R2G’s guiding principles + practices

R2G remains deeply rooted and grounded in place and believes that green futures – for Utica and the surrounding Mohawk Valley Region – must emerge and grow from the community’s distinctive place identity, assets and needs.

Guiding R2G are contemporary principles and practices that are consistent with concepts of sustainability and that are also, in and of themselves, “asset” building and beneficial in fostering greater resilience, equity and place identity and belonging. For R2G, such principles and practices correlate with the outcomes and impacts they aim to produce.

We feel that one of the greatest contributions we can make is to play a role in knitting together actions across scales and arenas and in engaging diverse voices and contributions in the process. Through collaborative efforts we strengthen our ability to problem-solve, innovate and capacity-build. And by inviting and including different people, skill-sets, and knowledge we generate more innovative and integrated thinking leading to new opportunities and solutions and relevant to place and context.

R2G’s approach is iterative and emergent, at times messy and unpredictable. It is also more often than not, challenging and disruptive of conventional top-down planning and decision-making which unfortunately, is still the status-quo. R2G advocates for broad and inclusive community engagement, interaction and collaboration which we believe best supports equitable community development and social sustainability.

definitions

Placemaking regards the activity and process of making places as a co-practice collectively shared by all people, professional and non-professional alike. It also denies that planning and design expertise is privileged over all other forms of knowledge in any process of making or reimagining ones future. Placemaking asks professionals and non-professionals to learn together and exchange knowledge in the process of addressing a community’s needs and over come challenges.

Place — places are dynamic complex totalities with relational networks and flows interweaving inhabitants, over time, with the environments they’re shaping and that are in turn shaping them.

Community Based Participatory Action Research — identifies and implements action steps in concert with the community as part of the research goal.

Asset-based Community Development is a methodology focusing on the assets, strengths and capacities (physical, social capital, economy) of individuals and communities rather than their deficiencies and needs.

Green Livable cities are affordable, socially equitable, environmentally sustainable, healthy, economically vital, regenerative places fostering democratic citizenship and citizenry.

Sustainable Design integrates human and natural systems, develops new methods for constructing infrastructure and processes promoting a better quality of life for current and future generations.

Green Infrastructure consists of conscientiously planned networks of functioning landscapes that preserve natural systems including open spaces, wildlife corridors, porous surfaces and cleansing water systems.

Urban Resilience is a city’s ability to withstand and adapt to change, under the understanding that they are susceptible to variances and disruptions.

Ecological Design Intelligence includes sensitivity to the many scales, micro and macro, of ecological systems and the way they interact with one another.

Engaged Education and Service-Learning is a teaching and learning approach that integrates meaningful community engagement with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen and benefit communities.