Ariel H. Bierbaum, Jeffrey M. Vincent and Deborah L. McKoy
CC&S and ABAG partnered to support and inform local and regional innovation connecting schools to the Bay Area’s regional development and conservation strategy (FOCUS) and the Sustainable Communities Strategy as mandated by California’s climate change legislation, Senate Bill 375. Our new report identifies tangible policy levers at both the regional and municipal levels that realize the co-benefits of pursuing complete communities and high-quality education in tandem. We describe the regional educational landscape and develop recommendations about specific strategies to achieve cross-sector “win-wins.”
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What are the educational impacts of non-school policies, such as housing, transportation, and other regional planning investments?
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What are the impacts of educational efforts on non-school issues, such as housing choice, sustainable transportation utilization, and community-building opportunities?
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How can the region’s policy and practice interventions and investments in housing and transportation be made to strategically support improving school quality?
Download Report (PDF)
FOCUS Homepage
Association of Bay Area Governments Homepage
Hosted by the Center for Cities & Schools, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Urban Institute:
Overview of Seven Steps
DEBORAH MCKOY and JEFF VINCENT, Center for Cities & Schools
Role of Education in HUD Programs
SALIN GEEVARGHESE, Senior Advisor, Sustainable Housing and Communities Program, HUD
Incorporating Education in Regional Planning
MARISA RAYA, Regional Planner, Association of Bay Area Governments
Getting Districts to the Table
TONY SMITH, Superintendent, Oakland Unified School District
Effective Joint Use Strategies
MIKE RAIBLE, Executive Director, Planning and Development, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and JONATHAN WELLS, Program Manager, Capital Facilities, Charlotte- Mecklenburg Planning Department
Watch Webinar
Download Presentation (.pdf)
Deborah L. McKoy, PhD, David Stern, PhD, Ariel H. Bierbaum, MCP
Download Report (PDF)
Deborah L. McKoy, Jeffrey M. Vincent, and Ariel H. Bierbaum.
In 2010 the What Works Collaborative invited CC&S to exmaine the ways in which public education relates to sustainable community planning. The center discovered policies and strategies at all levels of government are increasingly associating educational outcomes with community planning and housing. Challenges remain for local officials and practitioners trying to align these policy areas, including persistent spatial inequity and rigid institutional silos. This report develops seven steps to link education and planning policy at the local level. The authors draw from a national scan of model activities, interviews with key experts and agency staff members, and the authors' experience working with local governing bodies. The report identifies practical solutions that encompass assessing the current educational environment, engaging the community, strategic planning and implementation of investment, and institutionalizing successful innovations.
Download Report (PDF)
Deborah L. McKoy, Jeffrey M. Vincent, and Ariel H. Bierbaum.
CC&S contributes a chapter to the book Changing Places: How
Communities Will Improve the Health of Boys of Color (edited by
Christopher Edley, Jr. and Jorge Ruiz de Velasco; University of
California Press 2010). The book draws attention to the urgent need—
both economic and moral—to better understand the policy and community-
based factors that serve as incentives or barriers to young men and
boys of color as they make critical life decisions. Our chapter
investigates the ways in which unhealthy environments — and the urban
planning and institutional practices that created them — structure
disadvantage and undermine the life chances of young men and boys of
color. We then describe how innovative city-school initiatives are
aligning and leveraging the diverse elements of the built and social
environment to create the trajectories of opportunity this group needs
and deserves.
Download Chapter (PDF)Download Entire Book (PDF)
- CC&S partnered with the California Strategic Growth Council and the
California Department of Education to host an invited roundtable,
bringing together local and state leaders together to discuss
promising strategies for linking public schools to the creation of
healthy, sustainable communities. Topics included: integrating schools
into regional Sustainable Communities Strategies and local planning
activities, school siting and design, and green construction.
Participants worked together to identify policy opportunities for
improving educational experiences and realizing sustainable communities.
- Download Roundtable Summary Report (PDF)
- Download California Department of Education Presentation (PPT)
21st Century School Fund & Center for Cities & Schools
One obstacle to sharing public school facilities is recovering the cost of joint use. One reason school districts say they do not recover their costs for joint use is they are not sure what to charge. But how do you know what to charge, if you don’t know what
it costs to own and operate the school buildings?
This joint use cost calculator will help:
1) Identify the elements of school district facility related costs
2) Calculate full cost of ownership on a per square foot and per hour basis
3) Determine policy decisions school districts need to make about which users to subsidize
4) Create fee structure options for various non-school users, based on the real cost of ownership
The calculator was piloted in the Bay Area to assist with decision-making about maximizing the use of public educational assets for school and community benefit. It is in BETA form and we are actively soliciting feedback for improvement.
Download Calculator Tool (.xls)
View the Webinar Tutorial
- Jeffrey M. Vincent
- Funded by the Council of Educational Facility Planners International, this study categorizes the types of joint use used by school districts utilized in California. We discern the challenges and lessons in joint use partnerships and make policy, procedural, and research recommendations to better support the joint use of public schools throughout the country.
