Last week Smart Growth America’s Arts & Culture team hosted a conversation recapping the second year of the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s (MnDOT) innovative artist-in-residence (AiR) program. Transportation Equity Fellow, Marcus Young 楊墨 and MnDOT Strategic Partnerships Director, Jessica Oh shared their experiences, lessons learned, stories of navigating the pandemic, and goals for future programs.
On December 14, 2021, members of the Coalition’s leadership team and Environmental Justice and Health Committee joined EPA’s Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR) along with other national brownfield advocacy organizations for a roundtable discussion focused on issues of gentrification and displacement of long-term, lower-income community members related to brownfield redevelopment. By hosting this discussion, EPA sought to gain insight on best practices to support brownfield communities across the country in mitigating the potential adverse impacts of new development while continuing to advance their environmental remediation and economic development goals.
Last week, Smart Growth America hosted our second annual Equity Summit, with each of the three days curated and led by one of our three teams: land use and development, transportation and thriving communities, and economic development. With a phenomenal lineup of speakers, panelists, and Smart Growth America staff, there were plenty of tidbits of knowledge to take away from the Summit. Here’s what a few of our own staff heard.
What you need to know about joining the Equity Summit next week, answers to your frequently asked questions, and more!
In the final session of Commonwealth Communities: Smart Growth Strategies for Our Emergent Future, expert speakers ranging from local municipal leaders to professional researchers discussed how to incorporate equity into zoning law. The history of zoning in the U.S. is fraught with racism and disparate impacts on communities of color and low-income communities. We have … Continued
The National Brownfields Coalition was proud to testify before the House Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment in a congressional hearing focused on “promoting economic and community redevelopment and environmental justice in the revitalization and reuse of contaminated properties.”
Smart Growth America’s newest board member brings expertise in resilience and adaptation planning to the smart growth movement. Join us next week for a 30-minute chat between Camille Manning-Broome and SGA President and CEO Calvin Gladney over coffee (or lunch) next week on 12/15.
Engaging in equitable budgeting practices is important on all levels of government, but especially at the local level, it is essential to ensure that community members are informed and empowered to participate in budgetary practices. In the next-to-last session of Commonwealth Communities: Smart Growth Strategies for Our Emergent Future, expert speakers described different tactics for promoting equity in municipal budgets. They touched on important concepts such as participatory budgeting, strategic funding opportunities, and social risk in the municipal market.
The newest board member of Smart Growth America brings expertise in resilience and adaptation planning to the smart growth movement. Wondering how? Join Camille Manning-Broome and Calvin Gladney for a 30-minute chat over coffee (or lunch) on December 15, 2021 beginning at noon.
The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill awaiting the president’s signature is notable both for Congress’ most significant commitment yet to address climate change, and its general failure to do anything to fundamentally change the sources of the problem and reach the level of ambition required. This bipartisan infrastructure deal (the IIJA), approved by Congress on November … Continued