Category Archives: Best Management Practices

Accommodation and Regeneration

Nov. 26, 2020 Thanksgiving Day – PlanGreen

ACCOMMODATION

Most of my blogs these days focus on the main purpose of my business: achieving CLIMATE JUSTICE. And I’m ever so thankful to friends in the myriad organizations I support who do that work (with or without me,). Instead, I’m going to spend this blog on what I am (or would be) most grateful for with regard to my mental health. I’m asking for your help!

Covid-19 restrictions have made most of us more aware how important connection with others is for our mental and emotional health. I thought that the pandemic might be a boon to my mine because large gatherings—especially happy hours with lots of background noise—were no longer any fun for me. In fact, I often came home feeling depressed–but hopeful that I had made someone else’s evening go better by approaching those on the fringes.

Image of the small rechargeable microphone that pairs with my hearing aid. The buttons on the side turn it up or down.

ReSound Multi Mic pairs with ReSound hearing aid

Despite my fabulous ReSound Multi Mic that I, or someone else in the meeting, would run around from speaker to speaker allowing me to get something out of some gatherings, I was beginning to feel less and less connected. But it was important to stay in touch by more than email, Facebook, Google Groups, Slack, MapApp or listservs,

So I started out enthusiastically with virtual or online meetings! But now I discover that I’m having trouble with those as well. I try to practice what I preach below so I have some really great headphones with an external mic to listen and talk to you. (Those of you who give me feedback tell me that you can hear me clear as a bell.) The problem is, with most of you, I don’t UNDERSTAND you! My online hearing difficulty extends to public meetings too– both those who testify at them–and often city staff and/or Commissioners.

I’m deeply grateful to those few of you who are using best practices for virtual meetings—practices like:

USE AN EXTERNAL MICROPHONE close to your mouth
Use a front light and avoid backlighting–it’s important to those of us with hearing loss to see your face, even if we don’t read lips
Open your mouth and enunciate and keep your hands away from your mouth
Fill the screen with your face—as opposed to your ceiling, your ceiling fan, your window(s), your garden, your bed, your bookshelf, your kitchen, whatever. . .
Project your voice. Pretend like you are going to an interview for a radio sports announcer!

Editors Keys demonstrates what a difference good lighting, close positioning and an external mic can make in his 3 minute video. It was one of the first and most succinct of the many available.

Editors Keys answers numerous questions w/that name. His 3 minute video was one of the first and most succinct.

I’m one of those 48 Million Americans who have a significant level of hearing loss. You can better accommodate me–and a few others in your circles–by following the suggestions in this 3 minute video: How To Improve Your Zoom Video And Audio Quality . There are hundreds more videos on the topic, but this was one of the first and most succinct .

Such practices will get you more than gold stars in my book, they will make you look and sound more professional and credible–maybe to your next employer.

Perhaps these facts from the Center for Hearing and Communication may inspire you

This struggle with online gatherings for me has been going on ever since Portland’s Mayor Wheeler told those of us who showed up at City Hall to testify in person on Portland’s Residential Infill Project on March 12 to go home. It has caused me extreme frustration, alienating me from organizations I have long supported–organizations that have been an important part of my identity and sense of community. One example is expressed in my May 29, 2020 communication with Abigail Sheridan, VP of the Congress for the New Urbanism:

Abby,

After participating in each of the On the Park Bench sessions, I’m beginning to rethink my registration as there were many speakers that I could not understand–even with Bosch noise-canceling headphones on. I know I’m not the only one as I watched Marcela struggle to hear in the last session too. She was the best of that group–with a good microphone, front lighting and close so you could see her face well and hear her clearly.

Too many speakers are backlit, so that you cannot see their faces. They stand too far from their computer microphones and cameras besides. That makes it hell for those of us with hearing loss–and probably some who don’t even know they have hearing loss. . . .

Otherwise, I will need to take advantage of one of the other options for my registration money–requesting a medical exemption from your May 25 deadline.

