MVRPC focuses on livable and equitable communities
Founded in 1964 on time-honored principles of regional collaboration, cooperation and consensus building, the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC) serves Montgomery, Miami and Greene counties as well as a portion of northern Warren County. It also provides regional and environmental support for diverse community and business partners in seven counties across Southwest Ohio.
The MVRPC serves as the common ground where area partners can come together to work for a shared vision across the region. MVRPC’s policies guide agency interactions in many areas, including implementation of project funding, public transportation in the planning process, public records retention and access and non-discrimination.
One of its most important and sociological impactful initiatives today has been the creation of The Institute for Livable and Equitable Communities. Founded in 2019, this long-term, multi-faceted effort is focused on creating livability and equity throughout the Miami Valley Region.
“Equity and age-friendly work is really important for Dayton as well as our entire region right now,” says Brian O. Martin, executive director of the MVRPC. “We do have some baggage from our past in terms of where certain people were forced to settle. Flash forward 60, 70 and even 100 years, and it’s easy to see that while many in our region are thriving, some have been left behind.
“The answer is to provide a hand-up, not a handout, for those who have been left behind to ensure that everybody has access to opportunity, so they can participate in the community and live where they want and get a job where they want.”
Within the structure of the Institute, there are two key initiatives: The Regional Equity Initiative and The Regional Livable and Age-Friendly Communities Initiative. The institute is catalyst and incubator for efforts to transform systems and make access to opportunity abundant so that all people can thrive.
The Regional Equity Initiative is a coordinated effort by MVRPC, member communities and partners to strengthen the Miami Valley by correcting policies, reforming institutions and closing the gaps that undermine sustained quality of life improvements for underserved communities and minority populations. The Regional Livable and Age-Friendly Communities Initiative encourages MVRPC member communities and partners to consider policies, programs and planning efforts to make communities livable for people of all ages.
Last year, the MVRPC Board of Directors adopted revised bylaws that outlined the formation of a 13-member Institute for Livable & Equitable Communities Steering Committee. The Institute Steering Committee (ISC) is a permanent committee appointed by the MVRPC Board of Directors responsible for working with the MVRPC executive director to guide the work of the Institute of Livable & Equitable Communities.
The launch of the Institute was made possible through a partnership among MVRPC, The Dayton Foundation, the Del Mar Healthcare Fund of The Dayton Foundation, AARP/World Health Organization (WHO), Learn to Earn Dayton and local business, health care, nonprofit and higher education institutions.
“These memberships are extremely critical in helping us create and maintain vibrant communities,” says Martin. “We need to continue to attract people to come to Dayton, to maintain our edge here in Ohio and beyond.”
Those who wish to support the work of the Institute can easily do so through an established fund at The Dayton Foundation.
