case You Missed It
LinkUS Engagement Survey (2 minutes)
Mark up the Vision Zero Columbus map. Have a close call walking, biking, or getting around town? Do you know a dangerous intersection that can be improved? Help identify these spots on the Vision Zero map.
Have a great day everyone!