Thanks,

Mary

For better of for worse, I didn’t take advantage of one of the other options for my CNU 28.A Virtual Gathering registration money. Instead, I opted to try to get word out to speakers ahead of time via various social media. Nevertheless, I spent 5-6 exhausting days struggling to hear speakers at CNU28–only to be told at the end that my type of registration did not cover the ability to review any parts I may have missed! That would cost me another $50!!!

Before moving on from Accommodation, I do want to call out one organization that has demonstrated excellent online practices. In a Sightline Institute webinar this summer, every speaker had headphones with an external mic and used the other best practices that I suggested above. I understand that this was largely due to their Operations Manager, Riley Kent. Their professionalism showed them to be highly worthy of my small monthly contribution.

BEYOND ACCOMMODATION

For more than ten years now, I have known about the research into hearing regeneration. With due consideration of their precious time, I’ve been seeking, hoping, cajoling, pestering researchers ever since. I did get into one clinical trial on the hormone aldosterone–and that was somewhat effective in my case. But it became harder and harder to obtain supplemental aldosterone after the study. After a couple years, when the Canadian pharmacy in BC discontinued it, I stopped looking.

Until today, I did NOT know that 43 companies have therapeutics for restoring the inner ear under development–as reported in this issue of the Journal of Otology & Neurotology. I was only aware of 3-4 of them in the US and acupuncture with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in China. (I’m getting at least one LAc here to try some of the techniques and to prescribe Er Long Zuo Xi Wan) but my hope of getting into a clinical trial in China has been put on a back burner!)

HEARING RESTORATION PROJECT CONSORTIUM

The Hearing Restoration Project Consortium is composed of 14 senior scientists working collaboratively on scientific research towards inner ear hair cell regeneration to accelerate the time frame for developing a cure for hearing loss. The HRP brings together researchers from Harvard University, Stanford University, Oregon Health & Science University the University of Washington and elsewhere with the goal of researching and developing a genuine cure for most forms of acquired hearing loss. They seek to do this by regenerating the inner ear hair cells that enable hearing.

I started out corresponding with Ed Rubel at the University of Washington about UW’s research, but then Ed told me there was a whole consortium of researchers and that its director was here in Portland! I then switched the focus of my correspondence to Peter Barr-Gillespie Ph.D., Scientific Director of the Consortium and Professor of Otolaryngology at OHSU.

Screen shot of Hearing Restoration Project's YouTube video: A Cross S[ecies Approach to Hair Cell Regeneration. It reads "Learn more about our work hhf.org/hrp. Donate to advance hearing loss cures uhf.org/donate. Thank you!

Donate to advance hearing loss cures uhf.org/donate

PRIVATE COMPANIES

Until recently, Dr. Barr-Gillespie was on the Scientific Advisory board for one of the private companies currently doing clinical trials for specialized populations w/hearing loss is: Decibel Therapeutics. Another company that has already started clinical trials for a more general population is Frequency Therapeutics. They are both in the Boston-area. I follow both companies on Twitter (@DecibelTx and @frequencytx) and have learned a great deal about hearing loss through them.

I would deeply appreciate your help in keeping up with the above companies. And I would appreciate information on the 41 other companies who are developing therapies for inner ear disorders.

BTW, most of my images link to the URL where I “grabbed” them . I hope you will check them out–and share them with your friends and relatives who just might have hearing loss themselves. I’m thankful for your attention–and I hope you will follow PlanGreen on Facebook, connect on Linked In and follow us on Twitter–where most of our posts will not be about hearing loss.

ADDENDUM

On Nov. 11, 2021, just as I was getting ready to go to my second PRP therapy for my hip and back, I learned about PRP for the ears. Only one hearing researcher from India, Dr. Tyagi, ENT,, seems to have published anything that is widely available on the web. And he was only allocated a poster session with a five page paper. I’ve read that the Schoen Klinik in Germany has had success with PRP and ears. But they have been in lockdown to any new patients (and apparently not answering their questions) until the surge with the Delta variant subsides.

