Ideas and Action

Partners in Community Development

About us

Ideas and Action is a multidisciplinary, MBE-certified consulting firm working nationally on real estate and planning projects that advance inclusive community development. Founded in 2015 by Marc Norman, Ideas and Action leverages extensive finance, development, policy and planning experience to identify and advance the objectives of our government, non-profit, for-profit and community-based partners. 

Marc Norman

Founding Partner of Ideas and Action and an educator, Marc has worked in community development and finance for over 25 years in collaboration with for-profit, non-profit and governmental agencies throughout the U.S.

Merik Mulcahy

Partner at Ideas and Action and a real estate professional with over a decade of public and private-sector experience across housing, commercial and community mixed-use development.

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Services

Community Needs & Resources Assessment

Funding & Feasibility

Policy & Program Innovation

Real Estate Development & Operations

Implementation, Capacity-Building, & Accountability

Thought Leadership & Collaboration

Featured Projects

  • All
  • Community Needs & Resources
  • Funding & Feasibility
  • Policy & Program Innovation
  • Real Estate Development & Operations
  • Implementation Capacity-Building & Accountability
University of Michigan Workforce Housing Strategic Action Plan
Analysis of university employee housing needs with affordability recommendations addressing gaps in supply, including analysis of financial partnership structures.
South Lake Union and Uptown Subarea Plans
Strategic plans for two of six Regional Growth Centers identified in the City of Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan, guiding how each district will grow and invest over the next 20 years.
Midtown Santa Fe Neighborhood Stabilization Plan
A planning process with community organizations establishing a plan stabilizing and strengthening communities within the Midtown District.
Spokane 5th Avenue Community Plan
Strategy and framework plan for community development, economic growth, connectivity, and quality of life improvements for the 5th Avenue area of the East Central Neighborhood in Spokane, WA.
Revere Housing Authority Comprehensive Development Master Plan
A design, feasibility and implementation plan for the redevelopment of the Revere Housing Authority’s 40-acre housing campus.
Syracuse Reconnecting Communities Plan
A planning process prioritizing investments advancing the I-81 Community Vision Plan to address inequities due to the elevated highway on Syracuse’s Southside.
Poughkeepsie Housing Choice
Comprehensive planning services for a HUD Choice Neighborhood Transformation plan for the Northside neighborhood including and surrounding two Poughkeepsie Housing Authority sites.
New York Forward Program 2025
Annual grant program for revitalization projects in selected Villages throughout New York State.
Downtown Wichita Action Plan
An update to the 2010 Project Downtown Plan, building on principles and strategies with with a focus on greater levels of implementation in the next 10 years.
Akron Innerbelt Reconnecting Communities Master Plan
Masterplan guiding restorative community development in neighborhoods impacted by construction of the Innerbelt highway that displaced Akron’s Black community.
Downtown Akron Equity Framework
Downtown Vision and Redevelopment Plan with housing, retail, office, hospitality, public realm, entertainment and culture development strategies.
Bethlehem Community Center Feasibility Study
Feasibility study for a new community facility on Bethlehem’s Southside.
New York Forward Program 2024
Revitalization projects in selected Villages throughout New York State.
Downtown Syracuse I81 Removal and Community Grid Vision Plan
Creation of a viable and equitable master vision plan for the I-81 viaduct vacated by NYSDOT.
Seattle Public Utilities South Park Community Co-Development Project
Training and technical assistance for the Public Utility pursuing co-development with community organizations on land in an underserved neighborhood.
Detroit North End Neighborhood Framework Plan
Neighborhood Framework Planning initiative guiding future development and fostering economic and quality of life improvements.
Albina Vision Trust Community Investment Plan
A vision and development framework for an inclusive community working address Portland’s displaced and disempowered Black community.
Corporation for Supportive Housing RACE Initiative
Redesigning Access by Centering Equity is a multi-year initiative to address the underrepresentation of BIPOC developers in the affordable and supportive housing industries.
Boston Planning & Development Agency Real Estate Strategy Consultant Services
On-call real estate advisory for BPDA’s 13 million square foot real estate portfolio.
Bond Markets & Racial Equity Project
Developed meaningful metrics around race and equity that can be valued and incorporated into new municipal issuances to fund infrastructure, housing and social investments.
Pittsburgh Greater Hill District Master Plan
Urban design and economic development plan centering economic justice and the Hill District’s cultural legacy, building on past and existing community development efforts in the neighborhood.
Affordable Housing Strategy Implementation
Implementation of affordable housing strategies including developing underutilized sites, strategic acquisitions, and strengthening existing affordability. 
Clark-Fulton Community Investment Fund Feasibility Project
Study exploring feasibility of a community investment fund (CIF) with focuses on financial behavior, spending patterns, investment capacity, and shared ownership.
Saco Comprehensive Plan Update
Supporting the adoption of a local growth management program including a comprehensive plan and an implementation program.
Downtown Plus Strategic Master Plan for Reading, PA
Downtown revitalization plan analyzing existing conditions, sector goals, policy recommendations, public investment and implementation, and development strategy.
Max Red Line TOD & Station Area Planning
Activate station areas of MAX Red Line Light Rail Corridor with potential Transit Oriented Development (TOD) opportunities on TriMet controlled properties.
Affordable Housing Social Equity Impact Protocol
Development of a new protocol evaluating the social impacts of affordable housing redevelopment guiding socially-minded stake-holders toward more equitable outcomes.
Ann Arbor Opportunity Site Study for Long Term Affordability
The evaluation of 12 city-owned sites for a range of new affordable housing options.
Mifflin Park and Corridor Study
Community development plan for Mifflin Square in a South Philadelphia, representing a diverse set of local residents in coordination with 17 area organizations.
Hines Drive Greenway Corridor
A regional community planning effort promoting linkages between neighborhoods, communities, jobs, commercial areas, and destinations along a forty plus mile river greenway spanning west of Detroit.
New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative
Annual program awarding $10 million per city to conduct local planning and subsidize projects supporting employment, housing, leisure and opportunity.
Greater Corktown Framework Plan
Neighborhood Framework Planning initiative to guide future development that addresses the economic and quality of life priorities of the community.
Cody Rouge/Warrendale Child Centric Neighborhood Plan
A multiple neighborhood planning process creating a framework and implementation plan for housing rehabilitation, streetscapes, parks and multifamily development.
Invest Health
An initiative bringing together leaders from 50 mid-sized U.S. cities to identify barriers to public health while leveraging private and public investments to address these barriers.
Friendship Court Master Plan and Redevelopment
New engagement framework with current residents and community stakeholders to formulate a vision to promote opportunity and affordability at Friendship Court.
Gulfport Commercial Redevelopment Zone Program
Planning and program recommendations to drive economic growth and environmental sustainability in commercial corridors.
Quicken Loans Community Investment Fund Right of Refusal Fund
An initiative to provide a right-of-refusal (RoR) to Detroit residents occupying properties slated for auction after tax-lien repossession.
Livernois McNichol Corridor Study
Planning framework to facilitate collaboration between communities and the City of Detroit to address vacancy with new productive landscape projects.
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Clients & Partners

