Community Development

We help solve community development challenges through project feasibility, strategic planning, and community engagement to produce equitable outcomes for organizations, programs, and places. Selected project examples are featured below.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Kirkpatrick Heights Addition & Greenwood Site Master Plan (2022): A comprehensive planning process was initiated to deliver an equitable redevelopment framework for several large infill sites in North Tulsa, including a historically significant area known as Black Wall Street and the site of the Tulsa Race Massacre, where the legacy of catastrophic racial violence and persistent economic injustice have impacted the community for decades. Along with Philadelphia-based design firm WRT, P.U.M.A. supported community outreach efforts and conducted market research. The P.U.M.A. team prepared feasibility analyses with recommended phasing and intensity for desired residential, commercial, and civic redevelopment projects. P.U.M.A. was also instrumental in laying the groundwork for cooperative land ownership and community wealth-building models that can empower residents to advance their vision for the neighborhoods.

Montezuma County, Colorado

COVID-19 Regional Resiliency & Recovery Roadmaps (2022): P.U.M.A. was selected to facilitate a year-long planning process for Montezuma County as part of the Colorado COVID-19 Regional Resiliency & Recovery Roadmaps program. The final plan delivers detailed strategies related to education and workforce, water and agriculture, housing, mental and behavioral health, and attracting and expanding industry. The project involved extensive engagement across jurisdictions, including the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Montrose and Dolores Counties, and several municipalities.

Colorado

Colorado Fresh Food Financing Fund (CO4F) (2013-2023): CO4F reached a major milestone in early 2023 with the full deployment of program funds, translating to over $13 million in loan and grant dollars disbursed to grocery businesses and nonprofit entities in communities across the state. P.U.M.A. had provided eligibility screening and administrative support to CO4F since the program’s inception in 2013. Led by senior associate Andrea Buglione, P.U.M.A. was instrumental in broadening the program’s scope to include projects beyond food retail, such as aggregation and distribution, healthy prepared food and meals, and other innovative community food access initiatives, and for retooling evaluation criteria with a stronger emphasis on food justice. We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be part of such an impactful program and for our decade-long partnership with the Colorado Housing & Finance Authority (CHFA) and the Colorado Enterprise Fund (CEF). To stay updated about any Colorado food access funding opportunities in the future, please refer to https://www.chfainfo.com/business-lending/co4f.

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Community Hub Business Plan (2019): As the result of a grant from The Colorado Health Foundation’s Healthy Places Initiative, P.U.M.A. was hired by Solid Rock Community Development Corporation (CDC) to help conceptualize a community hub for southeast Colorado Springs. We researched best practices and worked with the CDC to create a business plan that evaluated financially feasible uses as well as the ability to meet the community’s needs in a space that feels welcoming and inclusive to all.

Denver, Colorado

Public Restrooms Pilot Project (2018): In 2016, the City of Denver rolled out a mobile public restroom pilot project in and near downtown. P.U.M.A. was hired to explore the possibility of making them permanent. We conducted extensive outreach, recording information and experiences in real time around the need for more public restrooms. Our report built a strong social, economic, health, and humanitarian case for more permanent public restrooms and identified the best locations for them.

Denver, Colorado

Westwood Pop-Up Market Assessment and Implementation Guide (2018): BuCu West, a nonprofit community development corporation, hired P.U.M.A. for its guidance on implementing a “pop-up” market in Denver’s Westwood neighborhood, an area defined by a rich Latino culture. We researched case studies, analyzed zoning and made recommendations on programming, management and funding with the goal of a culturally relevant gathering place that supported and celebrated local businesses and entrepreneurs.

Lamar, Colorado

Healthy Places Initiative (2013-2017): The Healthy Places Initiative was funded by The Colorado Health Foundation (TCHF) to encourage healthy lifestyles through changes to the built environment. Lamar was awarded $1 million from TCHF to implement the recommendations of an Urban Land Institute advisory panel. P.U.M.A. was selected by TCHF to provide technical assistance, working for three years on consensus building, public/private financing, downtown revitalization and economic development.

Denver, Colorado

Healthy Places Initiative (2013-2017): The Healthy Places Initiative was funded by The Colorado Health Foundation (TCHF) to encourage healthy lifestyles through changes to the built environment. The Westwood neighborhood was awarded $1 million to implement recommendations from an Urban Land Institute advisory panel. P.U.M.A. was selected by TCHF to provide technical assistance with a focus on consensus building, streetscapes and parks, neighborhood revitalization, and economic development.

Arvada, Colorado

Healthy Places Initiative (2013-2016): The Healthy Places Initiative was funded by The Colorado Health Foundation (TCHF) to encourage healthy lifestyles through changes to the built environment. Arvada was awarded $1 million from TCHF to implement the recommendations of an Urban Land Institute advisory panel. P.U.M.A. was selected by TCHF to provide technical assistance with a focus on consensus building, streetscapes and parks, neighborhood revitalization, and economic development.

Wailuku, Hawaii

Wailuku Civic Hub Feasibility Study (2017): A multi-year visioning process to “remember, reimagine, and renew” Wailuku Town identified projects and set priorities. P.U.M.A. was retained by Maui Redevelopment Agency to determine market opportunities and viable programming for the Wailuku Civic Hub, a signature project. Proposed elements included a covered plaza, outdoor stage, specialty grocery, county hearing room, and community reception space. P.U.M.A.’s ongoing work with Maui began in 2010.

Leadville, Colorado

Tabor Opera House Feasibility Study (2017): A significant and beloved building in Leadville’s National Historic Landmark district, the Tabor Opera House had deteriorated over the years. P.U.M.A. was hired to identify the alternatives for its revitalization. We convened workshops with stakeholders, creatively engaged the public, prepared a market assessment and organized a best-practices panel. The study was designed to guide rehabilitation, programming and operations for years to come.

Greeley, Colorado

Southard-Gillespie House (2017): P.U.M.A. worked with Historic Greeley to evaluate the economic vitality of the Southard-Gillespie House, a historic property which the owner intended to donate to the city. We led site visits, interviewed stakeholders, and conducted extensive research to create an economic feasibility study that suggested it could be used as a center for nonprofits, a rental space for small events, a coffee shop, a home for Historic Greeley offices or some combination of uses.

Various U.S. Cities

EPA Local Food, Local Places (2016): P.U.M.A. was selected as part of the team to provide technical assistance for the Local Foods, Local Places program, which is designed to help communities capitalize on the growing demand for local foods. The program was run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in partnership with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and regional partners.

Wheat Ridge, Colorado

Quantifying the Economic & Health Benefits of Walkable Districts (2014): Wheat Ridge 2020 hired P.U.M.A. to research and assemble compelling evidence to demonstrate the economic and health benefits of walkable and bikeable streets in business districts. The deliverables included a sourced research paper, case studies from other cities, and stories from business owners along the 38th Avenue corridor, the city’s Main Street, who supported the conversion.