Advocating for great places: Smart Growth America and coalition partners visit Capitol Hill

Federal decisions about development, infrastructure and transportation impact communities across the country, and no one has a better understanding of how those decisions play out than the members of Smart Growth America’s national coalition.

Coalition members from across the country came together last week in Washington, DC to ask members of Congress to support the federal programs that are helping communities across the country achieve their economic development goals.

Together with our allies we underlined the importance of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, an innovative and effective collaboration between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Like many other federal programs, the Partnership will be discussed in the next few weeks as part of the annual appropriations process.

And we urged members of the Senate to support the BUILD Act, a bill that would help towns and cities clean up and redevelop contaminated land. Senators Lautenberg, Inhofe, Udall and Crapo introduced the Act in March. Their bipartisan cooperation demonstrates that this is an issue every member of Congress should support.

Add your voice to our efforts: tell your senators to support the BUILD Act. Communities across the country are eager to turn blighted land into vibrant new neighborhood assets, and the BUILD Act would make that transformation possible. If you haven’t already, send a letter to your Senators today.

Thank you to all our coalition members who braved a blustery March day to speak out for these important issues. We’re proud to work alongside you.

Does your organization work on local or statewide smart growth issues? Learn more about becoming a coalition member.

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