Another exciting find for me has been Dr.Cliff AUD who helps folks find audiologists who follow the best practices he has developed. He also does product reviews of hearing technologies and expresses other opinions on YouTube. Let me know in Comments if you find anything interesting there.

Toronto’s Regent Park Explored

October 20, 2015

For those of us on the Greater Portland Inc. Sept. 27-30 Best Management Practices tour choosing the Regent Park Revitalization, doubtless, the most animated and enthusiastic speaker we encountered on the trip was Mitchell Kosny. Kosny is Associate Director of the Ryerson University School of Urban and Regional Planning and a former Chair of the Board of Directors at Toronto Community Housing Corporation during the ‘roll-out’ of Regent Park revitalization. Unfortunately, Dr. Kosny may not have realized two things: 1) We had spent the earlier part of the day sitting in meetings and were ready for a tour; 2) We were from the Pacific Northwest and therefore comfortable with rain. I knew Regent Park to be just a few blocks down the street from Ryerson. So, after nearly an hour sitting in Dr. Kosny’s PowerPoint lecture when he expressed doubt about doing a tour in the rain, , , I set off on my own tour.

Regent Park is directly east of Ryerson University and very close to the rest of downtown. Image courtesy of UoT student paper: http://www.torontohousing.ca/webfm_send/11574

Regent Park identical towers. One is market rate, one is subsidized. Photo by PlanGreen

Regent Park is being redeveloped in five phases with three of those phases currently underway. A key tenet of the revitalization is including both rent-geared-to-income and market rate units together in the same community. I could guess which was the market rate building because I was there at rush hour when a number of young people were coming home from work and others were leaving to walk their dogs.

When the Regent Park revitalization is completed over the next 10 to 15 years, 12,500 people will live in 5,115 units across 69 acres of the largest publicly funded community in Canada. The plan includes the replacement of the 2,083 existing social housing units in Regent Park with new, energy efficient, modern units and the introduction of approximately 3,000 market units for sale.

Regent Park is both the name of a park and a neighborhood that is re-branding itself. The park is separate from the athletic fields, but does have a community garden at one edge and an aquatic center at another. Photo by PlanGreen

I was happy to see that Regent Park actually has a park! It’s a large park that is separate from the athletic fields that are currently under construction. There’s a separate dog park too! A community garden at one edge of the park is the front yard of many people who live in high rise housing.

A community garden at one edge of Regent Park is close to much high density housing. Photo by PlanGreen

The architecture of the new buildings is a departure from the red brick of social housing projects. Although there are some townhouses too, I was a bit surprised by the focus on high-rise housing, considering the bad rep that got with Cabrini Green and Pruitt Igo iin the US. However, Toronto seems to have a long history of housing its poor in high rise housing,. Another question I have about high rises has to do with resiliency. Considering the era of increasing natural disasters we are in, most high rises will fare very poorly without power for even a week or two. With Toronto’s mandatory Green Roof Bylaw and its Green Standards policy, its new high rises may be in better shape than most to weather power outages.

The revitalization also reconnects Regent Park to Toronto’s grid of streets and avenues, and includes the creation of new commercial spaces and community facilities including a bank, grocery store, aquatic center, new community center, restaurant and an arts & cultural center.

Regent Park Aquatic Center is a regional swim center that brings in folks from other neighborhoods too. Photo by PlanGreen

Regent Park Aquatic Center serves people from other neighborhoods as well. I spoke to a man from Leslieville neighborhood who was waiting in the park for his daughter who was using the swimming pool.

The Arts and Culture Centre with Paint Box condominiums atop it. is the center point of the cultural regeneration of the neighborhood. This 60,000 sf facility is home to seven arts and innovation non-profit organizations. Yes, intersections are often too wide to be truly comfortable to the pedestrian in Toronto. Photo by PlanGreen

The Arts and Culture Centre known officially as Daniels Spectrum is seen as a center point of the neighborhood. (Daniels Corporation is the development company that partnered with Toronto Community Housing to build all five phases so they got naming rights to this key facility!) This 60,000 square foot facility is home to seven arts and innovation non-profit organizations. As we have seen in the U.S., the arts can offer an exciting career path to children from all income classes so I see this center as vital to the revitalization efforts. I saw lots of people coming and going during my brief observation.

