Author: Jamie Zouras

Growing our Climate & Land Use Technical Assistance Cohort

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Smart Growth America (SGA) is excited to announce a second round of climate and land use technical assistance (TA) opportunities for community-based organizations across the U.S. This new round builds on our successful partnerships from 2023, offering expanded support for communities advocating for equitable and climate-resilient land use, housing, and infrastructure policies. A couple of our existing partners include Incubate Neighbood Center (Fort Pierce, Florida) and Freedom Org (Edgecombe County, North Carolina), who came together in Washington, DC with the broader cohort to celebrate nine months of working collaboratively.

Climate Change Land Use and Development Technical assistance

The Form-Based Codes Award

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Smart Growth America (SGA) is pleased to announce the return of the Form-Based Codes Award, now in its 17th year. As a program of SGA, the Form-Based Codes Institute has supported the FBC Award program to recognize exemplary form-based codes that advance the practice of form-based zoning for equitable development, people-oriented communities, and predictable development … Continued

Form-Based Codes

How to beat the heat: A built environment approach

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Co-authored by Joseph Mendonca Millions of people across the U.S. now experience extreme heat every year—facing threats to their health, well-being, and financial security. As climate change is only making extreme heat even worse, inaction cannot be an option and communities must work together to mitigate its effects. Through strategic land use and by using … Continued

Climate Change Land Use and Development Resilience

Climate Change, Health, and Equity: The Effects of Extreme Heat in Atlanta

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Co-authored by Joseph Mendonca Together with the Partnership for Southern Equity (PSE), Smart Growth America has been raising awareness about the compounding effects of climate change, including the interactions between extreme heat, the built environment, pre-existing health conditions, and social inequalities in Atlanta, Georgia. In southwest Atlanta, PSE and SGA interviewed residents, activists, and climate … Continued

Climate Change Resilience Technical assistance

Celebrating Earth Day: Building climate-resilient and affordable communities

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As we celebrate Earth Day (April 22) and National Fair Housing Month (all of April), it’s a perfect time to reflect on the intersectionality of these two important themes and explore how designing communities that are dense, walkable, transit-oriented, and green can lead to places that are not only more sustainable but also more affordable … Continued

Climate Change

Meet the TA cohort addressing climate change

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Smart Growth America is partnering with three community-based organizations on a Technical Assistance (TA) program funded by Kresge Foundation that addresses climate, land use, and housing topics. The program is designed to support community partners to effectively advocate for planning policies that are more prepared for the impacts of climate change such as flooding and … Continued

Climate Change Technical assistance

New Report: Housing Affordability in Northwest Arkansas 

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Northwest Arkansas (NWA) is experiencing a significant and fast paced population growth, and, as a result, housing supply is constrained. A regional approach is needed to sufficiently address this housing crisis and develop a plan to accommodate the population growth throughout the region.  Smart Growth America (SGA) partnered with ULI Northwest (ULI NWA) in a … Continued

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2022 FBCI Award Winner: A regional approach to zoning for a more diverse array of housing production

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  The Form-Based Codes Institute (FBCI) at Smart Growth America is thrilled to announce the winner of the 16th annual FBCI Form-Based Code Award. The award jury selected Opticos Design for their Objective Design and Development Standards in Marin County, California for achievement in the writing and implementation of a stellar model form-based zoning code. … Continued

Form-Based Codes

Submit a nomination to this year’s Form-Based Codes Award!

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The Form-Based Codes Institute (FBCI)— a program of Smart Growth America—is pleased to announce the 2022 FBCI Form-Based Codes Award, which recognizes exemplary form-based codes that advance the practice of form-based zoning in both composition and implementation. In its 16th year, FBCI’s Form-Based Codes Award seeks to highlight best practices in zoning reform to promote: … Continued

Form-Based Codes

Growing a Clean Economy—A collaborative Climate Change, Health & Equity project by SGA and the Partnership for Southern Equity

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Smart Growth America has partnered with Partnership for Southern Equity (PSE) on a collaborative project to advance energy equity and economic inclusion in southwest Atlanta by providing both quantitative and policy analysis support focused on the emerging clean jobs sector and other climate and equity topics. Climate change presents an urgent, existential threat to our … Continued

Climate Change