How the Biden administration can make immediate strides on climate and racial equity

Smart Growth America, along with some of our programs, identified immediate executive actions and long-term policy changes that the incoming Biden administration can implement to eliminate structural inequities and address catastrophic global climate change.

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State safety targets show need for Congress to further prioritize safety

Cyclists queue at a stop sign.

For decades, state departments of transportation have treated pedestrian and cyclists fatalities like weather events: something that increases simply as people drive more, putting these deaths outside of the control of DOTs. But with COVID-19 proving this to be false, it’s past time for state DOTs to implement performance measures to reduce the number of people killed while walking or biking. Here’s our comparison of state safety targets.

Complete Streets

21 elected officials selected to champion Active People, Healthy Nation in communities across the country

Today, we are proud to announce the selection of 21 local elected officials to join the inaugural class of the Active People, Healthy Nation℠  Champions Institute. Over the course of six months, these leaders will receive comprehensive training to help them become champions in their communities to promote activity-friendly routes to everyday destinations.

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Apply today: Champions Institute

Picture of a temporary traffic circle in South Bend, IN
Smart Growth America (SGA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity are now accepting applications for the Champions Institute, a new initiative for elected officials focused on safe streets and healthy communities. The Champions Institute will serve to prepare mayors, city council people, tribal representatives, and other local elected-officials to act as champions supporting plans, policies, and funding that promote activity-friendly routes to everyday destinations.

Complete Streets Technical assistance

All eyes on Congress as they negotiate a fourth phase of COVID-19 relief


With the country still in urgent need of more economic relief from the pandemic, Congress continues to be deadlocked on producing a legislative package. In the latest proposal, Senate Republicans unveiled the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection, and Schools (HEALS) Act last week—their latest legislative response to COVID-19 following the HEROES Act passed by the House more than two months ago.

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New House bill increases funding to infrastructure programs, prioritizes climate change mitigation

On June 3, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure released the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America (INVEST in America) Act. This act authorizes nearly $500 billion over five years to address some of the country’s most urgent infrastructure needs, as well as the economic crisis presented … Continued

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