600+ people attend Reclaiming Vacant Properties in Pittsburgh

Last week, nearly 650 people gathered in Pittsburgh, PA for Reclaiming Vacant Properties, the first ever national conference on the topic. The conference was the culmination of years of dreaming and working by the National Vacant Properties Campaign. Over 500 people were registered before the event, but the large number of walk-up registrants Monday morning … Continued

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Less auto-dependent development is key to mitigating climate change

The growing demand for conveniently located housing in walkable, accessible, compact neighborhoods with a mix of uses has been well-documented, but according to research released today, meeting that demand could significantly reduce the growth in the number of miles Americans drive, shrinking the nation’s carbon footprint while giving people more housing choices. A new book, … Continued

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Metro Atlanta's answers for the housing crunch

Atlanta has been a region typically known for its affordable housing stock and rapidly-growing suburbs and exurbs. But a new study being released in Atlanta this week chronicles affordability in the region and finds that not only is there a dearth of affordable housing, there is a disconnect between affordable housing and its major job … Continued

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"Perfect storm" illustrates the case for smarter growth

Many of us watching the last few decades of development in America have been repeating the mantra that the weight of crushing commutes, skyrocketing fuel and energy prices, overly large and costly houses and understated demographic changes were converging on us with serious ramifications and that changing the rules to create more affordable, smaller footprint … Continued

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Alarming developments for federal transit funding

Ed. note: Read the “background” below for a detailed explanation of what this means. Contact Your Senator or Congressman TODAY as they work on the Transportation Appropriations bill. Ask them to STOP the proposed rule for New Starts and Small Starts and give US DOT clear directive that FTA must: Comparably weigh all 6 project … Continued

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Public Transportation’s Contribution to U.S. Greenhouse Gas Reduction

This report by APTA, “answers how much net C02 public transportation is saving in the U.S., how much additional C02 savings are possible if loads are increased, what is the significance of non-public transportation commuter use and what can households do to save more, and finally are there favorable land use impacts that public transportation contributes to the environment and social benefits?”

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