RP Athletic Fields Administrative Office

The Phase 3 construction of athletic fields is underway, along with the construction of new streets. Photo by PlanGreen

Phase 3 is progressing with the development of the athletic fields and the addition of pedestrian-friendly streets connecting to other neighborhoods. Planners believed that because of its enclave-like street design, residents were cut off from the city, even though they lived a short streetcar ride from some of its most affluent neighbourhoods and greatest cultural attractions. More social and market housing is also part of phase 3– with completion estimated to be 2018 .

A Daniels ad for The Bartholomew condominium community–a mix of high rise and row houses. Photo by PlanGreen

It bears repeating that a key tenet of the revitalization is including both subsidized and market rate units – together in the same community. Townhouse as well as high rise; rental as well as ownership opportunities are available. This sign advertises suites from the $300.000s but I also saw from the $200,000s.

Another key tenet is access to employment. Regent Park residents can get one-on-one help with job searching, local employment opportunities, career planning, education and training, and more. The Regent Park Employment Plan has an ambitious agenda.

These are typical units in the old social housing. Photo by PlanGreen

This “No Loitering No Trespassing No Alcoholic Beverages sign hints at old problems the community is trying to overcome. The sign also reminded me that Regent Park had become synonymous with poverty, crime and unemployment. Photo by PlanGreen

Never one to avoid a challenge, I also spent some time exploring the older parts of Regent Park that have not yet been demolished. I’m not sure during which phase this seemingly vacant building will come down–and with the rain, there was no one around to ask. Any tenants who have to move because of construction get one year’s notice before demolition and five months’ notice before they have to move.

While Toronto’s version of the U.S. Hope VI program is impressive, like its counterpart in Portland, New Columbia, it has not solved all its problems. There had been three fatal shootings in the neighborhood in 2010 that left even Regent Park’s supporters in doubt. TCHC maintains that by incorporating crime prevention best practices into the design of the buildings and public areas and by linking tenants to jobs and training opportunities, it is improving community safety.

In his talk, Dr. Kosny spoke about the green that is not seen. One of those unseen aspects seems to be what Margaret Wente in The Globe and Mail calls “the most successful “normalization” project ever launched in Regent Park”:

. . . an all-encompassing program called Pathways to Education, which mentors and coaches secondary-school kids through graduation and beyond, and guarantees them a bursary if they graduate. (A big advantage, in my view, is that Regent Park has no secondary school, so the kids have no choice but to venture outside the ’hood.) Pathways connects them with the world and shows them how to navigate it.

Regent Park Is Growing Greener Every Day reads this sign near the community garden. Photo by PlanGreen

Toronto-based journalist, Doug Saunders, in his book, The Arrival City, points to three things that are crucial for integrating immigrants into the middle class: education, transportation and access to jobs. Time will tell if Regent Park is doing all three well. At the end of 2015, it appears to be headed in the right direction.

Toronto: Evergreen to Spacing Mag

October 15, 2015

The Toronto Best Management Practices (BMP) visit sponsored by Greater Portland, Inc.(GPI) from Sept. 27-30, 2015 was a chance to visit with some of the players who are making Canada’s largest city #2 in Fast Company’s global ranking of smart cities, and #1 in North America and “the most civil and civilized city in the world” according to National Geographic.

I had a little different trip than my 51 other colleagues because I came a little earlier and left a little later than most of them did. I also stayed in a different venue, so I had different views out my back window and front door.

