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Introducing Smart Growth America

<p>At the heart of the American dream is the simple hope that each of us can live in a neighborhood that's healthy, prosperous, and resilient.</p>
<p><strong>Our work helps make these dreams a reality.</strong></p>

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<p>Smart Growth America's Board of Directors plays a vital role in sustaining and strengthening our organization, amplifying our impact on communities across the country. </p>

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<p>Smart Growth America isn’t just an idea—it's a movement that's only as strong as the community behind it.</p>

<p>We’ve laid the foundation, but it's you who helps bring our vision to life. If you believe in creating vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable communities, now is your chance to be part of something transformative.</p>

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<p>With a diverse range of career opportunities, we offer a dynamic and inclusive work environment where you can make a meaningful impact. Whether you're passionate about transportation, land use, economic development, or policy advocacy, Smart Growth America is the place to grow your career and shape the future of our communities.</p>

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<p>Smart Growth America cultivates vibrant, sustainable communities with diverse living and transportation options, enhancing quality of life for all.</p>
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SGN QD Feb 26

<p><b>The </b><a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/programs-and-coalitions/smartgrowth-org/"><b>Smart Growth Network</b></a><b> (SGN) hosted its first quarterly discussion of 2026 on February 25 in Washington, D.C. SGN is an alliance of over 80 organizations working to advance sustainable, equitable, and healthy land use and infrastructure policies. The network hosts quarterly discussions to provide a space for sharing and elevating emerging ideas, research, and best practices from around the country.</b></p>
<p>February's event focused on the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization and what is needed to deliver significant safety, access, emissions, and other improvements across the U.S. Transportation reauthorization bills typically include <a href="https://t4america.org/resource/community-connectors/how-things-happen/reauthorization-101/">hundreds of billions of dollars</a> in funding for various transportation programs over five to six years. The most recent reauthorization, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), was passed in 2021 and expires on September 30, 2026. Across the discussion, a consistent theme emerged: despite decades of investment, federal transportation policy is not delivering on its stated goals, and without structural changes, more funding alone will not change that.</p>
<p>During the quarterly discussion, Beth Osborne with Smart Growth America, Sarah Kline with SK Solutions, James Bradbury with Georgetown Climate Center, and Yonah Freemark with the Urban Institute offered reflections on previous reauthorizations, opportunities for advancing smart growth in the upcoming reauthorization, and calls for a greater shift in how we think about funding transportation projects.</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zC2_ek5tl8I?si=06TfOsIX1wJt3fD2" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><b>Leaders reflected on how federal transportation policy has fallen short of meeting established goals</b></h3>
<p>Despite reauthorizations having stated goals of improving safety, reducing congestion, maintaining infrastructure condition, protecting the environment, and others since 1991, the US has seen little to no progress in many of these areas over the past few decades. For example, there has been a <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/dangerous-by-design/">75% increase in pedestrian deaths</a> since 2010 despite billions of dollars in spending on safety projects. Significant funding in the IIJA was set aside for intercity rail infrastructure, but due to limited capacity and experience with major non-highway projects, many states and cities have been unable to fully utilize the new funding for projects like new intercity rail lines. Given these challenges, there are concerns about continuing this trend with the upcoming reauthorization and the need to rethink how transportation dollars are allocated.</p>
<h3><b>To inform spending decisions, a new tool helps illustrate the impacts of different types of investments on smart growth goals</b></h3>
<p>Given the misalignment between stated policy goals and actual outcomes, it’s critical that members of the smart growth community have the tools to make the case for better investments. Different investment pathways can have significant implications for greenhouse gas emissions. For example, using dollars from the IIJA, California could make investments that increase carbon emissions by <a href="https://www.georgetownclimate.org/blog/states-in-the-driver-eys-seat.html">16 million metric tons</a> above business-as-usual through 2040, or decrease carbon emissions by 18 million metric tons below business-as-usual. Tools like the Georgetown Climate Center’s <a href="https://www.georgetownclimate.org/blog/tea-cart-landing.html">TEA-CART</a> can give advocates and decision-makers a better way to estimate the impacts of different transportation investments and land-use policies on carbon emissions, air pollution, and more, helping shift the conversation toward outcomes.</p>
<h3><b>While incremental policy wins are valuable, shifts in how legislators view reauthorization are still needed</b></h3>
<p>A few smart growth bills are currently being discussed in Congress that could be incorporated into the reauthorization package, such as the <a href="https://www.multifamilydive.com/news/transit-oriented-development-bill-build-hubs/811161/">Build HUBS Act</a>, which would modify two existing transportation loan programs to make it easier for developers to build more housing near transit. Potential incremental wins like this can represent progress, but many legislators still view reauthorization primarily as a highway-funding bill and measure success by the amount spent on roads. This isn’t new, but a major change will be needed to start seeing real progress toward the legislation's goals.</p>
<h3><b>Across the network, smart growth leaders are eager to see transportation policy reform</b></h3>
<p>After the presentations, attendees asked questions and then gathered in breakout groups to discuss several topics, including their perspectives on reauthorization, how delays and uncertainty in project funding stemming from recent federal actions have impacted state agencies and the private sector, and the need for greater support at the federal level in connecting transportation, housing, and economic development.</p>
<h3><b>What’s Next?</b></h3>
<p>As Congress discusses the next reauthorization, the question is not just how much to spend, but whether the program will finally be structured to deliver the outcomes it promises.</p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/zC2_ek5tl8I"><i>A recording of the event can be found here</i></a><i>. If you are interested in joining the Smart Growth Network for future discussions on timely policy issues related to smart growth, please complete this short </i><a href="https://forms.gle/ybtuLZAFCjxYXmED6"><i>membership interest form</i></a><i> and a member of our executive committee will reach out.</i></p>


News

Smart Growth Network

Recap: February 2026 Smart Growth Network Quarterly Discussion on Surface Transportation Reauthorization

Transportation

Maneesh Krishnan photo

<p><strong>SGA’s Community Connectors is a year-long program that supports teams in three small and mid-sized communities as they work to repair divisive infrastructure, improve safety outcomes, and advance lasting community reconnections. The program centers collaboration by bringing together community-based organizations with local government partners in learning sessions and hands-on workshops for quick-build demonstration projects.</strong></p>
<p>At its core, Community Connectors is about people. This blog series highlights participants leading the work, offering a glimpse into their journeys and deep commitment to creating safer, connected communities. In this second round of participant profiles, we are featuring Connectors who work in city government.</p>
<p>Get to know Maneesh Krishnan, a co-lead for Little Rock, AR, in this year’s <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-center/three-communities-selected-to-learn-about-and-design-quick-build-demonstration-projects/">Community Connectors</a> program. Maneesh is the Director of Public Works for the City of Little Rock.</p>
<figure id="attachment_113702" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-113702" style="width: 1004px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-113702 size-full" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Maneesh-Krishnan.jpg" alt="Man sitting and smiling up at the camera while sitting at a desk in an office. " width="1004" height="760" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Maneesh-Krishnan.jpg 1004w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Maneesh-Krishnan-300x227.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Maneesh-Krishnan-768x581.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1004px) 100vw, 1004px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-113702" class="wp-caption-text">Photo courtesy of Maneesh Krishnan</figcaption></figure>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>The conversation below has been condensed and lightly edited.</em></p>
<h3>What got you interested in transportation, planning, and reconnecting your community?</h3>
<p>I went into engineering not really knowing exactly what my interest was going to be, but I was always interested in construction. When I first came to the U.S., I joined a master's program and got into transportation safety, reducing crashes, and improving safety for all road users. My first professional job was an internship with the City of Little Rock in 2006. Once I finished my master’s degree, I worked in the private sector for 16 years, and then came back to the city as an assistant director, and now I'm the Director of Public Works. From the beginning of my professional career, safety is what has driven everything.</p>
<h3>What are you excited to bring to the cohort? What past experience do you want to share that your team can learn from?</h3>
<p>While working in the private sector and now in public service, I've had the opportunity to work on projects like this. In my previous job at McClelland Engineering, we helped out with traffic counts for the <a href="https://www.littlerockchamber.com/o/lrrc/page/createlittlerock-puitr-2018">Markham Street PopUp</a>, a very successful pop-up that eventually became a construction project. My team at McClelland did the design. It's not yet done, so I'm on the city side of the table now with that project. I've seen that project go from a pop-up to a $2 million project that has become a reality. I'm excited to bring that experience, and I'm excited to learn from others. There's a lot you can learn from these kinds of projects.</p>
<h3>What's something that you've learned so far from this program that you'd want your colleagues to know?</h3>
<p>Knowing the history of the place where you live is very important. I say that because, honestly, I didn't know much about the history of Ninth Street until <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/community-connectors-participant-spotlight-ernest-banks/">Ernest</a> [Banks, director of studioMAIN and Community Connectors co-lead] talked to me about it. I was like, “Wow, that is just down the street from where I work, and I didn't really know much about it.” That's the number one thing I would say: know the history of your place.</p>
<p>The other thing I would say is that if there's an initiative that you want to take to improve an area in your city, no initiative is too small. Big things come from small ideas sometimes.</p>
<h3>What advice would you have for someone looking to start projects like these?</h3>
<p>Don't be afraid to share your ideas. Network, get to know people, and spread the word. Getting people to know what's going on is very important.</p>
<h3>What does success look like to you?</h3>
<p>In general, success for me is being able to drive around and see all these projects that I've been able to work on in my community. That my family's enjoying those areas, that there are parks and facilities I've worked on in the city. In this case, being a part of a team that's able to make that a reality and restore Ninth Street’s history and heritage would be awesome.</p>
<h3>What do you hope to leave behind for your community?</h3>
<p>Having sustainable infrastructure that improves the quality of life of our residents and also has a sense of history. A place that's rooted in its history and that is sustainable really is successful.</p>
<h3>What is one go-to resource every person doing this work should have in their toolbox for demonstration projects?</h3>
<p>Being able to communicate is going to be really important because you have so many people you need to work with to get something like this accomplished. Just like how Ernest has been going around, talking to each entity and person, trying to get everybody to the table. There are so many other things you need to get this kind of project done, but being able to get everybody together, communicate, and get expectations set is very important.</p>
<h3>Do you have any communication strategies, tips, or tricks?</h3>
<p>If you have the floor and you have an audience, you’ve got to really know who you're talking to and how quickly you need to make an impact. Make sure you make the best use of your time and drill the point across in an effective way. Communication is something everybody starts with at a different level. You have to learn what your strengths are and then work on your weaknesses.</p>


