As Congress moves to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, LOCUS’ top priority is to protect community development and affordable housing tax incentives. Join us as we reach out to the conference committee’s House and Senate Conferees and ask them to maintain these programs and incentives in the final version of the legislation.
On November 13-16, 2017, leadership teams from Macon, GA; Columbia, SC; Akron, OH; Charlotte, NC; and Wichita, KS came to Greenville, SC to learn about the placemaking strategies the city took to successfully create a vibrant, walkable downtown. The convening was the final half of the Amazing Place Ideas Forum, an experiential gathering of city leaders to learn how investing in a unique sense of place and vibrant, walkable neighborhoods is at the heart of a new economic development strategy.
After the passage of the Senate’s tax bill early Saturday morning, President and CEO Geoff Anderson offered this statement:
In 2017, SGA staff was on the ground in scores of communities like these, helping local elected and civic leaders understand how to support and expand this growing sector of their economy to build strong, vibrant, and walkable neighborhoods.
On this Small Business Saturday, you can help us do even more. Make a donation today so we can reach even more communities in 2018 >>
Arts, Culture and Transportation: A Creative Placemaking Field Scan is a rigorous national examination of creative placemaking in the transportation planning process. Released by Transportation for America in partnership with ArtPlace America, this resource identifies ways that transportation professionals can integrate artists to deliver transportation projects more smoothly, improve safety, and build community support.
Today, House Republicans successfully passed H.R.1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, in a 227-205 vote. Thirteen House Republicans joined all Democrats in opposing the once-in-a-generation tax reform legislation. The bill includes major cuts to community development and affordable housing programs.
With part one of the forum in Denver, CO now in the rearview, Smart Growth America is getting ready for the second round of the Amazing Place Ideas Forum, happening November 14-16 with generous support from the Knight Foundation. Here’s a sneak peek at some of the sites and attractions we’ll tour in our host city, Greenville, SC. Read about the city’s 40-year effort to create one of America’s most beautiful main streets through historic preservation, brownfield redevelopment, and riverfront investment. The participating Amazing Place cities also weighed in with what they most look forward to learning about in the southern city, and the lessons they hope to bring back to their hometowns.
Thank you to everyone who joined LOCUS for a live discussion of Financing for Projects that Don’t Pencil Out on Tuesday, November 7, 2017. Bob Stevens, principal for M&S Development, presented several creative financing techniques available to communities and economies hoping to fill project funding gaps.
A new report from Smart Growth America and Recast City illustrates how encouraging more small-scale manufacturing in downtowns and neighborhood centers can help create a more resilient and inclusive small business environment, increase the accessibility of the local job market, and create a foothold for future growth.
Technological and economic changes have created new opportunities in small-scale manufacturing and the “maker” economy, which present a chance for communities to make progress on several important economic development issues. Small-scale manufacturing can grow local entrepreneurship and small business, develop or enhance new and existing economic sectors, and revitalize downtowns and business districts. Using tools … Continued