NEW VIDEO: Creating Thriving Communities Through Complete Streets: Wenatchee’s Story

Made in collaboration with the Washington State Department of Health, our new video tells the story of Wenatchee, Washington—a community that came together to make their streets safer. Watch to hear from community members about how a temporary installation has made a permanent change to their approach to safety and accessibility.

Uncategorized

Ready for Action: National Pedestrian Safety Month

October marks National Pedestrian Safety Month, where the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, invites stakeholders to help “create a transportation system for all people to easily and safely walk.” But why do we need a whole month on pedestrian safety? It’s because U.S. roads continue to be … Continued

Complete Streets

Energy Host Communities Forum—What we heard

Last month, the Nuclear Communities Technical Assistance team hosted the virtual event Building Economic Resilience in Energy Host Communities: A Nuclear Communities Forum. The event was split into two days and covered topics including economic development,  from economic diversification and development to community engagement and what to expect for nuclear host communities in the future. … Continued

Economic development

Request for proposals: Complete Streets Policy Evaluation Tool

Smart Growth America is seeking an experienced professional in web development and data visualization to translate our Complete Streets Policy Evaluation Tool into a user-friendly online experience that also captures the strength of policies across the U.S. Please submit proposals to Heidi Simon, Director of Thriving Communities, [email protected] by Sunday, October 15. About SGA Smart … Continued

Complete Streets

Meet the TA cohort addressing climate change

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

Hot topics with the National Brownfields Coalition

In August 2023, over 2,700 Brownfields practitioners met in downtown Detroit to share the latest trends and best practices for revitalizing and redeveloping contaminated brownfield sites across the country. The National Brownfields Coalition (NBC), a nonpartisan advocacy coalition convened by Smart Growth America and the Center for Creative Land Recycling (CCLR), actively participated at the … Continued

Land Use and Development

Seeking individuals to develop skills around data and storytelling ahead of Dangerous by Design 2024

Applications are open for a brand new Technical Assistance (TA) program for local champions to develop the skills and knowledge needed to leverage data and storytelling to address rising pedestrian fatalities. Building on our cornerstone resource Dangerous by Design, this program will also provide participants the opportunity to engage with the upcoming edition. The deadline … Continued

Complete Streets Technical assistance

Three bills that would advance equitable, sustainable development

LOCUS, a coalition of triple-bottom-line real estate developers convened by Smart Growth America, made significant advocacy efforts this summer. The coalition’s work aims to advance legislation that could lead to more equitable, sustainable development and better connectivity between land use and transportation policy. A core focus of this advocacy work has been establishing strategies to deliver more mixed-income and mixed-use development near transit. Below are three important bills that would advance these goals.

LOCUS

Zoning for Climate Change: How cities are preparing for future threats

As climate change continues to threaten communities with extreme weather events and sea level rise, innovative approaches to increasing resilience are a critical strategy to mitigate the potential damage. Norfolk, Virginia’s comprehensive climate-informed zoning reform is one of the first to use climate considerations to guide future development—and despite concerns that it could have a … Continued

Climate Change Land Use and Development

Announcing the inaugural Community Connectors program participants!

The Community Connectors program offers technical support and funding for communities working to repair the damage of divisive infrastructure in an effort to reconnect communities. The new Community Connectors program is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and conducted in partnership with Equitable Cities, the New Urban Mobility Alliance, and America Walks. Smart Growth … Continued

Advancing Racial Equity Technical assistance Transportation