Community Connectors

Local Leader

quick build

Community Connectors spotlight: Maneesh Krishnan, Director of Public Works in Little Rock, AR

Technical assistance

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<p>Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) represented a historic moment in federal funding for transportation safety. For the first time, local communities could apply directly for funds to address urgent safety and accessibility issues they face daily. These funds provided communities of all sizes with opportunities to establish safety action plans, gather critical data, and explore new designs and materials through quick-build demonstrations. <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/what-you-need-to-know-about-safe-streets-for-all-grants-in-2026/">As detailed in our overview of the 2026 SS4A program</a>, this year’s NOFO includes updated priorities and considerations that applicants should carefully navigate. With the final round of applications due by Tuesday, May 26, 2026, Smart Growth America wants to ensure communities are prepared to access the resources they need to create safer, healthier, and more connected places.</p>
<p>Since 2023, Smart Growth America has worked with communities to secure over $8 million in SS4A planning and demonstration grants. SGA’s decades of experience implementing proven safety countermeasures—such as quick-build demonstrations—combined with strong relationships with federal partners, allows our team to navigate an evolving policy landscape and position communities for success. For the first time, SGA is opening up this support to communities across the country to make the most of what may be the final year of SS4A funding.</p>
<p><strong>Participating communities will receive support for planning and demonstration grants, including:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Project scoping support</li>
<li>Partner identification and recruitment</li>
<li>Review of draft grant application materials</li>
<li>Identification of additional funding sources, if appropriate</li>
</ul>
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<p><strong>Specifically, communities will receive:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>An initial staff-facilitated scoping and brainstorming call</li>
<li>Strategic advice on project framing, letters of support, and other materials to strengthen competitiveness</li>
<li>Up to two rounds of draft application review</li>
<li>Assistance locating relevant data, resources, and peer examples</li>
</ul>
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<p>[alert type="info"]This program is available to communities with populations up to 250,000. Services will be provided through the deadline of the May 26 NOFO deadline. <strong><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScn8RPdZyurW5SSgKHlNIjZrCsoKAGTmra4G0G88FU44w0suQ/viewform?usp=sharing&amp;ouid=104508320995640583198">If you’re interested in learning more about this opportunity—including pricing—please complete this short form</a></strong>. [/alert]</p>
<p>To better understand what’s changed in the 2026 SS4A program and how to position a strong application, <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/what-you-need-to-know-about-safe-streets-for-all-grants-in-2026/">read our full breakdown here</a>.</p>
<p><strong>To learn more about SGA’s experience with SS4A, check out these resources:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/success-stories-versailles-kentucky-receives-safe-streets-for-all-funding/">Success stories: Versailles, Kentucky receives Safe Streets for All funding</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/six-things-to-know-about-applying-for-the-next-round-of-safe-streets-for-all-funding/">Six things to know about applying for the next round of Safe Streets for All funding</a> (2024)</li>
</ul>


Grant opportunities

Safe Streets and Roads for All

SS4A

Apply now: Get SGA support for your 2026 SS4A application

Little Rock, AR Quick-Build

<p><b>USDOT has made the final round of grants from the </b><a href="https://www.transportation.gov/grants/ss4a/fy26-nofo"><b>Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program available</b></a><b>. This final guaranteed round of funding for SS4A looks a bit different from the original version of the program. Here’s what you need to know:</b></p>
<p>SS4A’s historic inclusion in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) allowed local communities to apply directly for federal funds to address the urgent safety and accessibility issues they see on a daily basis, instead of having to go through their state DOTs. SS4A funds provided communities of all sizes with opportunities to establish safety action plans and programs, gather necessary data, and explore new designs and materials through the use of <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/programs-and-coalitions/national-complete-streets-coalition/quick-build-demonstration-projects/">quick-build demonstration projects</a>. But to win a grant from this year’s pool of funds, your approach to describing your safety efforts may need to change.</p>
<p>This year, about $1 billion is available for SS4A awards: $305 million for Planning &amp; Demonstration and $688 million for Implementation. The program’s priorities have shifted to focus more on “Public Safety Infrastructure” (response and enforcement) than street design improvements that may inconvenience drivers (prevention), but you can still use these funds to make positive change in your community. Here are five things to know:</p>
<h3><b>1. The basic structure of the grant program is the same</b></h3>
<p>The two types of grants available are Planning &amp; Demonstration and Implementation (we will focus mostly on Planning &amp; Demonstration here). Eligible activities are still: develop a new Action Plan, conduct supplemental planning to update an Action Plan, and inform an Action Plan with demonstration activities, all of which can be bundled together <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-center/supercharge-your-communitys-safety-demonstration-projects-with-safe-streets-for-all/">to best fit</a> <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-center/six-things-to-know-about-applying-for-the-next-round-of-safe-streets-for-all-funding/">your community’s needs</a>. As you can tell, the SS4A activities are all centered on the <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/grants/ss4a/comprehensive-safety-action-plans">Safety Action Plan</a>, which is meant to help your community implement the <a href="http://transportation.gov/NRSS/SafeSystem">Safe System Approach</a>. Merits of this wheel aside (we prefer the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198223001525">pyramid</a>!), Safe Systems continues to be at the core of SS4A.</p>
<h3><b>2. Priorities in the program have (unsurprisingly) changed</b></h3>
<p>With all the <a href="https://usa.streetsblog.org/2025/07/09/removing-rainbow-crosswalks-wont-make-americas-arterials-safer">anti-pedestrian</a>, <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/trump-administration-ready-to-kick-bicyclists-off-of-americas-front-yard/">anti-bike</a>, and <a href="https://t4america.org/2025/07/09/no-safety-and-no-speed-the-trump-administration-is-implementing-funds-for-safety-grants-to-towns-and-cities-at-about-ten-percent-of-the-speed-of-the-previous-administration/">anti-safety</a> moves from the current administration, it is no surprise that SS4A's priorities have changed this year. There’s a notable new priority of “Public Safety Infrastructure.” This nebulous category includes “hardware, software, systems, technologies, equipment, protocols, facilities, and coordination models” for medical services, fire, and law enforcement to “prevent, respond to, or reduce the severity of roadway crashes.” While adding these elements introduces a new layer of complexity, we strongly recommend obtaining letters of support from public safety partners—including EMS, fire services, law enforcement, trauma system partners, and first responder labor unions—to elevate this priority in your application. Prevention is key to safety, and we hope applicants can be creative in partnering with their emergency response teams to test road designs that support public safety by preventing dangerous crashes before they happen.</p>
<p>This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) also includes a list of “favorable considerations” and “less favorable considerations.” A few favorable considerations that stand out are:</p>
<ul>
<li><i>Letters of support, especially from relevant stakeholders and Public Safety Agencies and associated Labor Unions representing First Responders</i></li>
<li><i>Applicants in a rural area</i></li>
<li><i>Beautifying transportation infrastructure with context-appropriate design and/or child-friendly elements</i></li>
</ul>
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<p>Rural areas in particular should not overlook this opportunity for safety funding. Keep these considerations in mind when putting together your application: <b>work with many stakeholders and prioritize children's safety.</b> (For example: automated traffic enforcement is not favorable <i>unless</i> it’s within school zones, so focus on your school zones!).</p>
<p>The “less favorable considerations” in this year’s NOFO are similarly unsurprising. Any perception of taking away space from cars, impeding vehicular flow, or generally harshing on drivers’ vibe is not going to be well received. When you propose strategies that make roads safer by slowing down cars, be sure to emphasize the known safety benefits for <i>everyone</i> on the road. <i>Check back soon for more ideas to keep safety at the heart of your application.</i></p>
<h3><b>3. You should apply for a Planning &amp; Demonstration grant!</b></h3>
<p>USDOT anticipates awarding a little over $305 million in this category, which will be somewhere between 400 and 700 awards ranging from $100,000 to $5 million each. SS4A is unique in that federal funds go directly to cities and other local jurisdictions, bypassing state DOTs, which usually are in charge of funneling transportation money down from the feds. This is also the easiest federal grant application you will ever see: a two-page narrative if you’re requesting less than $1 million in Planning &amp; Demonstration funds, a three-page narrative if you’re requesting $1 million or more. Prior awardees in either category <i>are</i> eligible to apply for additional funds, even if an Action Plan is still in development. There is still a lot of funding available in this program, and the 20 percent local match can be made in cash or in-kind. Go for it!</p>
<h3><b>4. Quick-builds are still eligible demonstration projects</b></h3>
<p>Even with the less favorable considerations for projects that could be perceived as anti-car, quick-builds and temporary street installations were referenced in the NOFO and should still be included in your applications. We know that street design is the most effective strategy to improve safety for everyone, and quick-build projects are a way to get near-term improvements to your community through an SS4A Planning &amp; Demonstration grant. Your application doesn’t have to go into your demonstration project proposal in great detail—you can determine the specific sites and designs as part of the work if your project is awarded. Just be sure to frame your project in terms of the priorities described above and use the data you collect for your project to inform or update a Safety Action Plan.</p>
<h3><b>5. These are (still) not serious people</b></h3>
<p>USDOT is demonstrating once again that it is still clearly not serious about actual safety improvements that will result in fewer deaths and injuries. The way that safety improvements must take a back seat to preserving vehicle capacity at all costs is just yet another perfect example of how safety is a priority in words only, and regularly loses out when it has to compete with other “priorities.” The slow roll of grant agreements and the <a href="https://t4america.org/2026/03/26/the-trump-administration-tried-to-rip-out-a-bike-lane-in-dc-theyre-trying-to-do-the-same-nationwide/">threat</a> of existing grants being pulled show as much, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn't keep safety at the center of our applications. With “beautifying transportation infrastructure” and “child-friendly elements” listed as favorable SS4A considerations, you might expect they’d mean murals, street trees, narrow lanes, protected crosswalks, and separated bike lanes, but we see USDOT <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-center/the-economic-and-health-costs-of-cutting-funding-for-family-friendly-communities/">cutting funding for</a> and removing these truly wonderful parts of street design across the U.S.</p>
<p>We will see how the DOT’s incongruous priorities lead to actual safety improvements, but that won’t stop us from putting together great plans for <i>real</i> outcomes.</p>
<p>[alert type="info"] Smart Growth America has already helped communities secure over $8 million in SS4A funding and is now offering limited support to help more communities succeed in what may be the final round. <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/apply-now-get-sga-support-for-your-2026-ss4a-application/">Learn more about the opportunity here.</a>[/alert]</p>
<p><b>Applications are due Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 5 pm EDT.</b></p>


