Smart Shrinkage: Better Planning And Decision-Making For Legacy Cities, Michael P. Johnson Jr.
Oct 2019
Smart Shrinkage: Better Planning And Decision-Making For Legacy Cities, Michael P. Johnson Jr.
Michael P. Johnson
Neighborhoods, cities and regions facing long-term declines in population and economic activity may consider alternative responses, such as revitalization, regeneration, shrinkage and abandonment. In this presentation I show that planning decisions intended to improve quality of life, informed by qualitative and quantitative data and analytic methods, implemented through accessible and affordable technologies, and based on notions of social impact and social justice, can enable residents to play a leading role in the positive transformation of shrinking cities and
distressed communities.
Planning With Justice In Mind In A Shrinking Baltimore, Jeremy Nemeth, Justin B. Hollander, Eliza Whiteman, Michael P. Johnson Jr.
Feb 2018
Planning With Justice In Mind In A Shrinking Baltimore, Jeremy Nemeth, Justin B. Hollander, Eliza Whiteman, Michael P. Johnson Jr.
Michael P. Johnson
In our 2011 paper “The bounds of smart decline: a foundational theory for planning shrinking cities,” we outline five propositions for just planning processes in cities losing population: inclusion, deliberation, recognition, transparency, and scale-appropriateness. Each proposition addresses a perceived weakness of planning processes in shrinking cities, and with each we list a set of actions planners can take in “moving the dial” toward more just outcomes. In this article, we test this theory to what we call Baltimore’s Abandoned Housing Strategy, a series of citywide policy interventions intended to facilitate the productive reuse of vacant and abandoned properties. Through a …
How Can School Districts In Shrinking Regions Remake Themselves To Support Their Communities? Policy And Operations Analysis For A Massachusetts School District, Michael P. Johnson Jr.
Feb 2017
How Can School Districts In Shrinking Regions Remake Themselves To Support Their Communities? Policy And Operations Analysis For A Massachusetts School District, Michael P. Johnson Jr.
Michael P. Johnson
School districts in towns and regions facing long-term demographic and financial challenges are under intense
pressure to make difficult decisions so that they may continue to provide a quality education and enhance the vitality of the communities they serve. Such decisions may address: funding sources, education and non-education expenditures, facility utilization and community engagement. A recent engagement with Massachusetts towns by the Collins Center for Public Management has generated a case study in small-town school district revitalization. In this talk I will present results of community conversations that have enabled analysts, working with school district stakeholders, to propose a range …
Community Data Analytics: Localized Data Analysis And Decision Modeling In The Era Of ‘Big Data’ And ‘Smart Cities’, Michael P. Johnson Jr.
Jan 2017
Community Data Analytics: Localized Data Analysis And Decision Modeling In The Era Of ‘Big Data’ And ‘Smart Cities’, Michael P. Johnson Jr.
Michael P. Johnson
Community-based organizations use data for program design, services provision and strategic planning. However, CBOs often have limited ability to identify, access and apply these data. Thus, CBOs may make decisions on the basis of inadequate data, or limited understanding of the local environment, or limited ability to generate mission-aligned solutions.Community data analytics (CDA) uses local know-how and clearly-articulated values in order to transform data into action. CDA is rooted in principles of operations research and management science for public benefi#12;t. These principles include: active participation by local stakeholders to identify problems of interest; a critical perspective on issues of problem …
Strategy Design For Community Response To Distress And Decline Using Data Analytics, Michael P. Johnson Jr.
Oct 2014
Strategy Design For Community Response To Distress And Decline Using Data Analytics, Michael P. Johnson Jr.
Michael P. Johnson
The foreclosure crisis in the U.S. has resulted in immense economic and social losses for individuals and neighborhoods. Some neighborhoods face long-term declines in population and economic activity that have been compounded by the foreclosure crisis. How can government and non-profit organizations design responses to neighborhood distress that reflect distinctive community characteristics and are consistent with long-term policy and planning goals? In this talk, I discuss alternative decision modeling strategies that support neighborhood health. Where foreclosure responses are likely to ensure that neighborhoods remain vital places for residential housing, productive strategies may include property acquisition and redevelopment. Other neighborhoods, however, …
