Author: Tom Madrecki

Smart Growth Stories: A Mayor’s Perspective

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Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory is on a mission to support economic development in his city, and he’s using smart growth and downtown development strategies to accomplish that goal.

“People were slow to embrace some of the changes we were proposing because they didn’t necessarily see how, say, the development of a street car would lead to more jobs,” Mallory says in Smart Growth America’s first “Smart Growth Stories” video interview. “They didn’t necessarily see how investing so much money in downtown allowed for improvements in neighborhoods. So I’ve had to explain to people that downtown is the engine, the economic engine, for everything that happens in our entire region.”

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Cloture Vote on Senate Transportation Bill Falls Short

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WASHINGTON D.C. — President and CEO Geoffrey Anderson released the following statement after the Senate’s cloture vote today on its surface transportation authorization: “Smart Growth America is disheartened to learn that members could not reach full agreement and cloture on MAP-21. Though today’s efforts were unsuccessful, we remain confident in the Senate’s bi-partisan bill and … Continued

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Senate’s vote on bi-partisan transportation bill tomorrow crucial for economic development, great neighborhoods

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Smart Growth America lauds latest draft of surface transportation authorization MAP-21, pushes for successful cloture vote Tuesday WASHINGTON DC — The newest version of the Senate transportation bill, presented by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) with bi-partisan support, includes key provisions that preserve existing infrastructure, grow the economy and improve the mobility of all Americans. … Continued

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Community involvement, local leadership lead Notasulga, Alabama’s comeback

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“I’ve been in this town 10 years, and I love this little town,” said Juanita Syljuberget, a resident of Notasulga, Alabama, who works as a contract and grant specialist at nearby Auburn University. “There’s nothing fancy about it, but it’s a quiet little place, and everyone is very nice.”

“But it’s going to dry up and go away unless we do something.”

The plight of Notasulga and its 850-some residents in rural Macon County is not unlike hundreds of other small communities across the country. Years of changing economic and development patterns limited growth opportunities, and the very nature of remote towns left local businesses and municipal services more vulnerable than their counterparts in busy urban centers.

But while the story of a “Small Town USA” grappling with tough financial decisions has been played out countless times nationwide and even in emotional books and films, there is something that sets Notasulga apart: strong local leadership.

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Western North Carolina looks to harness regional potential

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It’s thousands of miles from more recognized hubs of smart growth activity like Seattle and San Francisco, but Western North Carolina has emerged as one of the nation’s leading examples of what is possible when regional planning and economic development strategies find common ground.

Thanks to a $1.6 million grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, government officials, local citizens and business leaders in the region are taking control of their communities’ future. If recent initiatives meet with the success they promise, an area that was once an afterthought even for many North Carolinians might become a staging ground for new businesses at the forefront of the state’s economy.

“I want my kids and grandkids to have a future here,” said Mark Burrows, Planning and Economic Development Director for Transylvania County. “Even before we knew what sustainability was, this is what we have always wanted…a place where there are jobs and people can walk to work.”

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Obama Administration’s support for Partnership for Sustainable Communities, revitalization programs in FY 2013 budget helps create great communities nationwide

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Washington DC — In providing full funding in its fiscal 2013 budget for the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, the Obama Administration has strengthened one of its most innovative inter-agency programs and has reaffirmed the numerous benefits that come from efforts to address housing, transportation and environmental needs in a coordinated manner.

Smart Growth America applauds Obama’s fiscal 2013 budget request to restore funding for the Sustainable Communities Initiative at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Partnership’s programs at the two other participating agencies, the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency, would remain funded at current levels, preserving their ability to aid communities across the country.

“The Partnership represents an unprecedented level of interaction between government agencies, aligning them in a way that supports economic growth and uses taxpayer dollars more effectively,” said Geoffrey Anderson, President and CEO of Smart Growth America. “It’s great to see that in these tough economic times, the Administration is investing in programs that help to cut through government red-tape and generate fiscal savings for our local communities. Improving access to affordable housing, creating more transportation options, and protecting the environment equates to a win-win-win for our economy.”

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Ways and Means Proposal Would Derail How America Gets To Work And Put Public Transportation On Life Support

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Americans take 10 billion public transportation trips every year to and from home, work, grocery stores, schools, and medical offices. These trips literally and physically move the nation’s economy. That economic engine is about to hit a wall. If new Ways and Means Committee legislation to fund the surface transportation authorization passes, public transportation would … Continued

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