Application Support

Safe Streets for All

What you need to know about Safe Streets and Roads for All grants in 2026

Chris Rall Presenting

<p>After 16 years with Smart Growth America and Transportation for America, we’re saying thank you to Chris Rall as he steps into his next chapter.</p>
<p>Chris has been central to building and energizing the T4America and LOCUS networks, helping connect partners across the country, keeping members engaged with what’s happening in DC, and making sure local voices are shaping the conversation. From his early days as an Oregon field organizer to his role as Outreach Director, he helped keep our work grounded in real communities.</p>
<p>Chris understands that this work only succeeds when people show up and push for change where they live. As he put it, “You make the movement.”</p>
<p>We’re grateful for everything he’s built and the role he’s played in strengthening the organization over the years.</p>
<p>[button type="primary" size="lg" link="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/what-i-learned-in-16-years-at-smart-growth-america/"] Read Chris's reflections on 16 years at SGA [/button]</p>


Thanking Chris Rall for 16 years at Smart Growth America

Steve and Chris R at Transportation Camp

<h2><b>After 16 years with Smart Growth America and Transportation for America, here are some things I’ve learned along the way.</b></h2>
<p>When SGA hired me as the Oregon field organizer for the Transportation for America campaign in 2010, I had some experience with local transportation and housing advocacy, but was brand-new to federal issues. This was the first time I had direct access to colleagues who were national experts on these topics. I had the opportunity to talk with local elected leaders, agency staff, and advocates in Oregon, and eventually, across the country as my responsibilities and turf expanded.</p>
<p>Needless to say, I’ve learned a lot in the last 16 years and want to take the opportunity to share a few. Here are three things that jumped out as the most important.</p>
<h3><b>1. Leaders need to catch up with the market</b></h3>
<p>More Americans want to live in vibrant, walkable, bikeable, transit-accessible communities than we have built. SGA has demonstrated this in a variety of ways, including our <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/foot-traffic-ahead/rankings/">Foot Traffic Ahead reports</a> and reports on the <a href="http://smartgrowthamerica.org/resources/evaluating-complete-streets-projects-a-guide-for-practitioners/">economic value of Complete Streets</a>. Not only this, but <a href="https://t4america.org/2023/06/29/new-survey-82-percent-of-voters-dont-believe-highway-expansions-are-the-best-solution-for-reducing-congestion/">polls also show</a> that Americans recognize the futility of widening highways to cure congestion.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, most leaders are out of touch with this reality, especially in Congress. Members of Congress are, on average, older, whiter, and wealthier than average Americans. U.S. Senators and other statewide elected officials are typically wildly out of touch with what their constituents want. One reason is that many of them consider what their state DOT says to be the only opinion worth listening to on transportation. That’s like asking Shaquille O’Neal for advice on how to play soccer.  While many state DOTs are evolving, they were originally tasked with building our now-completed highway system. Unfortunately, they are interminably slow to recognize the <a href="https://t4america.org/2020/03/05/the-congestion-con-youve-been-played/">diminishing returns and futility of continued highway widening</a>, even though most Americans do. Instead, they usually either fail to educate state-level decisionmakers on the downsides and wastefulness of widening highways, or worse, actively advocate for highway expansion.</p>
<p>Leadership really matters, and having elected leaders who “get it” makes a big difference. We’re starting to see more and more outstanding elected leaders, particularly at the local level. Just to name a few, I’ve had the chance to work with: Former Emeryville Mayor <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llAZpNd5v44">John Bauters</a>, who worked with his council member colleagues to staff the city with planners and engineers who are rapidly building out Dutch-quality complete streets and ample affordable housing. Cambridge, MA, City Council member <a href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/9/22/azeem-profile-2025/">Burhan Azeem</a> led a successful effort to end single-family zoning to build more housing. State Sen. <a href="https://www.opb.org/article/2021/11/18/oregon-odot-portland-82nd-avenue-local-control/">Khanh Pham</a> helped transfer ownership of one of the most dangerous streets in Oregon from the state DOT to the City of Portland with funding for safety improvements, medians with trees to diminish heat island effects, and major progress toward the city's second bus rapid transit line. A few leaders whom I never had a chance to meet also come to mind: State Sen. <a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/12077281/scott-wiener-passed-laws-making-it-easier-to-build-in-california-can-he-do-the-same-in-congress">Scott Weiner</a> has advanced countless bills substantially moving the needle on California’s housing crisis, and North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong spearheaded a <a href="https://www.commerce.nd.gov/community-services/community-development-rural-prosperity/about-cdrp/smart-efficient-infrastructure">fiscally conservative approach</a> to land-use development that reduces infrastructure costs.</p>
<h3><b>2. Understand the moment and act on it</b></h3>
<p>In endeavoring to explain the value that SGA’s transportation advocacy wing, Transportation for America, brings to its <a href="https://t4america.org/about/membership/">members</a>, I’ve come to describe it as cross-sector and vision-driven. This distinguishes T4America from the many other national associations that, by design, have to move at the speed of their slowest member. Because T4America is more nimble and bold, some of our most impactful actions came from understanding a unique moment and taking the lead to act on it.</p>
<p>The first example of this was something I like to call a “send us more Martians” moment. In Kurt Vonnegut’s 1959 novel <i>Sirens of Titan</i>, when Earth handily repels a failed invasion from Mars, easily shooting Martians in their backyards before they can even land, Boca Raton Mayor Ross L. McSwann says, “Send us more Martians.” While <i>Sirens</i> is more tragically layered, the axiom I wish to convey here is: When someone does something terrible and terribly unpopular, it’s an opportunity for those poised to stop it.</p>
<p>In 2012, the Republican majority passed a transportation bill out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee that removed public transit from the Highway Trust Fund. T4America sprang into action and put together a sign-on letter that, in <a href="https://t4america.org/2012/02/03/house-committee-ignores-broad-opposition-decimates-transit-funding-anyway/">24 hours, garnered over 600 organizations and elected officials</a> opposing the move. Once members of Congress realized they all had public transit in their districts, House leadership couldn’t get enough votes to bring this horrible bill to the floor. While we managed to stop a harmful action that day, T4America also built its credibility as a nimble but powerful force. Send us more Martians, indeed!</p>
<p>T4America’s nimbleness and foresight haven’t always been about blocking bad actions. It has also helped us to force action. This happened twice during the first Trump administration—once to get transit grants moving, and again to spur Congress to rescue public transit at the start of the COVID pandemic. </p>
<p>A year or two into the first Trump administration, it started to become clear that the Federal Transit Administration was slow-walking transit project grants, using obfuscatory language to mislead the public and Congress about what they were up to. They mixed up terms like “awarded,” “advanced,” and “obligated”—terms with very different legal meanings when it comes to the status of grants. T4America once again stepped in, creating a tool we called “<a href="https://t4america.org/2018/08/13/trump-administration-has-effectively-halted-the-pipeline-of-new-transit-projects/">Stuck in the Station</a>,” which tracked how much funding was available for transit projects and what proportion was actually obligated to projects with signed grant agreements. The web page also included a great photo of a no-nonsense train commuter from a New York City suburb (relatable to this writer, originally from New Jersey), looking annoyed that his fricking train hasn’t arrived yet. Our work provided sunlight and accountability so that members of Congress could pressure the administration to sign full-funding grant agreements, get funding obligated to transit projects, and get transit projects built in their districts. (We’re going to need to replicate this campaign and transit grants moving once again: The Trump administration has yet to advance a single transit capital project in their tenure so far, a new record for slowness.)</p>
<figure id="attachment_113674" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-113674" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-113674 size-large" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/waiting-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="Group of people standing on an outdoor platform waiting for a train to arrive." width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/waiting-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/waiting-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/waiting-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/waiting-1.jpg 1500w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-113674" class="wp-caption-text">Image from T4America’s Stuck in the Station tool.</figcaption></figure>
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<p>When the COVID-19 pandemic started to dramatically impact lives in the early spring of 2020, we quickly realized that this would be a crisis for public transit. Most Americans were staying home in lockdown, and the whole economy was shutting down. Overnight, transit agencies lost almost all of their fare and sales tax revenue. But transit couldn’t shut down because essential workers still needed it to get to jobs that enabled us to eat, access the hospital, have drinking water and sewage, and other essential services until we flattened the infection curve enough to open back up. Transit agencies were about to go broke. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) made a tepid call for Congress to pony up $12.9 billion. We could clearly see that it was nowhere near enough. Eventually, our ask of <a href="https://t4america.org/2020/03/26/congress-heard-you-deal-struck-with-25-billion-in-emergency-funding-for-transit/">$25 billion</a> was included in the CARES Act, and Congress went on to pass two more tranches of aid, for a total of $69.5 billion. </p>
<h3><b>3. You won’t see the cracks until the wall breaks</b></h3>
<p>When I ponder how the smart growth movement can break through and radically change our built environment for the better, I look to the gay rights movement. In 2008, California passed Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage. Thanks to the hard work of many, less than five years later, the Supreme Court ruled the measure unconstitutional, and public opinion quickly shifted such that a gay marriage ban was almost unthinkable in most states by that point.</p>
<p>We won’t necessarily know when a rapid, sudden shift in the smart growth movement is coming. But there are signs it could be soon. I mentioned the market conditions, polling, and work of local leaders above. The housing reform movement, in particular, has passed powerful legislation at the state level that is changing the rules on the ground for delivering more housing where people need it. More than 5,000 places have <a href="https://parkingreform.org/resources/mandates-map/">reformed parking requirements</a>.</p>
<p>Underlying all these victories is a change in the way people see things. For example, SGA Senior Policy Advisor John Robert Smith and Chris Zimmerman (at the time SGA’s vice president of economic development) counseled Mayor Ronny Walker of Ruston, Louisiana, on the costly trade-offs of outward versus inward growth. After this, <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/we-have-a-wonderful-downtown-but-it-is-still-underutilized/">Mayor Walker made a “180” turn-around</a>, canceling outward annexation and focusing growth in existing neighborhoods and the downtown. He has become a champion of the movement. Once you see the wisdom of a smart growth approach, you can’t unsee it. Come to think of it, this is why I became an advocate years ago and have stayed at it. Once you see a better way of doing things, you just can't stand seeing the old ways continue!</p>
<p>I’m moving on to new opportunities, but I know that SGA is going to keep shining like a beacon of wisdom until the tired old ways of highway expansion and sprawl crawl away into the dark dustbin of history where they belong.</p>


