Place-Based Learning in 2022 – Join Us!

Originally published on railvolution.org. Rail~Volution is now Mpact: Mobility, Community, Possibility.

The ACT2 program at Rail~Volution is intended to bring some of the magic of the conference to local communities, connecting key stakeholders with one another to work collaboratively at the intersection of transit and land use. As with everything, the program has evolved with COVID.

We kicked off 2021 with a new program idea called capsule learning, designed to offer a bite-size, affordable, and Zoom-friendly approach. Each capsule engages 12 -15 practitioners and local stakeholders with content and facilitated discussion, translating learning into their everyday work in real time. The goal was to meet the moment by initiating and activating place-based small groups toward better local coordination and integrated decision-making around transit, land use and development.

Read more about capsule learning in Omaha, NE, and Pottstown, PA

Thank you to Omaha’s Metropolitan Area Planning Agency and the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation for hosting capsules this year. Each capsule group consisted of a diverse range of community stakeholders, including government officials, transit agency staff, engineers, city planners, community and cultural organization leaders, local foundations, housing providers, developers, and small business owners.

Together they explored topics ranging from coalition building to land banks and land trusts, from equity to housing affordability to transit-oriented development. Capsule learners were enthusiastic to report new relationships with one another, new awareness of the intersectional nature of transit, housing, economic development, and equity and how to approach their work differently as a result. They also shared a commitment to ongoing work with their capsule group.

Based on this success, our goal in 2022 is to offer 10 to 12 capsules focused on managing change and setting the stage for more integrated decision-making for transit and land use. Shh – spoiler alert: this is a great way to get a group of stakeholders together in preparation for future federal funding and related collaborations. To learn more, contact Sarah Rudolf at sarahr at railvolution.org to explore how capsule learning could build capacity in your community.