- Download Full Report (PDF)
- Download Executive Summary (PDF)
- Community Investments 22(2): 18-21
- Ariel H. Bierbaum, Jeffrey M. Vincent, and Deborah McKoy
- Transit-oriented development (TOD) projects are often targeted at empty nesters or young professionals, with few options for families. But the interconnections between how and why families choose where to live and how that relates to their perception of access to high quality schools is a complex reality that is highly dependent on local contexts. This article outlines ten core connections between TOD, families and schools, and provides guidance for stakeholders interested in promoting equitable TOD that serves the needs of families.
- Download Article
- The Green Schools Initiative and the UC Berkeley Center for Cities & Schools are awarded a UC Berkeley Chancellor's Community Partnership Fund grant to pilot the new model Green Star Schools certification program in Berkeley and engage elementary school students in a service-learning program to "green" their school by reducing waste, pollution, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The Chancellor's Community Partnership Fund supports partnerships between local community members and University of California, Berkeley, students, faculty and staff to improve public safety, work to close the achievement gap, and help protect the environment in the city of Berkeley.
- Download Press Release (PDF)
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- Ariel Bierbaum, Jeffrey M. Vincent, and Deborah McKoy
- This paper examines the connections between Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) and families, schools, and expanding educational opportunities for all children. This paper is the first of its kind; therefore, we take an exploratory approach to understanding and framing these interconnections. We provide a rationale for the linkages at this nexus, highlight the Ten Core Connections between TOD and public education, highlight five case studies in the Bay Area, and make recommendations for enhancing city-school collaboration in TOD.
- Download Report (PDF)
- Download Report with Appendices (PDF)
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- 21st Century School Fund and Center for Cities & Schools
- In this paper, the 21st Century School Fund and CC&S provide a conceptual frame for the joint use of PK-12 public schools. We describe joint use as a strategy to provide services to children and families in convenient locations, improve opportunities for physical activity by increasing use of school recreational and outdoor spaces, leverage efficiencies in capital investments, and more. We also establish definitions for joint use and frame the key challenges and opportunities to facilitate better cross-sector planning for joint use.
- Download Report (PDF)
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- Robin Smith, G. Thomas Kingsley, Mary Cunningham, Susan Popkin, Kassie Dumlao, Ingrid Gould Ellen, Mark Joseph, and Deborah McKoy
- This paper is a product of the Urban Institute and was supported by the What Works Collaborative, which seeks to build knowledge and share solutions for housing and urban policy by bringing together leading researchers to address important public policy questions. The paper considers how to effectively evaluate outcomes and measure success in comprehensive community transformation efforts, such as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)'s proposed Choice Neighborhoods Initiative. The paper is divided into two parts: (1) a general framework for performance management in Choice Neighborhoods, including a logic model, and (2) a detailed, evidence-based approach to Choice Neighborhood performance measurement, including proposed management reports and performance indicators.
- Download Report (PDF)
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- Report prepared for San Francisco Unified School District and San Francisco's Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families
- This report presents research findings and policy recommendations from a year-long process involving a diverse stakeholder group to establish a more effective "joint use" strategy in San Francisco that supports students, families, schools and communities. The report includes: a) detailed descriptions and diagrams of current SFUSD facility policies and processes; b) findings on current utilization, management, policy, and budget: and c) policy recommendations to encourage a "culture" of community use of schools that prioritize partnerships with organizations that provide programs and services to SFUSD students and that are aligned with the District's goals.
- Download Full Report
- Download Executive Summary
- Jeffrey M. Vincent
- Testimony at the Joint Informational Hearing for the California Senate Committee on Housing and Transportation and the Senate Select Committee on State School Facilities: "Schools as Centers of Sustainable Communities: A Vision for Future School Facility Construction," December 15, 2009.
- Download Testimony (PDF)
- Watch the Hearing
- Download Hearing Agenda (PDF)
- Jeffrey M. Vincent and Paavo Monkkonen
- Journal of Education Finance 35(4): 313-330, Spring 2010
- In this article, we measure the impacts of three public school construction regulations on the costs of construction in a model that incorporates a more comprehensive set of project and locality characteristics than previous research. Using a database of nearly 3,000 schools constructed nationwide from 1995 to 2004, we find that the effects of regulation on school construction costs are more complicated than past studies suggest. Rather than understanding the impacts of individual regulation as contributing to marginal increases, it is the whole regulatory environment of a place that has complex impacts on school construction costs.
- Download Article
- CC&S Policy Brief
- California's ongoing school construction investment and innovations in public education, coupled with the new infrastructure planning approach in SB 375, create a strategic opportunity to make land use decisions that better support students, families, and communities.
- Download Brief (PDF)
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- Deborah L. McKoy, Ariel H. Bierbaum, Jeffrey M. Vincent
- This brief introduces HUD and others to CC&S's 10 PLUS Mechanics of Change, an evidence-based framework for building healthy, equitable and sustainable communities through integrated city-public school initiatives that simultaneously leverage innovations in the built environment, educational practice and governance policies.