Advocacy

congress

Federal advocacy

Local Leaders

public transit

What I learned in 16 years at Smart Growth America

our staff

Housing and Development team

<p>After more than a decade with Smart Growth America, we’re saying thank you to Miguel Rodríguez as he steps into a new role at Cushman &amp; Wakefield.</p>
<p>Miguel has been a driving force behind our research, from co-authoring Foot Traffic Ahead to helping dozens of communities understand the real fiscal and economic impacts of development and infrastructure decisions. His work brought clarity and a deep commitment to advancing smart growth in practice.</p>
<p>We’re grateful for his leadership as our Director of Research and for the many ways he strengthened our work over the years.</p>
<p>We’re excited to see him bring smart growth principles into the commercial real estate world, and we’re glad this isn’t goodbye. Miguel will continue to advise SGA as a visiting research fellow.</p>
<p><a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image3.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-113669" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image3-1024x768.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="768" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image3-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image3-300x225.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image3-768x576.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image3-1536x1153.jpg 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image3.jpg 1999w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></p>
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Staff

Miguel Rodríguez departs SGA after more than a decade of impact on our work

Screenshot 2026-04-02 at 4.15.39 PM

<p>They say that “What gets measured, gets managed.” How about something that gets mis-measured, then shared out in a misleading press release 16 months after the counting is done…? That’s what happened with the 2024 <a href="https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813791">Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)</a> data released yesterday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The 2024 data was overshadowed in <a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/traffic-deaths-2025-early-estimates-2024-annual">a press release</a> with a bold headline claiming “Record-Low Traffic Deaths &amp; Fatality Rates in 2025.” In reality, that claim is only true if you use a dubious metric and look sideways with one eye closed.</p>
<p>To be clear, only the 2024 data is finalized. The 2025 data is an estimate. Although we are glad to see data being released, we are disappointed to note that there remains a huge delay (about 16 months since the end of the year). There has always been a delay, but <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/far-more-people-walking-were-struck-and-killed-in-2021-than-previously-predicted/#:~:text=Up%20until%20a,public%20to%20access.">it used to be less than a year</a>. In a world of increasingly sophisticated data collection and analysis, one would expect the gap to shrink, not grow.</p>
<h3><b>Let’s talk about the data (spoiler alert: the news isn’t as great as the headline suggests)</b></h3>
<p>First and foremost, the number of people dying on America’s roadways is still at historic highs, not lows. It is true that there is a small dip in the number of people killed from 2023 to 2024. If you only looked at these two years (the data release for overall deaths only includes two years), it might look like things are improving. And we are glad to see progress, but this is no time for a victory lap.</p>
<p>If we look at data from the last ten years (from the <a href="https://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx">NHTSA website</a>), the actual story is less uplifting. Rather than hitting record lows, fatalities are actually back to the approximate 2019-2020 levels and far above 2014. There was a spike in road deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we may be coming down from that, but the numbers (representing people's lives) are still unacceptable.</p>
<div style="overflow-x: auto;">
<table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 14px;">
<thead>
<tr>
<th style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap;">Year</th>
<th style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;">2024</th>
<th style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;">2023</th>
<th style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;">2022</th>
<th style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;">2021</th>
<th style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;">2020</th>
<th style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;">2019</th>
<th style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;">2018</th>
<th style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;">2017</th>
<th style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;">2016</th>
<th style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;">2015</th>
<th style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;">2014</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap;">Total Occupants and Nonoccupants Killed in Traffic Crashes</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;"><b>39,254</b></td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;">40,901</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;">42,721</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;">43,230</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;"><b>39,007</b></td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;"><b>36,355</b></td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;">36,835</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;">37,473</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;">37,806</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;">35,484</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #000; padding: 6px;">32,744</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 20px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div>
<p>Even with this latest decrease, the number of fatalities and rate per 100,000 people is still way above any country that we would consider a peer. We don’t have to live like this, people!</p>
<figure id="attachment_113611" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-113611" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.15.39-PM.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-113611 size-large" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.15.39-PM-1024x687.png" alt="" width="1024" height="687" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.15.39-PM-1024x687.png 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.15.39-PM-300x201.png 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.15.39-PM-768x516.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.15.39-PM-1536x1031.png 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.15.39-PM.png 2038w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-113611" class="wp-caption-text">Source: International Transport Forum Road Safety Annual Report 2025</figcaption></figure>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Finally, the research note released by NHTSA indicates that they use Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) to calculate fatality rates, which is inappropriate and misleading. <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-10/how-deadly-are-us-roads-it-depends-on-how-you-count-traffic-fatalities">David Zipper has brilliantly pointed out</a> the faults in this ludicrous metric (which he likens to “...trying to reduce the number of cancer deaths per cigarette smoked). We haven’t crunched the numbers to fact check yet, but it’s likely that much of the “decrease” that the press release brags about for 2025 data is actually due to an increase of miles being driven rather than lives being saved. Progress?</p>
<h3><b>Other ridiculous points from the press release</b></h3>
<figure id="attachment_113608" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-113608" style="width: 225px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Courtney-and-Dustin-in-front-of-a-big-car.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-113608" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Courtney-and-Dustin-in-front-of-a-big-car-225x300.png" alt="" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Courtney-and-Dustin-in-front-of-a-big-car-225x300.png 225w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Courtney-and-Dustin-in-front-of-a-big-car-768x1024.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Courtney-and-Dustin-in-front-of-a-big-car-1152x1536.png 1152w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Courtney-and-Dustin-in-front-of-a-big-car.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-113608" class="wp-caption-text">A colleague and I in front of a truck</figcaption></figure>
<p><strong>To explain the supposed improvements in road safety, the press release points to crackdowns on “unqualified truckers” and “making newer and safer cars more affordable for American families.”</strong></p>
<p>Safer—for whom? The NHTSA press release doesn’t even mention people walking, biking, or rolling. At SGA, we constantly point out that America’s streets are <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/dangerous-by-design/">Dangerous by Design</a>, especially for people outside of cars. There are multiple reasons for this. For example, as you may have heard (or seen and felt), American vehicles are getting <a href="https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2025/02/12/suv-health-hazard">bigger and bigger</a>.</p>
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<p>More affordable—Is that true? Looking at the latest numbers from <a href="https://www.kbb.com/car-news/average-new-car-price-drops-20k-car-likely-dead/">Kelly Blue Book</a>, they still look pretty high to me. And even if the purchase price is slightly lower, what about other costs (like the currently skyrocketing gas prices)?</p>
<p>And truckers?—I’m skeptical that efforts on large trucks (responsible for about 14% of overall deaths) made much of a difference, but I guess we will find out a year from now when last year's data gets released (confusing, I know).</p>
<figure id="attachment_113610" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-113610" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.16.24-PM.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-113610 size-large" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.16.24-PM-1024x531.png" alt="" width="1024" height="531" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.16.24-PM-1024x531.png 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.16.24-PM-300x156.png 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.16.24-PM-768x398.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.16.24-PM-1536x797.png 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-02-at-4.16.24-PM-2048x1062.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-113610" class="wp-caption-text">Caption: NHTSA’s own report shows that vehicles are getting safer for people inside them and more dangerous for people outside them.</figcaption></figure>
<h3><b>What happens now?</b></h3>
<p>Here at Smart Growth America, we will be digging into the data to really understand the trends and patterns. Our analysis and key findings will be released later this year in our Dangerous by Design report.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://highways.dot.gov/safety/proven-safety-countermeasures">federal government knows the solutions to making roads safer</a>. Unfortunately, the current <a href="https://t4america.org/2026/03/26/the-trump-administration-tried-to-rip-out-a-bike-lane-in-dc-theyre-trying-to-do-the-same-nationwide/">administration seems more interested in undermining safety efforts</a>. NHTSA and the federal government should take safety seriously. Focus on doing things that make people safe, not score political points with divisive actions like <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/trump-administration-ready-to-kick-bicyclists-off-of-americas-front-yard/">removing a popular bike lane on the National Mall</a> that has reduced fatal crashes.</p>
<p>Everyone else—keep pressure up. Pay attention to these numbers: even if there’s a dip, they are still far higher than any of our peer countries. We don’t have to live like this!</p>


Dangerous by Design

NHTSA

Pedestrian safety

USDOT claims record low traffic deaths. Job done? Really? 

samuel-schroth-L8lbuhnSPD8-unsplash

<p><strong>People across the country are facing a widespread affordability crisis, especially when it comes to housing and transportation. Right now, Congress has a real opportunity to take meaningful action.</strong></p>
<p>The House is actively negotiating a sweeping bipartisan housing package—the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act—that includes key provisions to reduce barriers to housing production, support zoning reform, and better connect housing to jobs, services, and transportation.</p>
<p>But decisions are being made now about whether this bill moves forward. <strong>We need your voice to ensure this legislation is signed into law.</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://smartgrowthamerica.salsalabs.org/21st_century_road_to_housing_2026">Take two minutes to contact your members of Congress and urge them to pass this important legislation</a>. This is the most significant housing bill in generations, and, if passed, it would help communities build more affordable homes that are better connected to jobs and services and that meet people’s needs at every stage of life.</p>
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Land Use and Development