St. James Cathedral was the view out my front door on Church St. Photo by PlanGreen

Courthouse Square was a view out my back window. Photo by PlanGreen

Our first stop on the BMP trip was at Evergreen Brick Works, a “community environmental centre that inspires and equips visitors to live, work and play more sustainably.” It is also home to Evergreen, a national organization whose mission is “inspiring action to green cities.” Approximately 180 employees help Evergreen to promote that mission in four areas of focus: greenspace, children, food and CityWorks (urban planning). If you took Dharma Rain Zen Center ( a group redeveloping a brownfield in far northeast Portland) and combined it with Groundwork Portland, Willamette Riverkeeper, Audubon Society of Portland and Zenger Farm, then topped it off with a national organization like the Sierra Club, you might have something close in Portland.

Evergreen Brick Works derelict buildings

This photo of a photo shows the derelict Evergreen Brick Works brownfield site that Evergreen is now transforming. Note the Don River in the close background and downtown Toronto in the further background. Photo by PlanGreen

Although very close to Toronto’s core, you feel as if you are a world away there. Evergreen staff have organized the planting of tens of thousands of native trees and plants by community volunteers. They have also worked with partners to restore a large wetland on their site and a trail through the Don Valley watershed and its ravines.

Trail through Evergreen Brickworks restored habitat. Volunteers planted tens of thousands of native trees and plants. Photo by PlanGreen

Evergreen’s Lower Don project seems to focus largely on enhancing an existing 5K trail with more entryways and artwork and better facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians. Photo by PlanGreen

Evergreen CEO Geoff Cape, along with Planning Director Jennifer Keesmaat and several other speakers stressed that ravines help to define Toronto. “The ravines are to Toronto what canals are to Venice and hills are to San Francisco. They are the heart of the city’s emotional geography, and understanding Toronto requires an understanding of the ravines.” – Robert Fulford, Accidental City

On June 7, 2013, more than 60 mm of rain fell across the Toronto region, resulting in widespread water damage, flooding and road closures. According to an EBW blog post:

2013 Don River and the Don River Parkway that so greatly confines the river (except when it doesn’t). Photo by xdeguzmanhd

“The most significant flooding took place in the Don Valley, right where Evergreen calls home—shutting down the Don Valley Parkway and putting parts of the Brick Works under more than two feet of water! This is not the first time we’ve had to close the site due to excessive amounts of rain but it is certainly the largest flood we have had since moving into the Brick Works in September 2010.”

I found only one reference on the Evergreen site about the re-naturalization of the mouth of the Don River. It is described as a project of Waterfront Toronto in the History of the Lower Don Project. I am watching the CityWorks portion of Evergreen’s site for the day when they advocate taking out the Don River Parkway that so greatly confines the river (except when it doesn’t) and getting the Don River out of its concrete channel altogether.

” Matthew Blackett, publisher of Spacing Magazine in front of his retail store in a refurbished older building in downtown Toronto. Photo by PlanGreen

Our next stop was to the Spacing Magazine retail store where publisher Matthew Blackett told us that he is working with Evergreen and the City of Toronto to create city planning podcasts aimed at a millennial audience. “Growing Conversations is our strategy to reach youth, newcomers, renters and those we’re not presently engaging in the official “consultations” the city planning department holds,” he said. His store sells many books about urbanism as well as locally designed products relating to urbanism –and, of course, the magazine.

Blackett, also on our agenda in the afternoon, claims that ‘most of Toronto’s growth is happening downtown–the fastest growing in NA- and that youth18-34 are a driving force behind the downtown condo boom. He said the government will give you 10% down payment interest free and forgiveable as long as you stay in the condo. The top three Issues he sees for this age group: affordable housing; equity; and the environment.

My hope is that this new generation will insist on speedier implementation of environmental restoration plans–e.g., for the mouth of the Don River–and greater awareness with regard to how all aspects of the City’s future are tied to working with nature in an era of climate change.

ACCOMMODATION

BEYOND ACCOMMODATION

HEARING RESTORATION PROJECT CONSORTIUM

PRIVATE COMPANIES

ADDENDUM

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