![]() In this initiative, eight women received training in landscape maintenance and installation techniques, were compensated for their time, and in the process installed a storm-water management garden on the site of the new homes mentioned earlier. In October 2014, this took the form of a program called Ladies in the Landscape (see Figure 3). While local community colleges and other training programs strive to address this issue, the GLCEDF is beginning to pilot projects that address the social and emotional barriers to seeking job skills. 2: The Baptist Town Revitalization master plan was developed by the Carl Small Town Center, which led a series of community engagement activities in the neighborhood.Īnother common challenge that the GLCEDF faces in its more traditional economic development work is a skills gap Greenwood has both a high unemployment rate (11.3 percent in September 2014) 2 and many unfilled employment opportunities as a result of an under- or inappropriately trained workforce. 1: Construction is nearing completion on an 11-unit affordable housing development in the Baptist Town neighborhood. Partnering with a number of local organizations, my architectural skills have positioned the GLCEDF to be one of the leaders of the Baptist Town Cottage project, an 11-unit affordable housing development that opened in December 2014. For example, an absence of quality, affordable housing in many parts of Greenwood, including Baptist Town, is unattractive to many companies who may look to locate here. These barriers, paired with the needs of the Baptist Town neighborhood where I work, are tied together. Working closely with GLCEDF director Angela Curry, I have developed an understanding of the factors that limit her efforts to attract and maintain jobs in the area. In Greenwood, Miss., I lead a neighborhood revitalization effort that demonstrates how the skills of architects can be a valuable addition to a small economic development foundation. Alternatively, social impact architects also use their training to design public events, provide services and develop methods of engaging communities. A built project may or may not result from this process. On the front end, this may include helping a neighborhood to articulate and prioritize communitywide challenges and aspirations, providing input on a city's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application, or assisting a nonprofit in assessing its long-term goals. This means that I bring design skills to the table both earlier and later in the development process. Within this still-developing subset of architecture, my work is defined by an expanded involvement in a project outside of the scope that an architect would normally influence. Today, my work is in the field of social impact architecture. ![]() As an architect, I bring a specific perspective to my work with the Greenwood-Leflore-Carroll Economic Development Foundation (GLCEDF) that broadens not only the scope of the projects we engage in, but also the ways in which we approach our work and the ways we measure success.īeginning with a period of study in Buenos Aires, Argentina, while still in architecture school, I began to see the potential for architecture to serve as a vehicle to build equity by decreasing the social and economic disparities that result from cultural and political structures. These efforts are sometimes well supported in terms of funding and other forms of capacity, but more often we are challenged to do much with little. ![]() In the economic and community development fields, individuals and organizations are continually striving to make large-scale, positive impacts in their home communities.
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