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HISTORY

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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.

History

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

PRACTICE [AREA]

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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:

  • Experience in public finance, infrastructure, and capital investments 

  • Expertise navigating restrictive timelines and cash flow constraints

  • Purchasing assistance including supply vendor management

  • Site survey and conditions investigations with drone support 

  • 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:

  • Development of precise evaluative metrics to support plan integrity

  • Ability to analyze raw data, draw conclusions and develop actionable recommendations

  • Advanced excel proficiency including v-lookups, pivot tables, and sum-ifs et. al. for use in quantitative analyses

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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).​​

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04 Advocacy+Diversity

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03 Education+Training

Leaders

LEADERSHIP

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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

EMERITI

CONTACT

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