15th Street w_ Bike Lanes

<p>If the National Mall is “<a href="https://www.nps.gov/nama/index.htm#:~:text=America%E2%80%99s%20Front%20Yard%2C">America’s Front Yard</a>,” then we have to talk about a serious case of NIMFY (not in my front yard). The Trump administration is going to tear up a popular protected bike lane as early as next week. The 15th Street protected bike lanes run North-South through the heart of Washington, DC. For <a href="https://nacto.org/latest/two-way-cycle-track-15th-street-washington-d-c/">over a decade</a>, the 15th Street corridor has been a safe and convenient way for cyclists to travel throughout the city, accommodating residents and tourists alike. According to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), it’s one of <a href="https://bikelanes.ddot.dc.gov/pages/15th-st-nw#:~:text=15th%20St%20NW%20Cycletrack%20is%20one%20of%20the%20District%27s%20highest%20ridership%20bike%20lanes">the city’s highest ridership bike lanes</a>. And bicycle counts along the route show huge increases in recent years:</p>
<figure id="attachment_113464" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-113464" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Average-number-of-bikes-per-year.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-113464" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Average-number-of-bikes-per-year-1024x437.png" alt="Graph of bicycle counts rising on 15th Street in DC" width="1024" height="437" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Average-number-of-bikes-per-year-1024x437.png 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Average-number-of-bikes-per-year-300x128.png 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Average-number-of-bikes-per-year-768x328.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Average-number-of-bikes-per-year-1536x656.png 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Average-number-of-bikes-per-year.png 1976w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-113464" class="wp-caption-text">Bicycle counts on the 15th Street section slated for removal. Source: <a href="https://bikelanes.ddot.dc.gov/pages/manual-counts">DDOT</a></figcaption></figure>
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<p>Nonetheless, the <a href="https://waba.org/2026/02/13/federal-meddling-on-15th-street/">Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA)</a> and other advocates are sounding the alarm that a significant portion of the bike lanes will be torn up very soon, specifically the portion south of Constitution Avenue. This segment, which crosses the National Mall and is under federal control, was built in 2021.</p>
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<div style="flex: 1; min-width: 300px; text-align: center;"><img decoding="async" style="width: 100%; height: auto;" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/15th-Street-w_-Bike-Lanes-1024x721.png" /></p>
<p style="font-size: 14px; margin-top: 6px;">15th Street with Bike Lanes</p>
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<div style="flex: 1; min-width: 300px; text-align: center;"><img decoding="async" style="width: 100%; height: auto;" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/15th-Street-Before-Bike-Lanes_2019.png" /></p>
<p style="font-size: 14px; margin-top: 6px;">15th Street before bike lanes (2019)</p>
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<p>I have not seen any justification for removing the bike lanes (if anyone else has, <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/contact-us/">please share it</a>). In fact, DDOT recently did an assessment of the project and found that it both led to increased bicycle use along the corridor and <a href="https://www.popville.com/2026/02/15th-street-protected-bike-lanes-safety/">significantly reduced roadway crashes and injuries</a>. DC residents are left, once again, scratching their heads at government decisions and wondering why it’s falling to them to stand up the fight.</p>
<h2>Why is this happening?</h2>
<p>The short answer: the Trump administration doesn’t like bike lanes. They’ve shown this through <a href="https://usa.streetsblog.org/2025/04/25/sean-duffy-yes-hes-the-us-dot-secretary-is-dead-wrong-about-bike-lanes">false claims, such as bike lanes cause congestion</a>, and even more seriously, by <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-transportation-infrastructure-grants-hostile-cars-37495f299378ac0980a3dea5b450e004">pulling back millions of dollars in funding for bicycle infrastructure</a> across the country. They are also seeking to do whatever they can to <a href="https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/01/26/the-talk-of-d-c-rumors-flying-that-trump-wants-to-undo-bike-lanes-in-capital">remove bike lanes within DC itself</a>. This is in direct conflict with their claims of supporting safety and improving commutes. Protected bike lanes are well-documented for reducing fatalities, improving accessibility, and easing congestion. They’re even one of the federal government’s own <a href="https://highways.dot.gov/safety/proven-safety-countermeasures/bicycle-lanes">proven safety countermeasures</a>. President Trump and Secretary Duffy seem more concerned about getting headlines and causing outrage than saving lives. </p>
<h2>Another win for the “leadership” at DDOT</h2>
<p>Over the past year, SGA has posted a couple of times about the troubling lack of leadership from DC on issues related to active transportation. The sun might be shining these days, but it wasn’t that long ago that people walking, biking, and rolling were <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/dcs-streets-are-for-carsgood-luck-everyone-else/">left out in the cold</a>, literally, as they waited for sidewalks, bus shelters, and other facilities to be cleared. While the federal government essentially has control over the National Mall, and working with them in this part of town has historically been challenging, this does not mean that city leadership and DDOT are blameless.</p>
<p>I will point out a couple of things. First, the project was installed as a <a href="https://www.nps.gov/nama/learn/news/new-bike-lane-coming-to-national-mall.htm#:~:text=District%20Department%20of%20Transportation%20(DDOT)%20in%20partnership%20with%20the%20National%20Park%20Service%20(NPS)">collaboration between DDOT and NPS</a>, so it’s not wild to think DDOT would have some role to play. Second, have they been aggressively pushing back against this project’s removal? If they’re doing it, I sure haven’t seen the evidence. While Thursday and Friday saw a flurry of activity in DC's bike advocacy community, trying to figure out how best to draw attention to this blatant government overreach and the rollback of safety, DDOT stayed quiet. Even an acknowledgment of the increased dangers this removal would pose would be welcome at this point. Let’s not forget that DDOT, on its own, has <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/bad-leadership-from-ddot-will-result-in-more-dangerous-streets/#:~:text=Furthermore%2C%20Director%20Kershbaum,aesthetically%20pleasing.">been removing bike lanes across the city</a> in recent years, so their dedication to protecting cyclists and pedestrians is already in doubt.</p>
<p>When the bike lanes were installed, the goal was to “<a href="https://www.nps.gov/nama/learn/news/new-bike-lane-coming-to-national-mall.htm#:~:text=This%20project%20will%20improve%20pedestrian%20safety%20for%20visitors%20to%20the%20National%20Mall%20and%20create%20a%20north%2Dsouth%20bicycle%20connection%20between%20the%20White%20House%2C%20National%20Mall%20and%20the%20Jefferson%20Memorial.">improve pedestrian safety...</a>” so I guess that removing them can be read as an effort to reduce pedestrian safety. Terrific!</p>
<h2>What does this all mean?</h2>
<p>This bike lane removal is bad news. First and foremost, it will make life harder and more dangerous for bicyclists and pedestrians, just as the <a href="https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/">Cherry Blossom Festival</a> kicks off, bringing tons of tourists to the area, and warmer spring weather arrives in DC. Symbolically, it is another sign of the Trump administration’s fight against anything that doesn’t have at least four tires and a steering wheel. It’s also another sad case of the DC government caving to the administration’s attempts to score political points at the expense of people’s lives.</p>
<p>With the way things are going, Destination DC (the city’s official marketing organization) might have to update <a href="https://washington.org/dc-neighborhoods/national-mall">its website</a> about the National Mall. Maybe a graphic counting the rising bike fatalities that will occur as a result of these actions, or a photo of the children forced to ride their bikes in the same lanes as oversized vehicles?</p>
<p><a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Washington-DC.-org.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-113465" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Washington-DC.-org-1024x525.png" alt="" width="1024" height="525" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Washington-DC.-org-1024x525.png 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Washington-DC.-org-300x154.png 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Washington-DC.-org-768x394.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Washington-DC.-org-1536x787.png 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Washington-DC.-org.png 1973w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></p>
<h2>What can be done?</h2>
<p>As we have seen with the White House East Wing, when the Trump administration wants to do something, they just do it, often without regard for laws, expert opinion, or even common sense. So, unfortunately, if they are determined to tear up this popular bike lane, it may already be too late. Here are some suggestions:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Trump administration:</strong> Stop trying to turn bike lanes into a culture war issue. <a href="https://highways.dot.gov/safety/proven-safety-countermeasures/bicycle-lanes#:~:text=Converting%20traditional%20or%20flush%20buffered%20bicycle%20lanes%20to,2%2Dlane%20undivided%20collectors%20and%20local%20roads.6">Bike lanes are safe, effective</a>, and do not have negative impacts. Case closed.</li>
<li><strong>DDOT and the DC city government:</strong> You should at the very least make a statement asserting that they disagree with the bike lane removal. Beyond this, however, I suggest they aggressively install new bike lanes across the city to protect and improve bicyclists and other vulnerable road users.</li>
<li><strong>For those in the DC area:</strong> If you are in the DC area and want to show support, join <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hill-family-biking-protest-ride-to-save-15th-st-bike-lanes-tickets-1985538546241">the ride happening this weekend</a>.</li>
<li><strong>For everyone else:</strong> <a href="https://waba.org/action-page/petition-save-the-15th-street-protected-bike-lane/">Sign WABA’s petition</a> calling on USDOT, FHWA, and NPS to halt the unilateral removal of the 15th Street bike lane.  </li>
</ul>


Bike lanes

DDOT

Safety

Trump Administration

Washington DC

Trump administration ready to kick bicyclists off of ‘America’s front yard’

