Author: Jessica Holmberg

Partnership in the News: Oakland Receives TIGER Grant to Improve Infrastructure and Create Jobs

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The Port of Oakland recently received $15 million in funding from the fourth round of the federal TIGER grant program. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and California Governor Edmund Brown Jr. visited the project site this week, reports the Maritime Executive. Said Secretary LaHood:

“The Obama Administration is committed to making our ports the best in the world. The Port of Oakland is already the leading export gateway on the West Coast and this TIGER grant will help boost rail access and capacity, which will contribute to the economic growth of the region.”

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Funding Opportunity: Rural Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge

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Four federal agencies are offering $15 million in funding to spur economic growth in rural areas. The approximately 20 regions to receive funding will also be eligible for technical assistance resources from an additional nine agencies. From the U.S. Department of Agriculture announcement:

Funds awarded to the winning applicants can be used to support and accelerate a range of projects including improving rural communities’ capacity and ability to undertake projects related to housing, community facilities, or economic and community development along with creation of regional linkages that connect communities with innovation clusters and regional opportunities leading to job creation, expanded markets, and economic growth.

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Partnership in the News: Spokane Tribe Addresses Water Needs

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With the help of the Environmental Protection Agency Smart Growth Implementation Assistance program, the Spokane Tribe of Indians will work with technical experts to address water infrastructure needs in Wellpinit, Washington. According to an article re-posted on the Environmental Expert website:

The Spokane Tribe requested assistance to support their development of a comprehensive water infrastructure plan that will focus on water and sewer system challenges in Wellpinit. The community faces future challenges of summer water shortages, drinking water delivery, pipe and pump failures, and design and maintenance of sewage management systems.

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Partnership in the News: Redevelopment of Brownfield Site Begins in Tulsa, Oklahoma

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Tulsa city leaders met with Environmental Protection Agency staff to discuss beginning the cleanup of a brownfield site for redevelopment. Tulsa’s News Channel 2 reports:

Project organizers have met with citizens for several months, scouting possible sites for cleanup and redevelopment. Three sites have already been designated for cleanup.

“Environmental protection really equals economic growth and development,” said David Lloyd with the EPA. “This is a way for cities to reuse sites, use infrastructure, clean the environment and promote economic development.”

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Spotlight on Sustainability: Western New Hampshire

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With more and more emphasis being placed on personal health in relation to healthy, vibrant communities, western New Hampshire has joined the numerous places around the county working to improve access to healthy food choices for all sectors of the population. Through funding provided by a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Challenge Grant, the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission (UVLSRPC) is spearheading an effort to not only assess the geographic availability of healthy food options in relation to housing, but to then work with municipalities who hope to turn that analysis into a concrete set of policy changes that ensure accessibility, lower obesity rates, and improve public health.

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Partnership in the News: Somerville Residents Planning for Future

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Three years of work have paid off, with the release of Somerville, Massachusett’s first 20-year comprehensive plan, reports the Somerville Journal.

“This is an extraordinary achievement made possible by the hard work of hundreds of community-minded contributors both inside and outside government,” said Mayor Joe Curtatone at the event. “Because it is based on so much public input and review, it truly represents a consensus view of our values and priorities as a community.”

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Partnership in the News: Chamber of Commerce Leaders Promote Southwest Light Rail Line in St. Paul

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A study commissioned by the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, the Minneapolis Regional Chamber, and the TwinWest Chamber, as reported by Minneapolis-St. Paul’s KARE 11,

found that 76 percent of Minnesotans polled agree the state would benefit from expanded public transportation. The same poll showed that 69 percent would like to use public transportation more often.

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Upcoming Webinars: March 2012

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Thursday, March 8, 2012, 2:30pm – 4:00pm ET. From Grassroots to Grasstops: Values-Driven Planning, Issue Identification, and Partnership Building for Scenarios Planning. Register here.

Thursday, March 15, 2012, 2:00pm – 3:00pm ET. Advancing Local Sustainability Initiatives through Improved Stormwater Management. Register here.

Thursday, March 22, 2012, 2:30pm – 4:00pm. Off the Starting Block: Data Gathering, Assessment, and Scenarios Modeling Tools Selection. Register here.

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Partnership for Sustainable Communities 2012 Briefing materials now available

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Thank you to everyone who attended SGA’s Sustainable Communities Network Partnership for Sustainable Communities Briefing on February 16th, 2012.

Smart Growth America hosted the senior leadership from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Environmental Protection Agency on this briefing.

Click below to listen to Beth Osborne (DOT), Mariia Zimmerman (HUD), and Tim Torma (EPA) give updates on this year’s Partnership for Sustainable Communities grants and programs, talk about where the Partnership stands in the President’s fiscal year 2013 budget, and outline the work that each Partnership agency plans to do in the upcoming year.

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Partnership in the News: Flint Gets First New Master Plan in Over 50 Years

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The last master plan for Flint, Michigan was crafted when General Motors was prominent, the city was thriving, and the demands of a growing workforce and population needed to be met. Now, reports The Flint Journal – –

Fast-forward 50 years and Flint is facing the opposite struggle — jobs are gone, homes are empty, people are leaving — and community leaders are poised to craft a new master plan that will attempt to point the city in a new direction.

It will be the first time the city will have a comprehensive look at its former industrial and now-vacant properties, officials said.

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