GrowSmartRI

GrowSmartRI Sustainable Economic Growth & Quality of Place. http://www.growsmartri.org/

Grow Smart Rhode Island is a statewide public interest group representing a broad coalition of partners fighting sprawl and leading the charge for better-managed growth through innovative policies and programs to: Revitalize city, town and village center

We need to ask you a favor!Your fellow advocates and experts in transportation, housing, climate & environment, communit...
06/17/2026

We need to ask you a favor!

Your fellow advocates and experts in transportation, housing, climate & environment, community engagement, and more are offering 15 terrific breakout sessions — panels, workshops, and walking tours — at our upcoming Power of Place Summit.

It's a lot to choose from, but please do, ASAP! We're assigning rooms for the breakouts based on expected attendance and we don't want to have to shut anyone out because a room has reached capacity.

➡ If you've already registered for the Summit, follow the link in the email you received about downloading the Whova app 📱, sign in, and select the sessions you want to attend.

➡ If you haven't registered for the Summit yet, do it! The clock is ticking... ⏰

https://growsmartri.org/power-of-place-summit-2026/

Four breakout sessions at our upcoming Power of Place Summit will look at the power of community voices and cultural mem...
06/15/2026

Four breakout sessions at our upcoming Power of Place Summit will look at the power of community voices and cultural memory.

Presenters include:
Richard Godfrey, Consultant and Educator
Carla DeStefano, SWAP Inc.
Ron Crosson, Urban Ventures
Rochelle Lee, City and Regional Planner

Carolyn Belisle, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island
Melissa Clark, Brown University School of Public Health

Christine West, AIA, KITE Architects
Kristina Brown, Neighbors Welcome! Rhode Island

Marta V. Martínez, Rhode Island Latino Arts
Dr. Christopher West, African American Museum of Rhode Island
Jeannie Solomon, Asian American and Pacific Islander History Museum

Spots are still available for the June 26 Summit — register now!
https://growsmartri.org/power-of-place-summit-2026/

Four breakout sessions at our upcoming Power of Place Summit will look at the Ocean State's climate and environmental ch...
06/14/2026

Four breakout sessions at our upcoming Power of Place Summit will look at the Ocean State's climate and environmental challenges along with sustainability solutions.

Presenters include:
Chris Martin, City of Providence Department of Planning and Development
Alban Bassuet, Arup

Isaac Bearg, Rhode Island Food Policy Council
Jed Thorp, Save The Bay - Narragansett Bay
Emily Howe, Clean Water Action Rhode Island

Brianna Jordan, Providence Preservation SocietySociety
Jenna Yu, Build With Nature

Michele Jalbert, Cliff Wood, and Luisa Murillo, Providence Resilience Partnership
Kira Wills, Community Facilitator

Spots are still available for the June 26 Summit — register now:
https://growsmartri.org/power-of-place-summit-2026/

06/12/2026

The Boston Globe's Dan McGowan talked with Executive Director Scott Wolf about his perspective after three decades of helping to shape Rhode Island's approach to growth, housing, transportation, and economic development.

Asked where he might contribute over the next 20 years, Scott told Dan:

"There are several ways I think I can contribute to this important needle threading exercise, including:
-- Continuing to be a sharer of smart growth best practices from within and outside Rhode Island;
-- Being an advocate and thought leader for better regional transportation and employment connectivity, as well as for housing and transit-friendly investments land use reforms that accelerate the revitalization of our downtowns and Main Streets and defy the predictions of population decline;
- Mentoring a new generation of creative economic and community development change agents.

Read more in McGowan's daily Rhode Map:

Two Power of Place Summit breakout sessions will focus on transportation issues:🚍 “Small State, Big Headaches: Getting R...
06/11/2026

Two Power of Place Summit breakout sessions will focus on transportation issues:

🚍 “Small State, Big Headaches: Getting Rhode Island’s Transportation System Right” presents a mobility policy blueprint focused on transparency in decision-making, affordability and accessibility, and long-term economic resilience.

Panelists: Dylan Giles and Nicole O'Loughlin, Providence Streets Coalition; and John Flaherty, Green Street Associates.

🚶🚴 “Moving From Policy to Projects: A First Look at Rhode Island’s Complete Streets Toolkit” looks at a new resource to help municipalities and stakeholders move transportation projects from vision to implementation.

Panelists: Bonnie Nickerson and Rosie Jaswal, Toole Design Group; and Meredith Brady, Rhode Island Department of Administration.

