Ideas and Action

Policy & Program Innovation

Housing, community resources, workforce development, small business, commercial activation, and inclusive wealth-building policy are at the core of Ideas and Action’s consulting practice. Ideas and Action works as part of interdisciplinary teams, and directly with clients, to develop program analysis and a wide toolkit of recommendations that advance community goals. Ideas and Action leverages extensive experience with both practitioners and policy-makers across a national footprint to guide policy and program innovation informed by user-experience, implementation, and outcomes.

Public- and Non-profit Sector Survey, Capacity Assessment & Engagement

Policy & Program Analysis

Real Estate Development Goals & Guidelines

Inclusive Wealth-building Policy & Program Recommendations

Community Benefits & Accountability Strategies

Featured Projects

Downtown Akron Equity Framework
Downtown Vision and Redevelopment Plan with housing, retail, office, hospitality, public realm, entertainment and culture development strategies.
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 Seattle Public Utility seeking to pursue co-development with community organizations on SPU land in an underserved neighborhood.
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.
Albina Vision Trust Community Investment Plan
A vision and development framework for an inclusive community that works to heal the wounds of previous urban development that displaced and disempowered Portland’s 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 in Ann Arbor, including development of underutilized publicly owned sites, strategic acquisitions of naturally affordable housing, and strengthening affordability in existing properties. 
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.
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 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. 
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.
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