The West Oak Choice Neighborhoods Plan is a transformative initiative aimed at revitalizing the West Oak neighborhood and redeveloping the distressed West Haven public housing site. Led by Camiros in coordination with the Housing Authority of the City of Goldsboro (HACG) and the City of Goldsboro, this effort is designed to create a vibrant, mixed-income community by investing in high-quality housing, infrastructure, education, workforce development, and economic opportunities.
Developed through an extensive planning process, the plan reflects the input of West Haven residents, community stakeholders, and local organizations. It outlines a vision for a safe, diverse, and thriving neighborhood, where new mixed-income housing, upgraded public spaces, and enhanced transportation networks support a higher quality of life. The plan also prioritizes economic mobility by connecting residents to job training, financial literacy programs, and employment pathways.
Key initiatives include the redevelopment of West Haven into a modern, mixed-income housing community, the creation of a state-of-the-art park along Ash Street, and the establishment of a Project Development District to fund infrastructure improvements. Educational partnerships with organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club and Kinetic Minds will expand after-school and workforce training programs, addressing chronic absenteeism and economic disparities.
The West Oak Choice Neighborhoods Plan is a collaborative effort to build a resilient and inclusive neighborhood. Through strategic investments and strong community engagement, West Oak is set to become a model for sustainable revitalization, ensuring that current and future residents benefit from lasting improvements and economic opportunity.
The Envision Comanche Master Plan was one of seven projects to be awarded the 2020 NOMA NAACP SEED Award for Justice Equity Diversity and Inclusion in Design! Each winning project received a $1,000 honorarium and presented their work at the NOMA National Virtual Conference on October 17, 2020. Camiros was selected as the Project Coordinator to lead this award-winning effort.
Watch the video project summary of Envision Comanche presented at the NOMA National Virtual Conference below:
Camiros worked with the City of Providence Planning Department to develop a corridor plan for the area surrounding Smith Street within the Smith Hill neighborhood between I-95 and Tyndall Avenue. Through the Plan, Camiros worked with City staff, elected officials, and community members to assess existing conditions and create a series of goals and specific strategies to help enhance the Smith Street corridor and the surrounding neighborhood.
Congratulations to Camiros Principal, Arista Strungys, for her recent induction to the 2020 Class of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners!
Induction to the AICP College of Fellows is the highest honor the American Institute of Certified Planners bestows upon a member.
Fellows of AICP are nominated and selected by their peers to recognize and honor their outstanding contributions as a professional planner. The outcomes of their individual efforts left demonstrably significant and transformational improvements to the field of planning and the communities they served. All Fellows are long-time members of AICP and have achieved excellence in professional practice, teaching and mentoring, research, and community service and leadership.
The College actively encourages Fellows and others to participate in programs and initiatives in the service of communities and the planning profession, including: mentoring the next generation of planners; volunteering expertise to underserved communities; leading initiatives within APA chapters and divisions; and sharing knowledge with the planning community, allied professionals, and the wider public.
That’s the first step in the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative revitalization project for East Rome — and it will directly involve those people living in the area, two paid ambassadors and local area youth.
“We’d love to be able to hire one John Graham Homes resident and one resident of larger East Rome as part of our team,” Adam Rosa, of the Chicago-based urban planning firm Camiros, told Rome city commissioners Monday night.