- Download Report (PDF)
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- Joint Working Paper by PACE (Policy Analysis for California Education) and Center for Cities & Schools
- CC&S joins PACE to explore California's historic $82 billion school construction investment opportunity to advance educational quality and lift local communities. This report contributes to a new conversation about how mindful school construction decisions can enrich metropolitan areas and sustainable forms of regional development.
- Download Working Paper (PDF)
- Deborah McKoy, Jeffrey M. Vincent, and Carrie Makarewicz
- This article discusses the ways in which schools affect urban development and transportation, acknowledging that their location, design, and physical condition may be some of the most important determinants of neighborhood vitality. As California continues to grow and the state continues to make significant investments in public school facilities, crafting a vision and strategic supporting policies to ensure growth and prosperity becomes ever more important. The article presents three key recommendations to align school planning with broader infrastructure planning and investment.
- Download Article (PDF)
- CC&S launches the Joint Use Schools Initiative to create tools and resources for state and local joint use policy and practice. Partners include San Francisco Unified School District; San Francisco's Department of Children, Youth, and their Families; 21st Century School Fund / BEST; California Convergence Partnership; and the Council of Educational Facilities Planners International.
- Download Flyer (PDF)
- The San Francisco HOPE SF Housing & Education strategic planning study investigates how to meaningfully integrate public education into the revitalization of the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood.
- Deborah L. McKoy and Jeffrey M. Vincent
- Our chapter in Segregation: The Rising Costs for America (edited by James Carr and Nandinee Kutty) describes the complex relationship between housing and education — the "housing-schools nexus" and suggests ways to integrate housing and educational policy, research, and development.
- Buy the Book
- Stephen R. English (Advancement Project) and Jeffrey M. Vincent
- In partnership with the Advancement Project, CC&S submitted a policy brief on federal school construction funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to the Obama Administration. The brief details the scope of the nation's need for public school infrastructure, the long and near term benefits of increased investment, and recommendations for the President's Transition Team.
- Download Brief (PDF)
- Roundtable hosted by the California Department of Education (CDE) School Facilities Planning Division and facilitated by Center for Cities & Schools
- October 15 and 16, 2008
- In partnership with CDE, CC&S designed and facilitated a two-day roundtable, convening 75 national and state education and design leaders to explore the relationship between school design and learning and to generate recommendations for improved state policy on school design. From this “public research” event, CC&S crafted a proceedings summary with detailed state policy recommendations generated by participants. For more information on the Roundtable, visit CDE’s website.
- Download Executive Summary (PDF)
- Download Proceedings Report (PDF)
- Tamar Cooper and Jeffrey M. Vincent
- A Joint Report from Center for Cities & Schools (CC&S) and Public Health Law and Policy (PHLP)
- While successful joint use partnerships can be found across California and the country, lack of information, guidance, and best practices keep many localities from pursuing this collaborative strategy. CC&S partnered with Public Health Law and Policy (PHLP) to conduct initial research on joint use school facility partnerships in California. Our report looks at joint use partnerships in the California policy context, focusing on three cases: opening up existing school yards for public use in San Francisco; building new joint use gymnasiums in Rosemead; and building a joint use child development center in Clovis (appendices include formal case agreements). The report provides key lessons learned and recommended steps to crafting effective joint use partnerships.
- Download Executive Summary (296 KB)
- Download Full Report (without Appendices. 751 KB)
- Download Full Report (with Appendices, [6.6 MB])
- CC&S partnered with the Local Government Commission and other members of the Ad-Hoc Coalition for Healthy School Siting to provide school facility planning and design policy recommendations to the California Department of Education (CDE). The Ad-Hoc Coalition for Healthy School Siting is a group of five entities across California that have analyzed research and policies related to school location and design, and corresponding impacts on education, health, transportation, and community design. Our first policy memo in 2008 obtained support from 42 California-based organizations. Key aspects of “healthy school siting” include locations that are walkable, bicycle-friendly, and that are well integrated into communities and neighborhoods.
- Download Policy Memo (PDF)
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Opportunity-Rich Schools and Sustainable Communities: Seven Steps to Align High-Quality Education with Innovations in City and Metropolitan Planning and Development
Trajectories of Opportunity for Young Men and Boys of Color: Built
Environment and Placemaking Strategies for Creating Equitable, Healthy, and
Sustainable Communities.
Partnerships for Joint Use: Expanding the Use of Public School Infrastructure to Benefit Students and Communities
Linking Transit-Oriented Development, Families, and Schools
Putting Schools on the Map: Linking Transit-Oriented Development, Families, and Schools in the San Francisco Bay Area
Joint Use of Public Schools: A Framework for a New Social Contract
Monitoring Success in Choice Neighborhoods: A Proposed Approach to Performance Measurement
San Francisco's Public School Facilities as Public Assets: A Shared Understanding and Policy Recommendations for the Community Use of Schools
The Mechanics of City-School Initiatives: Transforming Neighborhoods of Distress & Despair into Neighborhoods of Choice & Promise
Smart Schools, Smart Growth: Investing in Education Facilities and Stronger Communities