Some may think of smart growth as a physical form of development, but in a simpler sense it’s deciding how to best use limited resources when it comes to choices about land use, housing, development, and infrastructure. Our economic development team is at the core of SGA’s work to move the needle on these questions across the country.
Improving racial and social equity is directly connected to building strong local economies, but there’s a mistaken perception that those goals are opposed to one another. Done right, both goals are not just achievable, but essential to a smart growth approach. We’re going to spend the rest of the summer explaining how and why.
The Richard H. Driehaus Form-Based Code Award is back for its 15th year! If your community has adopted a form-based code that is promoting people-scaled development and a mix of uses, your code may be a great example for others.
Applications are open for the second round of our Active People, Healthy NationSM Champions Institute, an opportunity for local elected officials to gain the knowledge needed to effectively advocate for and support safer and more Complete Streets. Building on this year’s inaugural class, this second cohort will receive comprehensive training to help them become champions in their communities to promote activity-friendly routes to everyday destinations.
The National Complete Streets Coalition is just that—a coalition—and its success is made possible by many partner organizations. Lime is one of those important partners. We spoke with Jonathan Perri, Director of Advocacy, to learn more about Lime’s work and what drives their commitment to Complete Streets.
Last week, we hosted a webinar to celebrate the relaunch of our newly updated creative placemaking guide, the Scenic Route. This conversation with Smart Growth America, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the leaders of two projects featured in the guide explains key case studies to help inspire you, and provides an orientation to the new website, which can be found at www.transportation.art. If you asked a question that wasn’t answered in the webinar, we’ve included answers below.
Earlier in 2021, we hosted the first-ever Smart Growth America Equity Summit. The new discussion guides, based on the summit’s content, can help you produce tangible smart growth changes in your community. Back in January, SGA held a three day virtual summit to discuss how to center improving racial equity in smart growth work. The … Continued
For decades, transportation planners planned and built urban freeways that destroyed many communities of color and continue to have devastating economic and environmental effects long after their inception. We’ve rounded up three of most intriguing ideas from the “Undoing the Damage of Urban Freeways” webinar to learn from in future planning:
One of over 50 case studies included in the newly updated creative placemaking guide, the Scenic Route. Partnering with the Mariposa Arts Council to form a Creative Placemaking Advisory Council, the Mariposa County Planning Department created an artist-led plan to develop a new multi-use trail that celebrates the community’s cultures and ecology.
One of over 50 case studies included in the newly updated creative placemaking guide, the Scenic Route. Portraits of MTA workers who have died from COVID are displayed on screens that normally show maps and service changes, along with a newly commissioned poem, “Travels Far” by the U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith.