Ideas and Action

Community Needs & Resources

Ideas and Action collaborates with client organizations and community engagement professionals to assess community needs and identify shared goals. Ideas and Action provides quantitative analysis and targeted stakeholder engagement to support goal-setting processes with analysis of existing conditions, resources and capacity.

Housing Conditions, Affordability & Needs Assessment

Socioeconomic Disparity & Equity Metrics Evaluation

Workforce Development Resources & Needs Assessment

Small Business Survey & Engagement

Community Assets, Resources & Services Survey

Featured Projects

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
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.
Detroit North End Neighborhood Framework Plan
Neighborhood Framework Planning initiative in the North End to guide future development and foster economic and quality of life improvements that address the priorities of the community.
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.
Clark-Fulton Community Investment Fund Feasibility Project
Study exploring feasibility of a community investment fund (CIF) in Cleveland, Ohio, with focuses on financial behavior, spending patterns, investment capacity, and interest in shared community 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 spanning existing conditions, goals across a variety of sectors, policy recommendations, public investment strategy and implementation priorities, real estate development strategy and implementation.
Affordable Housing Social Equity Impact Protocol
Development of a new protocol for evaluating the social impacts of affordable housing redevelopment meant to guide socially-minded stake-holders toward more equitable outcomes. A baseline assessment tool for equitable housing redevelopment and a guide for ongoing accountability. 
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.
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 foundation funded planning process for multiple neighborhoods as part of the City of Detroit’s Strategic Neighborhood Initiative. A multi-year process to create 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 within the Gulfport Commercial Redevelopment Zone.
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.
PLACEHOLDER Hopewell Mann Neighborhood Stabilization Plan
PLACEHOLDER Spokane 5th Avenue Community Plan