GrowSmartRI

Join us at our conference for community leaders across Rhode Island committed to building vibrant Main Streets:

Saturday, Oct. 17 , 8:30am to 5:00pm
Historic Warren Armory
11 Jefferson St, Warren RI

STILL TIME FOR EARLY BIRD TICKETS! REGISTER TODAY! https://growsmartri.org/main-street-together-2026/

Come prepared for a riveting keynote from a seasoned Main Street leader, topical breakout sessions, tours of downtown Warren, and opportunities to meet colleagues working to build vibrant, successful Main Streets across RI.

The rain finally stopped. Get out there and WALK! https://growsmartri.org/walk-rhode-island/

When fall rolls around, walking programs are back in town! Between the RI Land Trust Council Land Trust Days and AARP RHODE ISLAND Walktober events there's no shortage of walks to take across the state. To celebrate our favorite time of year we've put together a new comprehensive resource page on walks across the state all year round, Walk Rhode Island. Lace up your sneakers, find your walk and GO!

Introducing our Main Street Together Keynoter: SARAH "MAIN STREET" O’BRIEN “The Fifth Point of Main Street: We All Need Each Other — Building Trust, Navigating Turf & Getting People to Believe in the Possibility of Place"

REGISTER: https://growsmartri.org/main-street-together-2026/

In this candid, high-energy keynote, Sarah will pull back the curtain on the messy, funny, frustrating and deeply rewarding human side of Main Street. Drawing from real-life stories from over two decades of work in Texas and Pennsylvania, including launching organizations, navigating City Hall, working with volunteers and elected officials, managing leadership transitions, untangling turf wars, and helping communities find common ground, she’ll explore what it really takes to build trust and move a community forward.

Sarah comes to us from York, Pennsylvania as the Director of Downtown, Inc. She boasts over 20 years of experience in downtown revitalization and Main Street organizational leadership.

BLOCK BY BLOCK FILM SERIES PRESENTS:

Secret Mall Apartment with Behind the Scenes Narration

Grow Smart RI and Neighbors Welcome! RI are hosting our third installment of the Block by Block Film Series with a special screening of the popular film, Secret Mall Apartment featuring special behind-the-scenes live narration by star of the film, Michael Townsend. BUY YOUR TICKET:

https://www.applecinemas.com/Live-Narration---Secret-Mall-Apartment/68f40cfa9e0c91dab1408e8c/6a9a279e8365510eba4f5c58

October 7, 6:30-9pm

Apple Cinemas

Providence Place Mall

Arrive early to meet fellow urbanists and discuss the past, present and future of the mall over dinner in the food court! We’ll be there at 5:45pm. Join Us!

ABOUT THE FILM

In 2003, eight Rhode Island artists led by Michael Townsend, quietly built a fully furnished apartment inside the Providence Place Mall — and lived there, on and off, for four years, documenting it all on film. Working mostly at night, they carried in furniture piece by piece, ran a line to the mall's electrical system, and even built a wall, hauling in more than two tons of cinderblock by hand.

What began as an audacious act of ingenuity became something more lasting: a quiet, hidden home carved out of unused space hidden within the mall's parking lot. The story raises questions that feel especially relevant today — about who gets to belong in our cities, what we do with the space we're not using, and how far people will go to find a place to call their own when housing feels increasingly out of reach. Equal parts heist story, art project, and meditation on home, Secret Mall Apartment is a genuinely surprising look at creativity, community, and the search for shelter in an unlikely place.

We welcome your thoughts on our op-ed in yesterday's Providence Journal on RIPTA's new Transit Hub. Here's what we think. What about you? https://growsmartri.org/why-a-new-transit-hub-alone-will-not-fix-rhode-island-opinion/

Registration now open for our second annual Main Street Together Conference for community leaders across Rhode Island committed to building vibrant Main Streets. Is that you? Join us, this year in Warren, RI!

https://growsmartri.org/main-street-together-2026/

Registration now open for our second annual Main Street Together Conference for community leaders across Rhode Island committed to building vibrant Main Streets. Is that you? Join us, this year in Warren, RI!

Join us at our next quarterly Rhody Streets Transformation Meeting on 9/15! Network and learn from fellow community members about efforts and opportunities to improve your community or neighborhood for walking, cycling and using transit.

Tuesday, September 15, 2026, 5:30-7 p.m.
30 Exchange Terrace, 1st floor, Providence
$25 stipend for HEZ resident volunteers
We provide a healthy meal and beverages.  Reserve your seat today!

Learn more and register on website: LINK IN BIO

Bring a friend and join us for the next quarterly meeting to network and learn from each other about efforts and opportunities to improve your community or neighborhood for walking, cycling and using transit. Reserve your seat - https://l1nq.com/vwco4gg