Register now for the June 26 Power of Place Summit! Early bird pricing ends Friday, June 12.
https://growsmartri.org/power-of-place-summit-2026/

Rhode Island’s housing crisis requires solutions from multiple angles. Two breakout sessions at our June 26 Power of Pla...
06/11/2026

Rhode Island’s housing crisis requires solutions from multiple angles. Two breakout sessions at our June 26 Power of Place Summit will offer new perspectives:

🏘 In “Back to the Future: How Upzoning Can Help Restore Rhode Island Community Character,” panelists will look at how building codes can be written so that new buildings complement older ones and contribute to, rather than detract from, the distinctive community fabric that we love about so many of our favorite R.I. places.

Panelists: Annette Bourne and James Hardy, HousingWorks RI; Dylan Conley, RI Land Use Law; and Jeanne Boyle, Jeanne Boyle Consulting, LLC.

🏘 In “Designing Communities for Housing Options,” panelists will look at how to create more housing options — ADUs, townhomes, mixed-use, and more — and the role that intentional design plays in creating housing that supports residents across incomes and lifespan.

Panelists: Kristina Brown, Neighbors Welcome RI; Peter Friedrichs, RI Land Use Law; Joel VanderWeele, Union Studio Architecture & Community Design; Charlie Thomas-Davison, Women's Development Corporation; David Sisson, David Sisson Architecture and Blue ADU.

Register now for the Power of Place Summit — early bird pricing ends Friday, June 12:
https://growsmartri.org/power-of-place-summit-2026/

For more than 27 years Scott Wolf has been the heart of Grow Smart RI — a tireless advocate, a trusted voice, and a frie...
06/09/2026

For more than 27 years Scott Wolf has been the heart of Grow Smart RI — a tireless advocate, a trusted voice, and a friend to everyone who cares about building a better Rhode Island.

With mixed emotions we share Scott’s plans to step down as executive director at the end of December 2026.

https://growsmartri.org/announcing-executive-director-transition/

⏰ It's time to sign up!We've extended the early bird registration rate for our Power of Place Summit through this Friday...
06/08/2026

⏰ It's time to sign up!

We've extended the early bird registration rate for our Power of Place Summit through this Friday, 6/12.

The morning's keynote, "Fix the Places, Keep the People," with Galina Tachieva will set the tone for the workshops, panels, and tours that follow, all focusing on creative solutions that advance long-term change for Rhode Island.

In the afternoon you'll hear where 3 of our state's major gubernatorial candidates stand on smart growth issues.

Register now:
https://growsmartri.org/power-of-place-summit-2026/

Our 2026 Outstanding Smart Growth Plan Award goes to the PVD Tree Plan.Developed by community groups, nonprofit organiza...
06/04/2026

Our 2026 Outstanding Smart Growth Plan Award goes to the PVD Tree Plan.

Developed by community groups, nonprofit organizations, residents, city departments, researchers, experts, and urban forestry practitioners, the PVD Tree Plan has laid out a vision and strategic pathway to a just and resilient urban forest. Most notably, the initiative has centered the voices of those most impacted by the lack of tree canopy and other environmental injustices.

Efforts include holding neighborhood-level community tree forums for residents to share priorities and concerns, creating networks of paid community ambassadors supporting frontline neighborhoods with their urban forestry knowledge and outreach, and building ongoing community-led governance structures to steer resources and guide the Plan’s implementation.

The cooperative nature of the Plan’s creation set the gears in motion for the deeply collaborative work—across the many practitioners, sectors and communities that intersect with Providence’s urban forest—necessary to achieve the PVD Tree Plan’s ambitious vision: a Providence that is healthier, greener, more resilient, and more just.

We'll present our 2026 Smart Growth Awards on Friday, June 26 during our Power of Place Summit in Providence.

Providence Neighborhood Planting Program
Providence Parks Department Providence Planning & Economic Development

Meet the Millrace District in Woonsocket, RI, winner of our 2026 Outstanding Smart Growth Project Award.The redevelopmen...
06/04/2026

Meet the Millrace District in Woonsocket, RI, winner of our 2026 Outstanding Smart Growth Project Award.

The redevelopment project by NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley transformed two vacant mill buildings into 70 units of affordable housing and integrated commercial and community space in downtown Woonsocket. The project demonstrates how strategic infill development can anchor inclusive growth, strengthen Main Street, and bring new life to historic urban centers.

The $34 million historic rehabilitation created high-quality, ADA-accessible homes at a range of price points, including smaller units that meet the needs of downsizing older adults as well as younger residents entering the housing market. The development is embedded in the broader Millrace District, a vibrant, walkable environment.

Nearby amenities and cultural assets include the Museum of Work and Culture, restaurants, and River Island Art Park, home to free live music. Located on a RIPTA bus route, the project promotes accessible, multimodal transportation.

We'll present our 2026 Smart Growth Awards on Friday, June 26 during our Power of Place Summit in Providence.

Downtown Woonsocket Collaborative

Address

Providence, RI
02901

Telephone

+14012735711

Website

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