My father turned 80 last month. For a birthday present he asked his children to let him know what they learned from him. I have been thinking about this as I travel the country talking about sustainability, smart growth and the importance of planning for the future. Where did my commitment to sustainability, smart growth, whatever, come from?
Hundreds of urban planners, civic figures, public officials and activists in Southeast Florida are working together to help better achieve the region’s multiple development goals.
The South Florida Regional Planning Council, the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, and hundreds of volunteers and residents, have come together to create a plan that addresses the common issues of the Southeast Florida super-region. The Seven50 Southeast Florida Prosperity Plan, now in its initial phase, will work with seven counties in South Florida to create a plan for growth over the next 50 years.
Unsustainable growth, lack of economic opportunities, community health concerns, and loss of natural resources—these are issues facing cities and towns across the country, and Madison, Wisconsin is no exception. But, regional planning organizations in the Greater Madison area are now attempting to confront these endemic issues in a strategic and sustainable way that utilizes Madison’s strengths rather than allowing its weaknesses to be barriers to an effective response.
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This week, the Partnership for Sustainable Communities celebrated three years of collaborative and innovative work, but members of Congress proposed to eliminate and restrict the funding of its programs. While the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations (T-HUD) bill in the Senate had not been brought to the floor, the full House of Representatives has passed … Continued
In the new round of TIGER grants announced recently, $10 million will go to the City of Birmingham, Alabama to repair its streets and build new sidewalks, bike lanes, paths and pedestrian corridors. Improvements in Pratt City, hard-hit by a tornado last year, will be the main focus of the project, called “Roads to Recovery.”
Monday, July 2, 2:30-4:00pm ET. The Intersection of Health Services and Community Environments. Register here.
Wednesday, July 11, 3:00-4:30pm ET. Training for the new Urban Bikeway Design Guide from the National Association of City Transportation Officials. Learn more and register here.
Thursday, July 12, 3:00-4:00pm ET. Regional Collaborative Procurement for Solar Projects. Register here.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 28, 2012
WASHINGTON DC — After weeks of negotiations to resolve differences between the House and Senate, the two bodies’ conferees have released a transportation reauthorization. That conference report, now moving toward a vote in Congress, represents a significant downgrade to existing services and fails to provide the kind of visionary, gamechanging transportation reform America deserves.
“The conference report is a disappointment,” says Smart Growth America President and CEO Geoffrey Anderson. “It compromises safety, it doesn’t do anything to ensure that roads and bridges are repaired and maintained, and it bypasses the kinds of innovative transportation solutions that we should expect out of a new transportation reauthorization.”
Above: A rendering of neighborhood design for Ranson, WV. Ranson has received support from HUD, DOT and EPA to serve as a national model for how small rural cities on the fringe of a major metropolitan area can foster sustainable economic development, transit, and community livability through targeted and strategic planning and infrastructure investments. Image via Ranson Renewed.
In the three years since the Obama Administration announced the groundbreaking Partnership for Sustainable Communities – a directive which coordinates efforts across the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Departments of Transportation (DOT) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – the innovative and effective program has helped hundreds of communities across the country address economic development, transportation infrastructure, public health and environmental concerns through through grants and direct assistance.
“Even after only three years, the Partnership has proven its unquestionable value,” says Smart Growth America President and CEO Geoffrey Anderson. “Working together, the agencies are more efficient and more effective at enabling American communities to respond to the critical challenges they’re facing in today’s economy and in the years of growth ahead.”
The Complete Streets provision included in the Senate transportation bill has been struck from the final bill during the conference process. The provision, Safety for Motorized and Non-Motorized Users, received bi-partisan support in the Senate and is based on a marker bill that received bi-partisan support in the House.