Albina Vision Trust
Ann Arbor Housing Commission
Boston Planning & Development Agency
Center State CEO
Corporation for Supportive Housing
City of Akron, OH
City of Ann Arbor, MI
City of Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA)
City of Bethlehem, PA
City of Detroit, MI
– Planning and Development Department
City of Gulfport, MS
City of Pittsburgh, PA
– Department of City Planning
City of Poughkeepsie, NY
City of Reading, PA
– Community Development Department
City of Saco, ME
City of Santa Fe, NM
City of Spokane, WA
City of Syracuse, NY
– Department of Parks
City of Wichita, KS
City of Seattle, WA
Cities of Oswego, Elmira, Oneonta, Hudson, Albany, Schenectady NY
Center for Court Innovation
Downtown Akron Partnership




Empire State Development Corporation
Fund for Our Economic Future
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
Metro West Community Development Organization
New York Department of State
Piedmont Housing Alliance
Pittsburgh Hill CDC
Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority
Poughkeepsie Housing Authority
Quicken Loans Community Investment Fund
Revere Housing Authority
Reading Redevelopment Authority
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Rock Ventures
Skillman Foundation
Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition (SEAMAAC)
Southern Tier Economic Growth (STEG)
Seattle Public Utility (SPU)
The Reinvestment Fund
Tri-county Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
United Community Housing Coalition (UCHC)
University of Virginia
University of Michigan
Villages of Hamilton, Phoenix, Moravia, Brewerton, & Canastota, NY
Wayne County Parks

Collaborators

Agency Landscape & Planning
AOS Architects
Bennett Midland
Center for Transformative Urban Design
City Architecture
Detroit Collaborative Design Center
Dover Kohl & Partners
ECONorthwest
Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE)
Harvard Initiative for Responsible Investment
Hector Design
HR&A
James Lima Planning + Development
Jima Studio
MASS Design Group
MCLV
The Meadows Group
Mithun
MKSK Studios
National League of Cities
Neighborhood Investment Company
Nelson\NYgaard
PAADG Studio
Parsons + Associates
Perkins+Will
The Public Finance Initiative at the Milken Institute
Public Sphere Projects
Rock Ventures
Sasaki
Scape Landscape
Seva Workshop
Seventh Hill LLC
SmithGroup
Spackman Mossop + Michaels (SMM(
Speck-Dempsey
Stantec
Studio O
Studio Seyfried
SWBR
Third Space Action Labs
United Community Housing Coalition (UCHC)
University of Michigan
Urban American City
Urban Institute
WRT
WSP

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