Mayor Alan Tomson_Brownfields

<p><strong>This year, the National Brownfields Coalition has worked closely with both Majority and Minority staff members on the House Committee on Energy &amp; Commerce as Congress considers reauthorization of the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/about">Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Program</a>. For decades, the program has helped communities across the country clean up contaminated properties and redevelop them into productive community assets—<a href="https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/smart-growth-and-infill-brownfields-redevelopment">from new businesses and housing, to parks, public spaces, and other projects that strengthen local economies and improve quality of life</a>.</strong></p>
<p>The EPA Brownfields Program is approaching a significant funding cliff. Supplemental funding provided through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is set to expire at the end of the law’s five-year funding window in 2026. Without congressional action, the program faces a projected annual shortfall of more than $150 million. This would mean fewer resources available for communities to assess and clean up contaminated sites, fewer redevelopment projects moving forward, and fewer opportunities for local governments to transform neglected properties into economic and environmental assets.</p>
<p>Over the past several months, the National Brownfields Coalition (NBC) has been actively engaged with congressional staff on both sides of the aisle, providing feedback on preliminary discussion drafts and sharing insights from practitioners and communities working on brownfields redevelopment across the country. As the Committee advances efforts to reauthorize the EPA Brownfields Program, NBC is working to ensure that the perspectives of local governments, redevelopment professionals, and community partners are reflected in the legislative process and that the program remains a strong and effective tool for community revitalization nationwide.</p>
<h2>The EPA Brownfield Program</h2>
<p>Cleaning up and revitalizing brownfields (such as abandoned gas stations, dry cleaners, factories, and other properties formerly used for industrial or commercial purposes) remains an often-overlooked but critically important form of community development and neighborhood revitalization. Addressing brownfield sites can transform environmental liabilities into community assets, strengthening neighborhoods and improving residents' quality of life.</p>
<p>Across the United States, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/about">more than 450,000 brownfield sites</a> remain scattered across communities awaiting cleanup and reuse. Redeveloping these sites can reactivate land that has sat vacant for years or even decades, support new businesses, <a href="https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/pdf/10.1142/S1464333217500132">increase local tax revenue</a>, and reduce environmental and public health risks.</p>
<p>The federal Brownfields Program was formally established in 2002 through the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/summary-small-business-liability-relief-and-brownfields-revitalization-act">Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act</a>, signed into law by President George W. Bush, and administered by the EPA. The program was most recently reauthorized in 2018 through the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2463">Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development (BUILD) Act</a>, which increased funding levels, expanded grant eligibility, and modernized the program.</p>
<p>The program has been remarkably successful. Since its creation, EPA Brownfields grants have helped assess and clean up <a href="https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/accomplishments#:~:text=Brownfields%20Accomplishments,State%20and%20Tribal%20Partner%20Accomplishments">hundreds of thousands of contaminated sites, making more than 4 million acres of land ready for reuse and leveraging more than $50 billion in redevelopment investment nationwide</a>.</p>
<p>More recently, the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/infrastructure-investment-and-jobs-act-historic-investment-brownfields">Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)</a>, signed by President Biden in 2021, infused over $1.5 billion into the program over five years. However, that funding boost will expire at the end of the current IIJA funding window in 2026. Without renewed investment from Congress, annual funding levels could fall back toward <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/oig/documents/_epaoig_20250723-25-p-0043_cert.pdf">pre-IIJA baseline appropriation levels of less than $100 million</a>—a dramatic funding cliff that would severely limit communities’ ability to continue redevelopment work.</p>
<p>This makes congressional reauthorization of the program—with sustained and increased funding—especially important to ensure that communities can continue addressing contaminated sites and advancing redevelopment projects.</p>
<h2>NBC testifies as Congress considers proposals to reauthorize the Brownfields Program</h2>
<p>As part of this legislative process, the House Committee on Energy &amp; Commerce recently released four discussion drafts of legislation intended to update and reauthorize the federal Brownfields Program.</p>
<p>The National Brownfields Coalition has been working with staff on both sides of the aisle to review and provide feedback on these proposals. On March 4, 2026, the Committee invited NBC to participate in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-3MpeXybvs">legislative hearing</a> where members of Congress reviewed the discussion drafts and heard testimony on how the program should evolve.<br />
Coalition ally <a href="https://daviswv.us/contact/">Mayor Alan Tomson of Davis, West Virginia</a>, testified before the Committee in support of reauthorizing the EPA Brownfields Program and increasing grant funding to help communities remediate and redevelop contaminated sites.</p>
<p>In his testimony, Mayor Tomson shared how the program has supported redevelopment in his small Appalachian community. One example he highlighted was the cleanup of an abandoned gas station site in Davis that now houses <a href="https://newheritagedistilling.com/">New Heritage Distilling</a> and the <a href="https://parsonsadvocate.com/news/pa-top-stories/headlines/big-timber-comes-to-davis/">Big Timber Logging Camp brewery</a>—thriving local businesses that contribute to the town’s growing tourism and outdoor recreation economy.</p>
<p>Mayor Tomson also raised concerns about provisions in the draft legislation that could allow private developers to directly access federal brownfields grant funding for large-scale industrial projects such as data centers, power plants, or other major infrastructure developments.<br />
He pointed to a proposal near his own community as an example: a massive data center complex planned just outside Davis on land adjacent to a brownfield and the county landfill. According to the proposal, the project would include a 1,600-megawatt power plant and large-scale diesel fuel storage to support what developers claim could become the world’s largest data center campus.</p>
<p>While projects of this scale may play an important role in the country’s broader infrastructure and economic strategy, the National Brownfields Coalition believes that limited federal brownfields funding should remain focused on helping local governments, nonprofits, and community-based entities address contaminated sites that would otherwise remain neglected.<br />
In many cases, private developers pursuing large infrastructure projects already have access to significant private capital. Allowing those projects to compete for EPA Brownfields grants could divert scarce public resources away from the small towns, rural communities, and under-resourced local governments that rely most heavily on these grants to move redevelopment projects forward.</p>
<figure id="attachment_113400" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-113400" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/NBC-at-Brownfields-Hearing-scaled.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-113400" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/NBC-at-Brownfields-Hearing-1024x768.png" alt="" width="1024" height="768" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/NBC-at-Brownfields-Hearing-1024x768.png 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/NBC-at-Brownfields-Hearing-300x225.png 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/NBC-at-Brownfields-Hearing-768x576.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/NBC-at-Brownfields-Hearing-1536x1152.png 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/NBC-at-Brownfields-Hearing-2048x1536.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-113400" class="wp-caption-text">The National Brownfields Coalition at the House Committee on Energy &amp; Commerce</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Why brownfields investment matters for communities</h2>
<p>When done effectively, brownfields redevelopment unlocks opportunities that benefit both the public and private sectors while strengthening communities as a whole. Transforming contaminated sites into productive uses can support local job creation, expand tax bases, improve environmental conditions, and create new amenities for residents.<br />
These outcomes directly align with Smart Growth America’s mission to help communities create healthy, resilient, and economically vibrant places.</p>
<p>Brownfields redevelopment is also one of the policy areas that consistently receives strong bipartisan support at the federal level. Because the program delivers tangible benefits to communities across the country—urban, suburban, and rural alike—it represents a powerful opportunity for lawmakers to work together to advance policies that strengthen local economies and environments.</p>
<h2>What comes next</h2>
<p>Over the coming weeks and months, the National Brownfields Coalition will continue to work with both Majority and Minority staff on the House Committee on Energy &amp; Commerce to advocate for a clean reauthorization of the EPA Brownfields Program that maintains strong federal investment while avoiding provisions that could jeopardize bipartisan consensus.</p>
<p>Ensuring the continued success of the Brownfields Program will allow communities across the country to transform long-neglected sites into new opportunities for economic development, environmental improvement, and community revitalization.</p>
<p>With hundreds of thousands of brownfield sites still awaiting cleanup and reuse, the importance of sustaining and strengthening this program has never been clearer.</p>


Brownfields

Federal Policy

Testimony

Congress Considers reauthorizing the EPA Brownfields Program as funding cliff looms

