HISTORY

Freedom by Design.
Equity on Purpose.
Our purpose is to actively repair negative outcomes derived from detrimental policies, schools of thought and political mismanagement historically in urban environments; rural settlements, agricultural centers, native lands and public territories internationally.
The Black Planning Institute, Inc (BPI) traces its history to the We Are More Urban (WAMU) blog circa 2007 - 2011, which provided commentary on urban street style, education and culture. After migrating from the Tumblr platform and relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, WAMU transitioned to Black Collegian Publications (BCP) in January 2012.
BCP was a student run organization that displayed the creative and intellectual abilities of Black college students while enriching urban youth through outreach, activism, and financial support. BCP's goal was to create a narrative of Black collegiate intellectual ability that is free-to-access. BCP operated across ten institutions of higher education including Morehouse College, Temple University, Syracuse University and Iona College. BCP ran three programs: BLACK! blog, Black Gives Back outreach, and a monthly print issue. The sharing of intellectual and creative abilities by Black students for Black students was crucial for the development of collective Black appreciation and empowerment. This is because the circumstances of racism and class exploitation ensure that other groups will not necessarily seek to further Black self-empowerment or love.
BCP's scope quickly exceeded the college environment and was retooled in Fall 2012. College operations were funneled into the Morehouse Business Review (MBR) and professional operations were funneled into SISU International Insights (SISU) as of October 2012. SISU is Finnish, meaning "guts" or strength in adversity. SISU researched and published essays detailing the core elements of survival in a socially stratified urban environment. MBR and SISU publishing continued until 2014 before going dormant in 2015 for training and development. MBR work was discontinued in Spring 2015 while SISU continued to develop privately in Chicago, Illinois.
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In 2016 SISU was closed and a new pilot, BlueLight Development Group (BlueLight) was formed. BlueLight was a diversified nonprofit corporation which provided umbrella structure for various projects and teams. BlueLight successfully operated pilot projects and programs as an urban planning and development charity with $2.3 million of lifetime public support.
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2023 reporting outcomes and analyses suggested that BlueLight was too singularly focused on real estate development to wholistically promote innovative urban planning across a variety of disciplines. Our stakeholders closed out the books for legacy programs and formed a new research institute, BPI, in 2024. Our system of thought: "Freedom by Design" and "Equity on Purpose" was key to establishing the BPI framework as a national research institute.
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PRACTICE [AREA]

01 Advisory+Planning
Client Project Experience:​​
Small Business Investment
Planned Unit Development
Rail Transit Development
Homestead and Off-Grid
Program Management
Pedestrian Walkability
Comprehensive Plans
Land Use and Zoning
Historic Preservation
Investment Zone
Regional Boards
Green Spaces
Sustainability​​​​​
The Institute has a reliable advisory practice that delivers tailored urban planning solutions to clients in diversified industries. We help evaluate target outcomes, stakeholders, strategy, resource allocation and more through value-adding analysis and tools. We specialize in operational and financial planning, and can evaluate emerging opportunities. We provide hands-on service to corporations, financial sponsors and closely held companies.
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Capabilities:
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Experience in public finance, infrastructure, and capital investments
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Expertise navigating restrictive timelines and cash flow constraints
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Purchasing assistance including supply vendor management
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Site survey and conditions investigations with drone support
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3D design and rendering with keyed CAD floor plans
Client Project Experience:
Fiscal Impact Analysis
Economic Indicators
Strategic Planning
Financial Analysis
Literature Review
Market Analysis
Underwriting
Case Studies
Pro Forma​​
The Institute has extensive action research and quantitative analytics experience. We specialize in cash flow, projection and Monte Carlo analyses. For isolated projects, we develop reporting dashboards, financial performance metrics and create targeted analysis solutions.
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Capabilities:
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Development of precise evaluative metrics to support plan integrity
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Ability to analyze raw data, draw conclusions and develop actionable recommendations
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Advanced excel proficiency including v-lookups, pivot tables, and sum-ifs et. al. for use in quantitative analyses

02 Research+Analysis
Client Project Experience:
Historically Black Colleges
Webinars and Workshops
Women's History Month
Curriculum Consulting
Black History Month
Policy Development
Artist Residency
Juneteenth
Kwanzaa
The Institute's JAZ Academy turns people into urban planners. We offer innovative training programs to equip leaders across municipal and private sectors with the practical technical skills to craft policy solutions for society's most complex civic issues. We work with partners, clients and stakeholders to develop equity-based planning policies. Based in Historic South Troy, the JAZ Academy is the first comprehensive , non-university training program to offer research, fellowship and instruction for interdisciplinary urban planners. Through projects and case studies, JAZ Academy has helped over 1,000 stakeholders successfully implement strategies across municipalities and private business.
Client Project Experience:
National Small Business Assoc.
Community Engagement
NYS Food As Medicine
Donor Engagement
The Institute speaks on behalf of people and issues to systems, structures and processes. We engage a diverse network of contacts across industries to accomplish goals. We engage in public discourse and are present for transformative conversations about inclusion, diversity, equity and access (IDEA).​​

04 Advocacy+Diversity

03 Education+Training
LEADERSHIP

T. Tyler Jackson: Chairman
National Planning Director
Mr. Jackson is an urban planner and finance professional with over ten years of experience directing development for public interest projects. He has grown communities in New York, Atlanta, and Chicago through promotion of reparations and economic independence.

Jeoffrey York: President
National Advancement Director
Mr. York is an accomplished IT professional, Olympic athletic, and Track and Field Coach at the nation’s best community college, Hudson Valley.

Tayron "Tai Tan" Lopez: Secretary
Publishing Creative Director
Tai Tan is a transformational creative who deploys graphic subtext to illustrate the event horizon between utopian and dystopian Blackness. He served as author, instructor and artist-in-residence for dozens of projects including two published books.

Caleb Tremblay: Treasurer
Regional Operations Chaplin
Mr. Tremblay is a disciplined monk and designer of architectural stone who serves BPI as spiritual leader and champion of efficacy. He served Carmelite Monastery for five years and participated in mixed-used development of public worship spaces.
SUPPORT
Michael Aaron-Poindexter
Senior Pastor
Macedonia Baptist Church
David D. Brown
Chief Executive Officer
Capital District YMCA
Gerald Engstrom, AICP
Member
Bethlehem Town Planning Board
Chet Opalka
Philanthropist
Capital Region of New York
Hon. Gabriella Romero
Assemblywoman
New York Assembly District 109
Orville Abrahams
Deputy Commissioner of Business Advocacy
New York State Department of Labor
Jeff Buell
Investor
Capital Region of New York
Trent Griffin-Braaf
Chief Executive Officer
Tech Valley Transportation
Natasha Pernicka
Executive Director
The Food Pantries for the Capital District
Georgette Steffans
Executive Director | Chair
Downtown Business Improvement District Port of Albany Board of Directors
Hon. Owusu Anane
10th Ward Councilman
Albany Common Council
James J. Celestine
Director of Real Assets
Office of the New York State Comptroller
Christopher Hacker
Owner
Albany Artisans
Shane Rauh
Vice President Commercial Banking
Berkshire Bank
Walter Thorne
Publisher
Albany Business Review