Like the Oscars, but for zoning
The Richard H. Driehaus Form-Based Code Award is back for its 12th year! If your community has adopted a form-based code that is promoting people-scaled development and a mix of uses, send us your code.
Blog
House majority adopts Smart Growth America’s unified approach to infrastructure
The House majority’s recent infrastructure proposal finally recognizes what Smart Growth America has been saying for years: We’ll never be able to build and sustain healthy, prosperous and resilient communities without a unified approach to transportation, climate, water, land use, and community development. This is a smart first step, but the details will determine whether or not these investments improve the deep inequities in America, or just make them worse.
From bike to car and back again
Transportation doesn’t just mean cars or trucks—or just bikes, buses, and walking. Transportation is all of those and more, and different modes are better suited for different people, different stages of life, and different tasks. But in America our “transportation system” is more often than not comprised mostly of highways and roads designed solely for cars, with little space for people. The essay below is a personal reflection on how transportation needs and desires change, yet our transportation system often makes it challenging and dangerous to get around without a car.
Equitable Complete Streets principles in school communities, webinar recap
Schools are natural places to encourage walking and biking. However, the share of students who walk or bike to school has declined for decades. We recently spoke with Fionnuala Quinn and Margot Ocañas about how to make areas around schools safer for getting around without a car, and help students feel confident and comfortable engaging with the planning process.
Opportunity Zones aid in historic revitalization and mixed-use development in Greenfield and Montague
The City of Greenfield and the Town of Montague in Massachusetts’ Pioneer Valley sought technical assistance through the first-ever Massachusetts Opportunity Zones Academy to help determine future equitable development project feasibility in their three Opportunity Zones.
Salem considers Opportunity Zones for new mixed-use and TOD development
The proposed South Salem Commuter Rail Station has brought a lot of attention to an underutilized area of land in Salem, which also happens to be a designated Opportunity Zone. During the inaugural Massachusetts Opportunity Zones Academy, SGA provided the City with three different development scenarios to consider for the land use and zoning near the proposed station site.
Barnstable and Yarmouth aim to use Opportunity Zones to promote walkable urban form
The towns of Barnstable and Yarmouth on Cape Cod worked with SGA’s Form-Based Codes Institute during the first-ever Massachusetts Opportunity Zones Academy to gain insight on how to take advantage of their designated Opportunity Zones to create a better sense of place within the two towns.
Fitchburg is well-prepared to shape future Opportunity Zone investment
During the first-ever Massachusetts Opportunity Zones Academy, the City of Fitchburg brought new attention to its long-standing economic and community development initiatives, as well as its shovel-ready Opportunity Zone projects to potential developers and investors.
ACT Fellows learn from local leaders in the Twin Cities
Transportation for America believes in hands-on learning from experienced practitioners. And we put that belief into practice through programs like our Arts, Culture and Transportation (ACT) Fellowship, supported by the Kresge Foundation, where we have been able to take our fellows to different communities to experience first-hand the power of arts and culture to produce better transportation systems.
Complete Streets partner spotlight: Burton Planning Services
The National Complete Streets Coalition is just that—a coalition—and our success is made possible by our many partner organizations. Burton Planning Services is one of those important partners. We spoke with, Planning Manager Amelia Mansfield to learn more about their work and what drives their commitment to Complete Streets.