Construction workers frame a multi-unit residential building, wo

<p><strong>The Senate voted Tuesday to advance the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a sweeping bipartisan package aimed at tackling the nation’s housing shortage and the most ambitious federal housing effort in generations. But a late addition targeting institutional investors is raising concerns from housing advocates and free-market conservatives alike.</strong></p>
<p>On Tuesday, March 10, the <a href="https://www.lw.com/en/insights/senate-advances-21st-century-road-to-housing-act">Senate voted to advance the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act</a>, an expansive, bipartisan housing package that includes smart growth provisions. The legislative package includes a majority of the provisions from the ROAD to Housing Act and the lower chamber’s 21st Century Housing Act. This bill is the most ambitious piece of federal housing legislation in generations and would be a key step forward in addressing the national housing shortage. However, the text also includes a new Trump Administration request that restricts large institutional investors from buying up single-family homes. Housing groups are ringing alarm bells about this provision’s potential impact on housing supply, while conservative lawmakers have voiced concerns about its clash with free-market ideology.</p>
<p><strong>These key smart growth provisions in the bill would support missing middle, affordable, and infill housing, helping to build more housing at the right place, type, and price:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Unlocking Housing Supply Through Streamlined and Modernized Reviews Act (Section 208): This section modifies National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review for infill and small housing projects to reduce regulatory burdens and speed the development process.</li>
<li>Accelerating Home Building Act (Section 211): This section would help communities cut through red tape and open new pathways for development by supporting community-driven efforts to create pre-reviewed building designs.</li>
<li>Community Investment and Prosperity Act (Section 204): This section increases the Public Welfare Investment cap, which is intended to improve financial institutions’ capacity to invest in affordable housing.</li>
</ul>
<div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 20px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div>
<p><strong>Unfortunately, the bill dropped the following smart growth provisions from the prior two bills:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>The Housing Supply Frameworks Act (included in both the ROAD to Housing and Housing in the 21st Century Act), which would have directed HUD to create resources on zoning and best practices for local and state governments.</li>
<li>Build More Housing Near Transit Act (included in ROAD to Housing, but dropped in the Housing in the 21st Century Act), which provides incentives for housing along transit corridors.</li>
<li>Identifying Regulatory Barriers to Housing Supply Act (included in Housing in the 21st Century Act but not ROAD), which would require CDBG recipients to report to HUD on their progress towards adopting a series of pro-housing land use and zoning policies.</li>
</ul>
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<p><a href="https://www.banking.senate.gov/newsroom/minority/scott-warren-release-21st-century-road-to-housing-act-legislative-package-to-boost-housing-supply-and-bring-down-costs">On March 2nd</a>, the Banking Committee released the text of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. This legislative package incorporates most of the Senate’s <a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48732">ROAD to Housing Act</a> and housing provisions from the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6644">Housing for the 21st Century Act</a>. The new combined housing package aims to boost housing supply through improving existing programs and reducing regulatory burdens. The text includes 36 of the 40 original Senate provisions and six provisions from the House’s version of the housing bill.</p>
<p>The pushback that Congress is facing is not about which provisions were left in or removed, but instead a new provision that the Trump Administration has requested. Trump first called for <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/05/institutional-investor-ban-impact.html#:~:text=The%20Democratic%20proposal%20came%20after,homes%20or%20substantially%20renovate%20them.">banning institutional investors</a> from buying up single-family homes in early January. The Administration proposed that firms owning more than 100 single-family homes would be banned from buying additional properties. 21st Century ROAD’s Section 901, titled “Homes are for People, not Corporations,” includes significant restrictions on institutional investors, now defined as entities owning more than 350 homes. Section 901 largely focuses on single-family homes, defined as a home with two or fewer dwellings. Higher-density development, defined as three units and above, is exempt from the institutional purchase requirement and the 7-year disposal requirement. Notably, the provision’s disposal requirement would require institutional investors to sell single-family homes to individual buyers within 7 years, which would have a significant impact on the Build-to-Rent sector. This requirement could reduce interest in investment in Build to Rent, leading to reduced housing production, and if tenants were uninterested or unable to buy the properties, the provision could also lead to thousands of evictions.</p>
<p>Housing groups are calling for the provision to be removed or modified, given concerns about its impact on housing supply. <a href="https://www.nmhc.org/globalassets/advocacy/comment-letters/2026/2026-03-02-real-estate-industry-letter-to-the-senate-on-institutional-investment.pdf">Multiple groups representing the real estate industry sent a sign-on letter</a> to the Senate expressing concern about limiting investment in housing and the potential for the provision to undermine housing production. Other housing groups like YIMBY Action are calling on Senate Banking Democrats to implement a very narrow amendment to Section 901 to protect the construction of Build-to-Rent developments. The amendment would limit Section 901’s dispositions requirement to areas where investors own 5% or more of the single-family housing stock, while maintaining the ban on investors buying existing properties. In areas where institutional investors collectively have a 5% investor market share, the bill’s 7-year disposition requirement would still apply. Housing advocates have noted that Build-to-Rent contributes to housing supply: <a href="https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/mje/2025/05/16/building-the-future-housing-market-a-look-into-build-to-rent/">In 2024, the BTR market produced 39,000 single-family rental properties</a> (nearly 6 times as many as before the pandemic).</p>
<p>Beyond the advocacy organizations’ concerns with a portion of the Senate bill, the lower chamber is also voicing disapproval of the package. House Financial Services Chair French Hill said that the Senate bill needs to be altered to reflect the House’s needs and priorities. <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/13/housing-deal-faces-new-hurdle-as-trump-pushes-investor-ban-00779021">Republicans in the House are already expressing opposition</a> to the so-called institutional investor ban, citing potential market volatility and concern about a departure from free-market ideology.</p>
<p>The Senate’s bipartisan housing package is positioned for final passage in the upper chamber next week. So far, the bill has overwhelmingly advanced through the Senate, but it could collapse by the time it reaches the House due to Republican opposition alone. The Senate still has a small window to revise the provision to address concerns both inside and outside of Congress in order to promote smart growth housing policies and make progress towards addressing our housing shortage.</p>


21st Century ROAD to Housing advances in Senate but could face a major obstacle in the House

Champions Institute Map_2026

<p><strong>Smart Growth America is excited to announce the 2026 Champions Institute cohort. 14 local elected officials from 11 states will participate in this year’s program, where they’ll gain the tools and skills they need to develop time-bound <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/active-communities-tool/php/planning-guide/index.html">Active People, Healthy Nation Action<sup>SM</sup> Plans</a> that promote safe environments for physical activity in their communities. This year’s cohort marks an important milestone: more than 100 Champions have now participated in the Institute since it began in 2020.</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Champions-Institute-Map_2026.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-113351" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Champions-Institute-Map_2026-1024x576.png" alt="Map showcasing the locations of the 2026 Champions Institute Participants" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Champions-Institute-Map_2026-1024x576.png 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Champions-Institute-Map_2026-300x169.png 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Champions-Institute-Map_2026-768x432.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Champions-Institute-Map_2026-1536x864.png 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Champions-Institute-Map_2026.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></p>
<p>Local elected officials, from mayors to city councilors to tribal chairpeople, can play a big role in improving a community’s environment so that it works better for the people who live there. <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/services/grants/champions-institute/">Smart Growth America’s Champions Institute</a> helps train these leaders to become effective champions for Complete Streets, active transportation networks, downtown revitalization, and many other strategies for building healthy communities. Over the next four months, this cohort will engage in virtual sessions, peer learning, and one-on-one coaching to gain the knowledge and resources needed to support plans, policies, and funding in pursuit of these goals.</p>
<h3>The 2026 Champions Institute participants are:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Councilmember Ambar Marquis | Clarksville, TN</li>
<li>Mayor Coletta Perry | Crafton, PA</li>
<li>Councilmember David Schloegel | Jamestown, ND</li>
<li>Councilmember Deborah Winstead | Pelham, NY</li>
<li>Councilmember Jacque Sample | Columbia, MO</li>
<li>Councilmember Jennie Chamberlain | Hanover, NH</li>
<li>Legislator Josh Leviker | Lewis County, NY</li>
<li>Mayor Linda Short | Mayersville, MS</li>
<li>Councilmember Nichole Rogers | Albuquerque, NM</li>
<li>Legislator Reed Cleland | Cortland County, NY</li>
<li>Councilmember Steele Reynolds | Shawnee, KS</li>
<li>Councilmember Sukh Kaur | San Antonio, TX</li>
<li>Councilmember Tiffany Burgess | Beaverton, MI</li>
<li>Councilmember Valerie Carroll | Columbia, MO</li>
</ul>
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<p>Now in its fifth year, the Champions Institute has grown into a network of over 100 local elected officials committed to advancing safer transportation options and more resilient, livable communities.</p>
<p>We can’t wait to get to know this year’s participants and see what great things they’ll accomplish!</p>
<hr />
<p>This program is made possible by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Cooperative Agreement CDC-RFA-PW-24-0080). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC. These efforts are part of the CDC’s <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/active-people-healthy-nation/php/about/index.html">Active People, Healthy Nation<sup>SM</sup></a> Initiative that is working to help 27 million Americans become more physically active by 2027.</p>


Announcing the 2026 Champions Institute cohort

Aerial drone view urban sprawl in suburban Dallas, Texas during

<p><strong>Counties across the country are grappling with housing shortages that threaten economic growth and community stability. Solutions Sprint #3 wrapped up the <a href="https://www.naco.org/program/counties-housing-solutions">Counties for Housing Solutions</a>, a fast-paced technical assistance program funded by the Gates Foundation and delivered in partnership with the National Association of Counties. Through the program, elected officials, planners, and stakeholders from eight counties learned how zoning reforms can unlock affordable housing and support economic development.</strong></p>
<p>Counties can play an important role in increasing housing supply. They frequently control large areas of unincorporated land, influence infrastructure investments, and manage development rules that determine where and how housing gets built. When counties modernize zoning and land-use policies, they can unlock new housing opportunities while strengthening local economies.</p>
<p><a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions-Map_3-Sprints.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-113364 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions-Map_3-Sprints-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions-Map_3-Sprints-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions-Map_3-Sprints-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions-Map_3-Sprints-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions-Map_3-Sprints-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions-Map_3-Sprints.jpg 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></p>
<h2>Counties can facilitate housing supply at the right place, type, and price</h2>
<p>Over the course of the Counties for Housing Solutions Sprints, county staff and elected officials learned how to facilitate and nurture the right type of housing in the right places at the right price to improve economic growth and shape the future of their communities. While <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/counties-for-housing-solutions-building-a-path-to-affordable-housing/">Sprint 1</a> and <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/unlocking-economic-development-in-counties-across-america/">Sprint 2</a> focused on the full development process for counties, Sprint 3 was focused on zoning for affordable housing. By the end of Sprint 3, counties walked away with tangible next steps, including model ordinance language, strategies for modernizing zoning codes, and tools to evaluate how existing regulations are shaping local housing supply.</p>
<p>[alert type="info']<a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/resources/guide-for-developing-housing-on-county-owned-land/">Read the Guide for Developing Affordable Housing on County-Owned Lands here.</a>[/alert]</p>
<p>Each participating county explored how these zoning strategies could be applied locally and began developing approaches tailored to their own housing challenges. The participating counties in Sprint 3 are: San Joaquin County, California; St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana; Taos County, New Mexico; Big Horn County, Montana; Miami-Dade County, Florida; Montgomery County, Maryland; and Greenbrier County, West Virginia. and Rice County, Minnesota. Each county walked away with a development strategy tailored to its local housing challenges, identifying practical solutions and outlining how these approaches can be deployed using the tools and resources counties already control.</p>
<p>Sprint 3 drilled down on zoning interventions that can support affordable housing:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>What are the rules?</strong> Introduction to zoning for housing and economic property: Exploring how zoning shapes housing markets and affordability</li>
<li><strong>Overcoming roadblocks:</strong> Qualitative tools to understand zoning barriers and identify reform opportunities: Discussing qualitative approaches to understanding the barriers to housing.</li>
<li><strong>Measuring zoning’s impact on housing supply:</strong> How to quantitatively analyze zoning’s constraints on housing supply: Exploring where and how quantitative analysis can identify where zoning constrains housing development.</li>
<li><strong>First mover advantage:</strong> How to streamline permitting to fast-track housing development: Cohort members learned how to accelerate housing development by eliminating and reducing permitting complexity while aligning zoning tools with practical delivery strategies.</li>
<li><strong>Putting it all together:</strong> from concept to adoption: Cohort members discussed the practical realities of relying on in-house staff vs. hiring consultants to modernize their zoning for housing</li>
<li><strong>Create real impact via long-term planning:</strong> Design and deploy systems to measure the impacts of zoning reforms on housing supply</li>
</ul>
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<h2>
<a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions_Sprint-3.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-113363 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions_Sprint-3-1024x512.png" alt="" width="1024" height="512" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions_Sprint-3-1024x512.png 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions_Sprint-3-300x150.png 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions_Sprint-3-768x384.png 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions_Sprint-3-1536x768.png 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Counties-for-Housing-Solutions_Sprint-3.png 1999w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></h2>
<h2>Key themes from Sprint 3</h2>
<p>Housing is often overlooked in favor of flashier economic development strategies. But communities cannot focus only on job growth and job retention. Housing must be treated as a core economic development activity. Ensuring the right type of housing in the right places helps retain workers, attract jobs, and keep dollars circulating locally.</p>
<p>Throughout the sprint discussions, several themes consistently emerged from county leaders and housing experts.</p>
<ul>
<li>Counties wield serious leverage when it comes to attracting development, especially when they use county-owned land to slash upfront land costs and tip the scales on feasibility.</li>
<li>Form-based codes are the closest thing we have to an affordable housing silver bullet, since they unlock underused parcels and set clear, predictable rules that still leave room for creativity and scale.</li>
<li>Infill development paired with equitable procurement that backs small and local builders is a cheat code for meeting housing demand without sprawling outward.</li>
<li>Zoning for infrastructure is a power move: it can lure growth where you want it and shut it down where the land needs protection.</li>
<li>Planned unit developments can advance affordable housing, but only if you negotiate hard and tread carefully.</li>
<li>And here’s the quiet truth: telling the story of your wins is the unsung hero of zoning reform and housing production. If you don’t control the narrative, someone else will</li>
</ul>
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<p>The Counties for Housing Solutions program is designed to support counties in understanding how they can influence housing development. With the right strategies, counties can align zoning, land policy, and economic development to unlock housing and support local economic growth. Expanding this work to more counties across the country could play a meaningful role in addressing the nation’s housing shortage.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


