Webinar: Sustainable Communities Grant Program

Webinar: Sustainable Communities Grant Program: Making Equity in Housing, Transportation, and Jobs the Heart of Your Region’s Application Date/Time:  Wednesday, June 30, 3:00 — 5:00pm EDT Speakers will include: Maria Zimmerman, Deputy Director, HUD Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities Kalima Rose, Director, PolicyLink Center for Infrastructure Equity Vu Bang Nguyen, Land Use Coordinator, Urban … Continued

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Complete Streets on a Roll in Michigan

It’s hard to think of Michigan without thinking of the automobile, but the growing Michigan Complete Streets Coalition (now at 70+ members!) is working to change that. With two bills set for a Committee vote today and more and more communities adopting their own policies, the Coalition is helping Michigan be a safer, healthier, and stronger place to live.

Complete Streets

EPA Seeks Public Comment on Agency Priorities

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public comment on its draft FY 2011-2015 strategic plan, which helps advance Administrator Lisa P. Jackson’s priorities and the mission to protect human health and the environment.  Information about the plan and a link to to the plan is available  here. Please note Objective 3.1: Promote Sustainable … Continued

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EPA Launches New Program to Green America’s Capitals

“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is launching a new technical assistance program to help state capital cities design more sustainable communities. Greening America’s Capitals will assist state capitals, selected through a competitive application process, develop a vision of distinctive, environmentally friendly neighborhoods that incorporate innovative green building and green infrastructure. This program is a … Continued

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Communities Putting Prevention to Work: by Completing Their Streets

While the U.S. Department of Transportation has gotten lots of attention for its efforts to promote livable communities, the Department of Health and Human Services is also determined to invest in livability – for health. They are directing $650 million to 44 communities through the Communities Putting Prevention to Work to institute policy and environmental changes that will help make the healthy choice the easy choice.

Complete Streets

Evaluation Public Transportation Health Benefits

This study, conducted by Victoria Transport Policy Institute for APTA, “investigates ways that public transportation affects human health, and ways to incorporate these impacts into transport policy and planning decisions. This research indicates that public transit improvements and more transit oriented development can provide large but often overlooked health benefits.”

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How to Respond to Critics of Transit

A series of materials produced by the Center for Transportation Excellence, “designed to successfully respond to critics of public transportation. Opponents using erroneous arguments and fomenting fear are eroding the great strides made over the past decade. CFTE’s resources in this section can help transit advocates win battles with critics at home and nationally.”

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Pennsylvania makes a smart bet: more state economic development dollars to older areas

n this era of dramatically constrained fiscal resources, one state has made a concerted effort to be smarter stewards of their limited economic development dollars by focusing more of their spending on existing towns and communities rather than on potential new development at the edge or in outer townships. This week the Keystone Research Center (KRC) completed a study of Pennsylvania’s state economic development efforts funded by the William Penn Foundation. The new research shows that from 2003-2008 about 25% more of state economic development subsidies were directed to older existing areas than to outer townships on a per capita basis.

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