Berkeley, CA: Complete Streets Leadership Academy case study

The City of Berkeley’s vision was to test an unconventional design to improve safety for cyclists navigating a non-linear intersection on San Pablo Avenue. Ultimately the project was not installed due to various capacity constraints, but nevertheless, going through the design iteration process within their team, discussing permitting with Caltrans, exploring contractor support options, and … Continued

Complete Streets

Soldotna, AK: Complete Streets Leadership Academy case study

While local and state participants had the desire to address safety and accessibility in Soldotna, they were unable to overcome a number of challenges that ultimately prevented the implementation of the quick-build project during the program. However, both Soldotna and the State of Alaska benefited from their efforts to make Sterling Highway safer. Read the … Continued

Complete Streets

South San Francisco, CA: Complete Streets Leadership Academy case study

South San Francisco’s project had several challenges—from differences of opinion on site selection with the city council to additional costs for seeking consultant support, to design challenges with ADA accessibility ramps. However, the city staff and supporting partners were determined to find solutions, which resulted in a resounding success for the project. Read the full … Continued

Complete Streets

Memphis, TN: Complete Streets Leadership Academy case study

The City of Memphis passed a Complete Streets plan in 2019 to make their streets safer, building on an earlier 2013 policy. But the plan’s non-binding nature combined with the lack of dedicated funding and support produced significant challenges in implementing the policy. Their participation in the Complete Streets Leadership Academy armed them with more … Continued

Complete Streets

Complete Streets Leadership Academies Report

Smart Growth America, with support from CDC’s Active People, Healthy Nation initiative℠, launched the Complete Streets Leadership Academies in Alaska, California, Connecticut, and Tennessee to equip and train local agencies and state departments of transportation to collaborate, innovate, and commit to making changes together to address safety on these dangerous state-owned roads. Cohorts were selected … Continued

Complete Streets

Equity Summit: Day 1 Workshops

Day 1 | 4:00-4:55 p.m. At the Equity Summit, we’ve invited partner organizations to lead workshop sessions to examine real-world equity implications in planning. Join the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, CityFi, and Center for Creative Land Recycling for engaging and interactive discussions to move what we hear at the Summit into practice. Check out the … Continued

Advancing Racial Equity

Q&A with Jair Lynch, outgoing President of LOCUS

After over eight years at the helm, today Jair Lynch is transitioning from his role as President of LOCUS, Smart Growth America’s coalition of triple-bottom-line real estate developers and investors. As we thank Jair for his profound impact on LOCUS and the landscape of sustainable real estate development writ large, we wanted to share his reflections on his tenure.

LOCUS

Request for proposals: Visual storytelling of transportation sector GHG reduction scenarios

Smart Growth America (SGA) is looking for an individual or small firm with experience in data visualization and visual storytelling to support a new effort that analyzes the need for both vehicle miles traveled reduction and vehicle electrification to meet greenhouse gas emissions goals. These visuals and animations should be interactive and will be displayed … Continued

Climate Change Transportation

Equitable infrastructure to bridge divides

Divisive infrastructure has had long-term damage, both tangible and intangible, on Black and Brown communities. While we are beginning to see policies, programs, and funding to combat the destructive legacies of past decision-making, work remains and barriers to finding solutions exist. This panel will discuss how street design, community engagement, and a holistic approach to … Continued

Advancing Racial Equity Events