Counties for Housing Solutions

County

Counties for Housing Solutions: How zoning reform can unlock housing and economic development

Michigan State Legislature

<p><strong>With most states in the midst of their 2026 legislative sessions, housing and zoning are taking center stage for policymakers across the country. Building on momentum from <a href="https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2025/09/15/state-legislatures-make-bipartisan-breakthroughs-on-policies-that-promote-housing">previous years</a>, much of this year’s state-level zoning legislation focuses on eliminating overly restrictive zoning regulations to build more housing of various types in better-connected locations.</strong></p>
<figure id="attachment_113358" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-113358" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Town-Homes_Charlotte_via-Axios.webp"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-113358" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Town-Homes_Charlotte_via-Axios-300x169.webp" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Town-Homes_Charlotte_via-Axios-300x169.webp 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Town-Homes_Charlotte_via-Axios-1024x576.webp 1024w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Town-Homes_Charlotte_via-Axios-768x432.webp 768w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Town-Homes_Charlotte_via-Axios-1536x864.webp 1536w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Town-Homes_Charlotte_via-Axios.webp 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-113358" class="wp-caption-text">Photo Credit: Axios</figcaption></figure>
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<p>While each state is different, they are all feeling the effects of a national housing shortage of<a href="https://www.zillow.com/research/housing-deficit-35317/"> 4.7 million homes</a>, which has had <a href="https://www.uschamber.com/economy/the-state-of-housing-in-america">widespread impacts</a> on households and economies. Many states have targeted restrictive zoning regulations to boost housing development and begin addressing this shortage.</p>
<p>Zoning regulations, which are typically handled by individual town, city, and county governments, have increasingly come under scrutiny in state legislatures as the impacts of the housing crisis worsen. In catalyzing housing production across larger areas, state-level reforms can more efficiently address housing shortages than reforms in individual localities. State legislatures, which govern larger populations and areas, may also have a clearer understanding of the cumulative impacts of local zoning regulations on households and the economy. And depending on the legal relationship between the state and local governments (Dillon or Home Rule), the state can simply step into the process to make changes at the local level.</p>
<p>Although it’s too early in most legislative sessions this year to know which bills will become law, proposed legislation shows where state legislators’ priorities are. As in previous years, many bills focus on supporting a range of housing types and prioritizing well-connected locations, tackling housing shortages from multiple directions. At Smart Growth America, we see interventions <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/resources/the-smart-growth-approach-more-homes-in-the-right-places-at-the-right-price/">targeting housing type, place, and price</a> as the most important opportunities to increase housing supply and support a wider range of homes in the communities people actually want to live in, ensuring they are better connected to jobs, services, and other daily needs.</p>
<h2>Bills to permit more housing types</h2>
<p>Much of this year’s state legislative action focuses on undoing restrictions that limit the types of housing that can be built. In many communities, local zoning regulations limit housing in residentially zoned areas to detached single-family homes on large lots. This type of housing takes up a lot of space, making it harder to build enough housing to meet demand.</p>
<p>Allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in these single-family-only areas is one way to unlock more housing, gently increasing density with smaller (and thus cheaper) homes. With an ADU, homeowners can provide housing to family or friends or earn extra income by renting the unit. This year, Georgia’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1166/2025">HB 1166</a>, Florida’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/FL/bill/S0048/2026">SB 48</a>, Michigan’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB5585/2025">HB 5585</a>, and Idaho’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/ID/bill/S1277/2026">SB 1277</a> would undo bans on ADUs, building off the success of states like California, where ADUs represent <a href="https://ahcd.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2025-03/adu-handbook-update.pdf">more than 20%</a> of housing permits (based on 2023 data).</p>
<p>Some state legislative proposals this year also focus on promoting the development of missing middle housing, which includes townhomes, duplexes, cottage clusters, and other attached single-family or small multi-family buildings. Pennsylvania’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/PA/bill/HB2185/2025">HB 2185</a>, Michigan’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB5584/2025">HB 5584</a>, and Idaho’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/ID/bill/S1280/2026">SB 1280</a> would allow missing middle housing types in some single-family-only areas. These bills would be only the most recent in a string of state-level missing middle reforms, beginning with <a href="https://www.sightline.org/2025/06/04/oregons-zoning-reforms-are-working-but-they-need-some-upgrades/">Oregon’s</a> in 2019.</p>
<p>To address restrictive development standards, Idaho’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/ID/bill/S1279/2026">SB 1279</a>, Colorado’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/CO/bill/HB1114/2026">HB 1114</a>, Michigan’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB5530/2025">HB 5530</a>, and Virginia’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/VA/bill/HB1212/2026">HB 1212</a> would establish limits on lot size, lot coverage, setback, and other design requirements, making it easier to build smaller homes on smaller lots. Florida’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/FL/bill/S0948/2026">SB 948</a>, Connecticut’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/CT/bill/SB00151/2026">SB 151</a>, and Maryland’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/MD/bill/SB36/2026">SB 36</a> would pair missing middle and design-requirement reforms, more broadly unlocking housing supply.</p>
<figure id="attachment_113357" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-113357" style="width: 993px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP-PhotoAl-Goldis.webp"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-113357" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP-PhotoAl-Goldis.webp" alt="An image of the Michigan State Legislature" width="993" height="659" srcset="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP-PhotoAl-Goldis.webp 993w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP-PhotoAl-Goldis-300x199.webp 300w, https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP-PhotoAl-Goldis-768x510.webp 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 993px) 100vw, 993px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-113357" class="wp-caption-text">Michigan State Legislature. Photo Credit: AP Photo / Al Goldis</figcaption></figure>
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<h2>Bills to allow more housing in the right places</h2>
<p>Many zoning codes are use-based, separating residential neighborhoods from businesses and offices, often with the expectation that people can and will drive between them. Some of this year’s proposed bills instead focus on pairing housing with jobs, businesses, and amenities, including public transit, while reducing or eliminating parking requirements. Integrating residential and commercial uses will naturally create communities where amenities and jobs are close to housing, as was the case in many U.S. communities built before the advent of modern zoning. In addition to providing more housing, these policies would have the added benefit of increasing foot traffic for businesses and giving people more options for getting around.</p>
<p>Florida’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/FL/text/S1342/id/3370369">SB 1342</a>, Maryland’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/MD/bill/SB389/2026">SB 389</a>, and Illinois’ <a href="https://legiscan.com/IL/bill/SB3212/2025">SB 3212</a> would promote housing development near public transportation infrastructure, leveraging public investments in transit and giving people more choices in how they get around. These follow the successes of similar efforts in <a href="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/multi-family-zoning-requirement-for-mbta-communities">Massachusetts</a>, and, more recently, <a href="https://washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/next-stop-for-washington-housing-more-construction-near-transit/">Washington</a> and <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/with-sb-79-california-makes-transit-oriented-development-law/">California</a>.</p>
<p>Maryland’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/MD/bill/SB829/2026">SB 829</a>, Virginia’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/VA/bill/HB816/2026">HB 816</a>, and Washington’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/WA/bill/SB6026/2025">SB 6026</a> would allow mixed-use development, bringing together housing and businesses like restaurants and grocery stores. These reforms can increase housing production (by opening up areas zoned for commercial uses to housing) and make it easier for people to access jobs and businesses by walking, biking, or taking transit.</p>
<p>Virginia’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/VA/bill/HB888/2026">HB 888</a>, Pennsylvania’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/PA/bill/HB2155/2025">HB 2155</a>, and Michigan’s <a href="https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB5582/2025">HB 5582</a> all focus on parking minimums. Most local zoning codes require a certain, often arbitrary, number of parking units per home, which makes it difficult to build smaller homes on smaller lots, since parking would take up too much space. It also increases costs to build missing middle or large multifamily housing, where parking would need to either be in a large lot, a garage, or underground. These bills would limit these parking minimums, making it easier to build these types of housing in areas where less parking is needed, and more people get around by walking, biking, or taking transit.</p>
<p>Although these bills are still just proposals, it’s clear that across the country, states see zoning reform as an important avenue for addressing the housing crisis and helping more people afford housing that suits their needs. Smart Growth America advocates for many of the <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/news/regulatory-reform-solutions-for-type-place-price/">zoning reforms</a> that these bills employ, with the goal of unlocking <a href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/resources/the-smart-growth-approach-more-homes-in-the-right-places-at-the-right-price/">more housing of various types and in the right places</a>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


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